Question About Piano Lessons

I recommend the Yahmaha Program. It is group lessons on an electronic keyboard for kids starting at age 4 or 5. Then after 2 years, switch to a private teacher and buy a piano. This was advice I got and it was sound.

There are some other (group lessons on keyboard) programs than the Yahmaha program that are equivalent.

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If you want to start young, the Suzuki method is the way to go. I teach Suzuki violin and I start students as young as 3 with 15 minute lessons, filled with games and fun little activities. I think with piano, though, their little hands need to be a bit bigger. I think most Suzuki piano teachers won't go much younger than 5, but check into it. www.suzukiassociation.org has a teacher search and some info on the method itself.

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Hello!

I saw your post, and thought I'd write you with my experiences. I'm a music teacher (with an almost 3 yr old, 17 mo. old and 11 year old) and I think it's wonderful that your child is interested in music! I must say though, I have attempted trial lessons with that age group, and I really think it's a little too young. Usually lessons run about a 1/2 hour, and their attention spans can't last that long. Also, they have to have dexterity with individual fingers, which doesn't sound like it would be that difficult, but it's hard for tiny fingers! In my opinion, the earliest a child should start lessons is around 5 years old. I have had the most success at this age as far as little ones go. Mommy and Me music classes are a great option in the meantime. It's also great for them to be able to participate in a group setting. Best of luck to you, and feel free to contact me with any other questions you might have.
-Liz

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My son also loves music, is always singing or humming. He started piano lessons at age 4.5 and did well. A good music teacher will teach them how to read music properly, not just put in the notes on the music and on the piano. This foundation helps them succeed with music in years to come. It's also supposed to help with brain development; kids who are good in music do better in math and science. The only difficulty my son had was with his fingers fitting properly on the piano and keyboard.

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first find a teacheror two that yu like. everyone is an individual, so everyone should be treated as an individual. my daughter's piano teacher has a 3 yr old as a student, but only one, because she is capable.

I started my daughter with piano lessons at age 5 and it was the best age (per her instructor) they have the attention span and are good listeners. I am proud to say she is now 13 and still taking lessons and loving every minute of it. Best of Luck!

Hi M.,
Two of my nephews are music teachers, and they both say that you would be hard pressed to find an instructor to work with a toddler. Loving music and singing does not make a child who is still 2 have the ability to understand reading music and producing music - most 2 year olds can't follow those directions or be willing to sit still at a piano for a half hour, or practice on your piano daily. Usually music lessons begin at first grade age - and at that age, many kids who enjoy singing and hearing music still don't have the personal discipline to learn an instrument. If you own a piano, certainly letting him play around on the piano and teaching him a bit on your own is great. Most young kids starting lessons don't even realize that it will be quite some time til they are actually playing songs!

Hi, M. --

I don't live in your area and I am not a piano teacher -- I'm a teacher of young violinists using the Suzuki Method. If you are in the Buffalo area, please call "Buffalo Suzuki Strings" and ask your questions of them. I think that they have piano teachers who enjoy working with young children. If they don't, they can refer you to an experienced Suzuki piano teacher. They will advise you how to tell whether your son is ready for instruction.

I have found that in order for a child and parents to enjoy music lessons, the child should have reached "the age of reason" -- in other words, must be mature enough that you can reason with him.

If he starts lessons at age three he will progress more slowly than starting at age four or four and a half, but, as Dr. Suzuki so wisely put it, he will have one more year to enjoy music.

I also recommend "Music Together" or "Kindermusic" classes if they are available in your area and are well-taught.

Suzuki violin and cello lessons are available in many locations and are great for starting ear training at an early age.

-- J. B.

Thanks for asking this question. My daughter is the same way and I have been wondering the same thing.
My husband had an acquaintance about a year ago who was a music teacher. He suggested that children know the difference between cheap toy instruments and the real thing and would be more likely to keep their enthusiasm for learning to play music if they have real instruments to play with. I happened to have a harmonica and someone gave us some bongo drums. You can also find recorders, tamberines etc. that are not too expensive. For Christmas, when she was three and a half, we bought her an electronic piano that sounds the most like a 'real' piano. My sister bought us a program called 'Piano for Preschoolers' and we have been using it to teach her how to play songs on the piano. I think that she has a better attention span than most kids her age so I don't know if all children can do this or not, but she has learned to play Mary had a Little Lamb and Twinkle Twinkle Star. Granted she is only playing with one finger, but I think it is helping her develop an ear for music. I heard her playing both songs on her toy xylophone the other day so she must have figured it out just by ear.
Anyway, I think that it is too early to put her in formal lessons, but I think that I will keep finding instruments for her to experiment with and maybe put her in a Music Together Class for the next year or two.
Best,
B.

As a piano teacher, he is TOO YOUNG. I started lessons when I was 8. I was old enough to read, old enough to practice without my mother standing over my shoulder reading the directions. (I never REMEMBERED to practice, but that's a whole different issue. ;-))

At the same time, my hubs is Chinese, and started lessons when he was 4. I think it really depends on the kid.

My advice would be to have loads of musical instruments around, and give loads of praise. At this age, kids are SO creative...it's best to just let that flow. If he expresses interest in learning how to read music so he can play songs...then it might be time for a few lessons. There are music courses designed for EXTREMELY young children.

My daughter was the same way. We were told that kids should be a certain age in order to have music lessons so we didn't start her till 6. I was told at that point that she has amazing music ability and should have started her earlier. From my experience, it really depends on the child's ability to show interest and absorb what is taught. At a young age you may want to find an instructor with experience in young children with limited verbal skills. You may want to start him on music appreciation (different instruments that are played differently to make different sounds). He will always retain that when learning different instruments. My daughter, now 9, plays classical piano with music theory, violin, guitar and the clarinet with no confusion between the instruments and she loves every lesson.

Dear M., Young children are very receptive to learning of any kind. Try him with an instructor. His hands may be small but if he really wants to he may stick with it. There is also the practicing factor to consider and while he does not have regular school this could be a good time. Follow his lead. Grandma Mary

Never too young. Encourage the interest. Start out slow and see where it goes.

I agree with the consensus that 7 is probably a good age to start. My mother is a piano teacher, and I took lessons from about the age of 7. Definitely encourage his interest and let him play around with the piano and other instruments, but both his attention span and the size and dexterity of hands make him a very unlikely candidate for useful lessons at this point.

Hi M.,

I know a girl who started violin at age 3 (she's 12 now and still plays). So to answer your question, yes you can start him now, however, you know your child best and whether or not he has the attention span and he'll practice between lessons.

Good luck.

Perfect age. You start a child when they are interested as early as possible. Starting a child to play the piano at a young age will help with fine motor control, flexibility, and build strong muscles in the fingers...all needed for a talented pianist later in life. If you start too late, the fingers will not develop all that is needed to excel as a pianist and the student will give up due to the difficulty. Starting them young will cause them to keep up their talent well into their adulthood and beyond.

Fabulous news ! If your son loves music and singing, I suggest promoting his talents... stimulate his creativity and roll with it. I gave my toddler a little keyboard at 18months.. and he jammed away... at 2yrs old he tinkers on the keys and makes his music.... sings a little Doh-reh-meeeeee and loves it.
I say that because the formal lessons are probably quite premature, but I only know the attention span of my two year old. If you think your child can focus and follow teacher directions, go for it. But so what if you try one or two lessons. You can always stop if it's a waste. But I would think child music teachers know how to capture their little audience. It might be more of a game-time with a piano, rather than formal lessons. Either way, he would grow from it. And if a teacher doesn't work, then you'll just have to take up piano yourself. Everybody wins.

Hi M.!

I teach piano lessons (and band in school), and I take students younger than most teachers. I do not start students younger than 4. When I start them that young, I make them get four books...if they play the first song in four books rather than the first four songs in one book, things more slowly and they really get a lot of time on the basics.

Check in your area for a Suzuki school, they start students very young!

My kids started at age 5. That was a good age for them to sit for a half-hour lesson. One of them still loves to play. The other one stopped playing the piano and switched to voice lessons.

Hi M.,

I learned how to play the piano at a very early age. My father was my teacher so he was able to do little "lessons" so to speak here and there. The only problem was that I still could not read music until I was about 7 or so.

I agree with Soni. Wait until your son is about 7 or 8. I gave piano lessons for many years and encouraged parents to wait until their children old enough to learn how to read music. I think encouraging him with the love of music is a wonderful thing you can do for him at this age.

M.. I've been playing for about 28 years and I started when I was about 3.5 years old but I started because I would sit at my next door neighbor's house and just play their piano for hours. My parents figured that I was definitely ready to start. If you're doing it to train your child to be the next concert pianist then yes, start classes now. If not, find a music place that may have classes geared towards younger kids that make things fun. Kids can get discouraged easily. I've seen classes near me that involve kids and drums and they're for 1.5 to 4 year olds. They seem fun and a great way to introduce musical instruments to a child. Something like that would be a good alternate.

M.,

Awesome, go for it!

Be selective if you can about his teacher though. You want someone who will work with his short attention span, and encourage him, rather than having him set down to rote pieces.

That being said, having two teachers might be good also - one that encourages musical play and another that encourages learning more about notes, sounds, locations on the piano, etc.

My aunt learned to play by ear. No lessons. I don't know what age she was, but I know there was a piano in the house.

Good luck!
M.

Hi M.,

I find that many parents are tempted to rush to formal lessons when their young children exhibit musical behavior. As a Music Together teacher/director we learn from research that these behaviors are part of the normal process of musical development. The developmentally appropriate thing is to give your child experiences that continue to develop their inborn potential. By exposing our children to play based music making like we do in Music Together classes, you are actually helping to develop their tonal and rhythmic abilities. It is better to wait until a child has completed this proces before starting with formal lessons. When this is depends on the quality and continuity of the experiences. Anything you do as a family as far as singing, jamming, dancing, etc is vitally important to this process.

So enjoy this time musically with your child!

All the best,
M.

My mother-in-law is a piano teacher, and she suggests starting a child at 5 when they are more apt to be able to learn to read music. Starting at 3 would be challenging due to attention spans as well.

I was in a similar situtaion with my son and was told that he might be too young (mostly b/c of physical development) so we were suggested he try glockenspiel (it is German similar to the xylophone)He will get the understanding of how to read and use music then when he can physically have the dexterity for the piano, he will already have the basic idea of music understood...

Unless you are willing to pay a piano to have in the house for him to practice on, I wouldn't even bother. I think 3 is a little young for lessons. Because they teach reading music as well as playing. Which for a child this young may be confusing. Maybe wait until he's 5.

M.,

As a piano teacher and early childhood music teacher, I can tell you that three is too young to start formal music lessons, unless you have a true musical prodigy, and even then I advise you to wait. Taking up an instrument requires an attention span and level of discipline and commitment not inherent in a three-year-old, who still learns through play. It also requires the ability to keep a steady beat among other skills, which most three-year-olds also lack. Most experts agree that age 7 or 8 is the minimum age for a child to begin formal music lessons. Although I currently have two 5-year-old beginners among my students, they are the exception rather than the rule.

That said, there's no reason not to continue to nurture your son's love of music. If you have a piano or other keyboard instrument at home, encourage him to experiment with it and discover the variety of sounds he can create. If he enjoys singing, encourage him to do so. Sing with him, and don't worry about how you sound. Your voice is the most beautiful sound in the world to your son, and by singing with him (and to him), you become a musical role model.

Let your son play with music right now without expectations or direction. Like all new skills, from walking to potty training, your son will take to piano lessons when he's ready.