Many parents asked about the best age to start piano lessons. Actually the right question will be when is the right age to start music exposure. Although studies at the University of California suggest that a child should have formal music training from age 3 onwards, experience from music teacher tells us that the child at this age is not ready for a formal lessons. It is recommended to bring your child to music appreciation classes at music schools. Such schools provide a suitable environment to allow your child to learn music the fun way. In such classes the child will experiment, dance and play for fun. Another form of exposure is to bring your child to musicals or outdoor concerts. At such young age, parents should not have expectations from the child and not push the child too much as they may grow to hate music.
The recommended age for formal piano music lessons by most music teachers will be 5 years old onwards. However this age serves as a guideline, signs to look out for in your child includes the ability to converse well, be able to pay attention, sit still and have bigger hands. Being able to read and write is a plus as the child will need to receive music theory lessons.
When selecting a teacher, make sure your child is comfortable with the teacher and that the teacher is able to keep the class fun and interesting. Things to look out for includes whether the studio is conducive for a child, for example if there are toys and that the studio is brightly coloured. Fun teaching materials should be available in the studio. Call us for more details for locating a suitable teacher.
My Personal Experience With My Own Child
In order for your child to effectively learn music, it is important to make sure that distractions are kept to a minimum at home. in this video, you can see that I taught my child very simple hands coordination when she turned 3 years old. Every single note that she played and sang is the result of my 18 years of experience teaching young children. I am glad that nowadays when she is bored she likes to practise piano instead of getting distracted by watching television.
