PIANO
Parents often ask us what age is the best age to begin piano lessons. Since all children have different skills and abilities, the perfect age to begin private piano lessons depends on the individual child, but most will be ready between the ages of five to eight years old. How do you know if your child is ready? Here is a short checklist:
1. Size of Hand
Can your child easily place five fingers on five adjacent white keys? For some five-year-olds, that`s a big stretch! Before beginning piano lessons, make sure your child`s hands have grown enough to be comfortable using a keyboard.
2. Finger Independence
Before beginning piano, children need to be able to move individual fingers. A child who can use three different fingers on three black keys to play "Hot Cross Buns" is ready for lessons. A child who can only play by picking out the tune with one finger is probably not ready. You can practice finger independence with your child to help them get ready for piano lessons.
3. Interest in Music and Desire to Learn
Probably the most important thing on this checklist is your own child`s desire to learn the piano. If the motivation to learn comes from your child, it will help them overcome all sorts of difficulties they might encounter.
Is It Ever Too Early? Another question that parents often ask us.
Children under the age of five who show an interest in the piano should be allowed to explore and learn on their own time table. They probably won`t respond well to an adult-imposed learning structure. If you put a child at this age in piano lessons, most of the teacher`s time will be spent in redirecting the child`s attention to the piano. Having that in mind our school offers 15-minute lessons to all of our students under the age of 5. Our instructors will assess and let you know when your child is ready to switch to longer sessions.
That proves to be a more effective use of your time and money and most importantly a great way to introduce your child to music.
Is it Ever Too Late?
No, it is never too late! Anyone of any age who wants to learn, and puts in the hours of practice, can reach a high level of skill and enjoyment. Studying music at any age is good for the body, mind, and spirit, and something to enjoy for a lifetime.
VOICE
Most teachers recommend starting formal voice lessons after a child`s voice changes in puberty.
However, children can start as young as six with general singing lessons that do not involve formal vocal technique. Voice lessons with a younger student involve learning to sing on pitch, basics of breathing, rhythm, notation and basic musicianship.
STRINGS
Violin & Viola – Our recommended starting age for violin or viola is four, although exceptions can certainly be made for a younger student who is capable of handling the strings properly and with sufficient strength in the fingers and hands.
Cello – Because of the cello’s large size, our recommended starting age for cello is seven or eight, although exceptions can certainly be made for a younger student who is capable of handling the instrument properly and with sufficient strength in the fingers and hands. The cello is also an excellent instrument for students of all ages who have some experience with other members of the violin family, or even as a beginning instrument.
GUITAR & MANDOLIN
The guitar is capable of authentically performing all styles of music, including blues, folk, pop, rock, jazz, classical, flamenco and country.
Instruction is focused on the student’s favorite songs and musical styles. From this point of strength and interest, we will study the fundamentals of the instrument while attaining an understanding of the music that the student already enjoys.
Students may begin studying the guitar as young as 7 years old.
A smaller guitar and nylon strings are recommended for an enthusiastic younger guitar student.
UKULELE
The Perfect Instrument to Introduce Your Child To Music is the Ukulele.
There are four main sizes of ukulele. In order of increasing size they are: soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. Soprano is the traditional ukulele size and the one most often used by beginners. With it being the smallest, there’s less stretching for notes. They also tend to be the cheapest. Overall, I’d recommend starting with a soprano.
The ukulele fits into a child's hands. It's almost exactly proportionate to a child as a guitar is to an adult. This makes it feel that the instrument is theirs. It is easy to learn and the children can plan and sing at the same time.
WOODWIND INSTUMENTS
Our recommended starting age is around seven. The most significant factor to keep in mind is whether or not the student’s hands are large enough to facilitate playing. As a wind instrument, it is also important that the student has the developed lung capacity to play.
