Piano Lessons For Children - The Best Age to Start

I am often asked by parents of young children what is the best age to begin piano lessons. Well, although I have seen children as young as four start to learn to play piano it is a tall order for most so young to cope with the physical and mental demands.

I specialize in a course designed for very small children which uses a lot of singing and all round musical tuition, but there are the physical hold ups of tiny hands that just aren't ready to use the fingers independently and most children will progress much faster and therefore enjoy the experience much more if they are around six.

It may appear obvious, but there is a marked difference between a five and six year old learning to play piano. It's not just hand size to reach the piano notes but ability to concentrate too. Basic knowledge in other ways of the world makes a big difference too. For example, knowing the first seven letters of the alphabet.

A lot depends 'though on the course offered and the skill of the teacher. When I teach the very little ones I encourage their parents to sit in on the lessons and help to guide their child. I can then lead from the front of the class whilst parents can help to guide their child's hands in to place on the keyboards whilst I move around the class to check that all is well.

Lessons for the very young need to be fast and flexible. Singing, and perhaps even dancing help to develop children's musical skills. Even most adults will find it difficult to concentrate for long if the work is intense.

It not only takes skills in the movements that we produce with our fingers, but our brains have just such a lot to assimilate and analyze. It's only when you think that you're asking a very small child to read two languages at the same time, use their two hands in totally different directions and then put expression and feeling into the music that you begin to realize what a task it is.

I therefore have all praise and admiration whenever I see a six year old, who probably has difficulty reading English, make a success of playing the piano. There are lots of children of this age who cope very well, however. It's wonderful to see a small child learning to sit comfortably at the piano and looking at ease as they play their simple but challenging pieces.

To summarize, therefore, I would say that, on average, seven would be the ideal time to start to play the piano. The child is old enough and physically big enough to cope with the academic work and the size of the keys on the instrument but a keen, musical six year old from a supportive family would probably be far more successful than a sullen eleven year old who is being pushed into learning by eager parents.

Each child and each piano teacher is different. Don't worry too much if the first attempt of getting your child off to a musical start doesn't seem to work out. They have plenty of time and opportunity ahead of them and if the door is left open they can return to and enjoy the experience of making music when their time is right.

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