Music teachers get asked a lot of questions, and a lot of those questions are about age. What’s the best age to start music lessons? Is my child too old to start learning an instrument? In today’s episode of Music Notes, Stephanie offers some advice for determining when is the best age to start piano lessons!
Too Early or Too Late?
First of all, it’s never too late to start learning music! You aren’t too old, your grandmother isn’t too old, and your child isn’t too old. That said, if it’s never too late, is there a best age to start music lessons? We typically recommend six to eight as the best age to start piano. At this age, students pick up languages and build connections really quickly – it’s the perfect time for learning music. So how do you know if your 6-8 year old is ready to start?
3 Readiness Indicators
- Does the student want to play piano? The motivation to play has to come from the student. It will make everything easier, from daily practice to learning tricky sections of music.
- The size of a student’s hands: Can they easily place five fingers on five adjacent white keys? For some five- and six-year-olds, that’s a big stretch. If it’s a stretch for your student, consider waiting for those hands to grow just a little bit bigger.
- Finger dexterity: Can your student move each finger individually? Try having them tap each fingertip to their thumb.
If your answer is yes to all of the above – the desire to learn, hand size, and finger independence – then it’s a great time to try your first lesson!
What if they want to, but aren’t ready?
If you think your student isn’t ready, or is just a little bit too young, you can still encourage that love of music! Singing, dancing, clapping along to the beat, and listening to music – these are all great ways to make music accessible without an instrument. Want to read more about the best time to start piano lessons? Check out this blog post from Mr. Hoffman: What is the Best Age to Begin Piano Lessons? Next week on the blog, we’ll see what piano lessons look like for toddlers and preschoolers – stay tuned!