5/04/2013

When To Start Piano Lessons

By Lori Buenavista


The piano is often the 1st musical instrument taught to a kid. Learning how to play can be fun and exciting, as long as the child is mature enough to deal with the training and material. How can you determine when to start your child in piano lessons? While there's no one "right" answer, here are a few basic tips.

Emotional and Behavioral Maturity

Several kids are ready for piano lessons at age four; others may be seven or eight before they're mature enough to handle the lesson and the training sessions necessary to obtain skill. Prior to starting piano lessons, your son or daughter should: have an attention span that allows for a thirty minute lesson, manage to listen to a teacher, take guidance and display proper behavior, be able to converse verbally, and be excited to master new skills.

Fine Motor Skill Development

Understanding how to learn the piano requires motor skills that lots of children below the age of four to five don't possess. To find out whether your child has adequate development of the small muscles in his hands, see if he can: lift each finger separately of the others, print letters, use scissors, button a shirt, and grip a pencil.

Mental Skills

Actively playing the piano requires the ability to grasp some concepts that only come with maturity and age. The ability to identify symbols on a page of sheet music and transfer the meaning of the image to a key on the piano is significant. Most kids begin playing "let's pretend" throughout the age of five. If your son or daughter can assign an item an imaginary role, just like turning a building block into a "car," then he's developed this skill. Your youngster should be in a position to comprehend basic concepts such as "up," "down," "high" and "low" in order to start reading music and recognizing the different tones of notes on the piano.

Letter recognition and early reading skills are incredibly beneficial when learning notes. The piano uses the very first 7 notes of the alphabet; understanding the proper order of at least those letters assists with understanding the positions of the keys. The capability to count and keep a steady beat by clapping helps students find out the time signatures required to count out a beat.

Although some kids as young as age four might be ready for piano lessons, you need to consider your ability to help your youngster with practice sessions. The younger your child is, the more time and dedication you'll need to provide in order to make his training effective. Children who have started the first grade (typically around age 5-6) are able to read the assignment book and interact in some self-guided practice trainings.

If your child isn't completely prepared, starting lessons too soon could cause frustration and can ultimately sour the musical experience. It's easier to wait an extra year and have a child that's excited and motivated than to start too soon.




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