When should a child start learning piano...
I am often asked this question by parents who want to give their pre-school child a head start in music and education. Although it is well known that learning to play an instrument effectively complements academic studies by improving physical co-ordination, concentration and memory skills, learning the piano in itself requires complex mental and physical processes and the ability to concentrate!
Beginning too early therefore, could be counterproductive and put a child off learning music altogether.
Usually children are quite ready to engage in such a skill based learning programme by the age of seven. Some may be mature enough by age six or even a little earlier in exceptional cases, but only if they have the support of a parent or carer who will help them with regular practising.
One of the difficulties for very young children is that their hands may be too tiny to push down weighted piano keys. Having small hands that are not strong enough to maintain a curved shape whist stretching from one key to the next, often causes the development of flat-fingered playing - a habit that can be difficult to break later on. This extra physical challenge, coupled with learning to read notation and count rhythmically, can cause a young child to become frustrated, confused and lose interest. Also, because their concentration span is short, they are likely to become accustomed to learning at a very slow pace, and this may in fact hold them back when they reach the level of maturity when learning usually takes off! As a seasoned piano teacher, experience has proved to me many a time, that a child who has been at school full time for at least two terms is better equipped, physically and mentally, to conquer the initial challenges of learning piano, and provided they put in adequate practice, will usually progress ahead of a child who started a year or so earlier.
Introduce musical play at an early age
However, it is never too early to begin to develop a musical ear. If you are keen to give your child a good musical foundation, start by singing to them and with them from the earliest age. Clapping in time and encouraging them to move to the rhythm of the music are also fun ways to introduce musical concepts from a few months of age. By making music an enjoyable part of every-day activities you can help cultivate your child’s natural sensitivity for rhythm and melody and, although it will be unconscious at this stage, a sense of tonal harmony, all of which will be a real advantage when learning to play any musical instrument later on.
Having a piano in the house is also a great way to introduce a child to the keyboard long before they are ready to take formal lessons. As parents, if you missed the opportunity to learn as a child, it isn’t too late to start either! Many who take it up later in life find pleasure and success in learning a new skill. Children also love to copy; they can learn simple tunes by watching and listening to you play, and in this way will start to learn the layout of the keys and the sounds they make, before entering into a regime of weekly lessons.