When to start children on piano?

I am often asked, “What is the right age to start my child on piano?”. The short answer depends on the child. Generally speaking, 5-8 is the ideal window to start. By that time they have developed better listening skills, have larger hands, and have increased ability to practice independently. Children under five may have a tough time reaching the keys, and with shorter attention spans they get less out of a lesson. Before this age I would suggest exposing them to music as much as possible, letting them explore the piano (if you have one already), and encouraging dance or other music related activities. Other key factors include how much interest they have, ability to focus, and how involved the parent can be in helping the child practice.

Piano buying guide:

Searching for the right piano, can be a daunting task. With so many options, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are some tips to get you started:

Let’s start by exploring the pros and cons of a traditional piano verse an electronic keyboard. A traditional piano has several draw backs, firstly, they are expensive, easily ranging from two to ten thousand dollars. Secondly, they are large, hard to move, and require a designated space in your house. Thirdly, real pianos have to be routinely tuned (at least once a year) which can cost any where from 100 to 200 dollars. On the flip side they are immensely more enjoyable to play. A pianos sound is much richer with a real and unprocessed sound quality, also, the weight of the piano keys gives you a greater level of control over the sound. Keyboards, on the other hand, can be relatively inexpensive, easy to move, and never have to be tuned. The biggest draw back would be the quality of the sound. Even expensive key boards do not compete with the tone of a  piano. 

So what is right for you? I would suggest, if you are a complete beginner, starting out with a keyboard (I would look for a price point of 100$ or less). This gives you a low cost entry to find out if playing piano is really something you want to do. If you have been in lessons for several years and are ready to upgrade I would recommend the Yamaha p-45 (550$)

Piano As A Foundation For Music Education

The piano is an amazing instrument because all the notes are laid out in front of you in a very systematic way. Because of this visual aspect it is very conducive to learning and understanding the language of music. The piano gives a good foundation that is highly beneficial for other instruments or singing. The piano is both a harmonic and melodic instrument meaning it plays both accompaniment chords and singing melodic lines. When playing the piano you learn to understand both elements, which is crucial for any musician. Another reason the piano is so foundational is its use as a compositional tool. Lots of musicians who play other instruments go back to the piano when they are writing music. The reason for this is it gives you the ability to see and hear the whole picture of the music all at once. For vocalists, the piano can aid in the learning of melodies, vocal exercises and even being able to accompany your self while singing. The basic working knowledge of the piano can also aid in understanding music theory, interval relationships, and complex rhythms. No wonder it’s a requirement for all music students in any university music program.

When Is It The Right Time For A Piano Teacher?

There are several factors in deciding if you want to teach your self piano through books and youtube videos or to start weekly lessons with a piano instructor. The first factor is time. Weekly lessons are designed to guide your weekly practice. Most improvements happen during focused practice time. An hour and a half to two hours of practice before the next lesson is a good place to start. If you don’t have the time for this, working out of a book or online videos are probably your best option because you can go at your own pace and move on to the next lesson when you are ready. The next factor would be your goals for music. A lot of people just want to learn the bare bone basics and only want to play a couple of songs they like off the radio. They are not interested in reading music or learning the underlying principles of how music works. In todays world you can do this fairly easily with out a teacher. There are all kinds of resources on line to help you. On the other hand if you see music as a long term commitment and are interested in the mechanics of how it works, and want to delve into different styles, then a teacher is probably right for you. The last factor is self motivation. Some people need the weekly accountability or dead line to encourage practice time. With out it music gets crowded out with other distractions and falls off the grid.

The Benefits Of Music Education For Kids

Music is good for many things, one of them is developing your child’s brain. Science has proven that children involved in music create connections in there brain that spill out into other areas of life. Academically, children improve in both math and reading, from skills that are cultivated through learning music. Music also stimulates many different regions of the brain at the same time, almost like a mental work out. Similar to working other parts of the body, an active mind is a healthy mind. Music also encourages a child’s independence by giving them an opportunity to create something on there own. This type of independence is rarely experienced in childhood and it encourages self discovery as well as self expression. Lastly, music gives children experience in perseverance, self motivation, and self achievement. It’s a little bit more of a real world experience because no one can do it for them. They have to be consistent and put in the practice.