What is the best age to begin learning the piano?

[rute]

My daugther is about to be 4 years old. I would like her to be introduce to piano, or other musical instrument, but I have many doubts if I should put her with a piano professor now, or if only by the 5 or 6 years, when she’ll began to read and write.

When I ask her what she would like to learn, if the piano or the violin, she answers me the guitar  . But guitar is only taught by 6 or 7 years old.

If I don’t put her in piano lessons, what can I began to teach her at home?

[ksnmohan]

Hi Rute!

I am a bit confused - is it your son or daughter? You start the msg with "My son is...." but immediately move to "she" and "her"!

4 years is alright, many great pianists have started at that age - but how tall is the child? Should be able to reach up to the Piano Keyboard.

Suggest you start with a reasonably good Electronic Keyboard (Yamaha) at home. You can make a suitable table/stand for it and a chair, depending on how tall the child is.

And by no means don't thrust the piano, just because YOU want it!- you must also consider her "natural" liking for the guitar.

Prof Narayanan
Madras/India

[Petter]

Get her a guitar, there are guitars for kids aswell. http://smallguitars.com/
Let her fool around with one and see what happens. Thats what I would do at least.

[rute]

Hi Rute!

I am a bit confused - is it your son or daughter? You start the msg with "My son is...." but immediately move to "she" and "her"!

Sorry, I've already change it.

She's 1mt taller. I don't intend to press her, she likes to ear me playing the guitar, and likes to put her fingers on the piano like I say her to do, but that's all. I can't put her playing much.

Sorry my english  

[rute]

Get her a guitar, there are guitars for kids aswell. http://smallguitars.com/
Let her fool around with one and see what happens. Thats what I would do at least.

Thanks Petter, I didn't knew that guitars. I have classic guitars (acustic). She sometimes plays with them. And sometimes plays with drums too.

[gyzzzmo]

Its no problem getting a 4 year old behind the piano, at least if she wants it herself too.

[guendola]

There is virtually no need to push children into music lessons at the age of four. Six, seven, even eight - if she is talented, devoted to music and loves the instrument, she can still become a pro with ease. If she isn't, she won't, no matter when she starts.

So wait until she is six or seven. And if she still wants to play guitar, let her have guitar lessons. Guitar is a beautiful instrument as well.

[musicrebel4u]

I start teaching students from 2+ year old.
From 24 month kids capable of controlling each finger and coordinate both hands. Playing piano from very early age is drastically improving intellectual ability of students in future.

Here how I teach:
3 year old
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EixzXTn2sI
5 year old
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZKiiSCAQuM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq3xrN4xpMo

Here what they can learn:

3 year old
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AWPULoTYDk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4mFmHHrTD0

4 year old
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y7MkE3pcmE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhVv8IR8SRk

[slobone]

I would say, if she wants to do it, why hold her back? I'm sure you can find a teacher who's good with very young students. Obviously it needs to be fun for her or she'll give it up too early. Later you can teach her about discipline...

But I also agree that if she's more interested in the guitar, let her do that. She can always learn the piano later on if she wants to.

[tsagari]

Hello,
As a parent I want to share with you, experts or not, my thoughts about putting young children into music lessons.
First of all I believe that the majority of young children have a natural tentency in liking music and experiment with instruments - usually the onces that availiable at home, guitar piano drams whatever.
This natural quriocity of children may be interpeted from the parent as an indication that the child wants to learn to play the instrument. However no child of the age of two, four or six year old knows what is involved in learning an instrument. And there is a big difference, I think between giving a child a musical education and giving piano or guitar lessons.
Having in mind that most of us have an average child and not the next Horowitz or Gould - we need to musically educate our children mening lisening music, singing songs giving lessons of course and then I think if there is ground to go further than this the child will find the way. I believe that having a two year old playing the piano is something that makes the parent more happy than necessarily the child.
I have a ten year old son that started piano lessons at six. Our decision was based on the fact that he imitated his father who plays the piano and he was interested in making music. After four years I can see this huge problem between what he wants to play and the programme is followed by the teacher which is strictly classical and making no sense for him at this age (czerny bach and all these things).
Sorry for the English

[rute]

Thanks to all. I've already post a response to this topic, but it disappeared  .

I thought the musicrebel4u method very interesting and it’s really beautiful to see little children playing like that. But I don’t intend to press her to play an instrument, because pressing may do opposite, may turn the child hating the instrument for life. I think music is very important in child development, is why I intend to put her playing piano, or other. I love guitar, probably more than piano, and it would be very gratefully for me if she would learn it, but only for the age of 6 or 7. For now is only for kidding. I’ll try to teacher her same things at home and understand what her abilities and tastes are. I’ll leave great methods for when she’ll have an instrument teacher 

[dan101]

Age and maturity depend upon the individual, of course. if I estimated an average starting age, my best guess would be about 7 to 8 years of age.

[hyrst]

Hi Rute,
I wanted to add that I am also teaching children as young as 2 and they are learning as well as any of the older children - within the capability of their hands.  They can read, follow patterns, sing, identify counting and notes, etc. 

The important things are to use rewards, concepts, periods of time, etc that are age appropriate.  For the little ones, I use visual images, colours, etc.  I have simliar technqiues to Hellene (musicrebel) and find them very effective.  (Hellene has developed a very brilliant / useful system with technology that is great for the beginners.  Unfortunately, my system is all paper and movement based. The concepts are the same, though, so it is possible to do it on your own.) 

Some of the little ones really love it and learn to play extremely well.  I have a 3 year old who has memorised all the pieces through the level 1 Faber Adventure books.  Her mother says she is always playing the piano without ever being asked.  I have a just turned 6 year old who is playing Bach Inventions and beginning to look at Chopin Waltzes and Nocturnes (she plays Romantic period music beautifully).  Of the average children, all of them are learning to read and play happily.  They are playing grade 2 at 6 or 7 years old.

The thing is, for the average kids, they could probably progress that far with a good teacher if they began learning at 7 - they'd be at the same level by the time they are 9 as if they started later.  So, they must be enjoying it - not just being disciplined.  Music does develop skills in thinking that extend beyond the ability to play music, and are very supportive in school work.

So, the underlying principle must be that the child is doing what they want to do and becuase they love it - even if it is work sometimes.  The age really doesn't matter - the attitude behind it makes the world of difference.

[musicrebel4u]

Here is a sample about how much 5 year old kid can learn

http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,28905.0.html

[keymoo]

http://www.pianofundamentals.com/book/en/1.III.18.3

[amelialw]

I don't think the age matters, honestly. Yes, there are many kids who play the piano, and play it well too, unfortunatley many of them give up because of pressure from their parents or because they just do not love it or like it.

I myself started when I was 3. It was a big help because when I started private lessons at the age of 7 I knew so much, in fact I got rather stuck when I went to a private teacher instead. Now's different though because I moved to canada 4 and a half yrs ago.

One advantage of learning the piano while you are young is that you will be able to learn a few more instruments easily because you already have the basics.