How and when to begin...

[Pianoquake]

Suppose you had a 3 year old who was quite musical (can identify works, etc..), but you had no access to a piano or a teacher--

Would you:--

a) wait a year until you had access to both?
b) buy him a decent keyboard?

I hear both sides, those claiming you have to start early and not stifle musical development, vs. those who argue you'll ruin the child's fingers and hearing forever if you give him/her anything but a real piano.

What do you think?

[keys]

I can't see how it would do the child any harm to start him on a keyboard. I would just watch him closely to make sure he's not getting frustrated. I usually suggest that the child know how to read before they start with formal lessons; everything comes so much quicker to them at that point. And if the child were musically inclined you would have to go out of your way to stifle it.  I started lessons when I was eight years old  (twice as old as most of my friends when they started lessons) and had no trouble catching up. In short, I believe you could have a successful outcome from either path, depending on the child’s eagerness to learn.

[pianonut]

i'm all for the kodaly method.  i put my son in this and we just had a good time.  they make up songs, sing a basic repertoire, have holiday songs, and the teacher let us take home the pages and practice.  i think the repetition of hearing notes/intervals and the fun of making instruments out of toilet paper rolls and pie tins, etc. was good too.  they like to run around, so if you play their songs every day/or night - they can learn the words, notes, rhythms and maybe will at 3 1/2 or 4 start just sitting at the keyboard or piano and picking out notes.  tetrachord form is easiest (with left hand 5432 and right hand 2345 - to play scales and songs.

hayden had a father that played the harp.  he would play folk songs and hayden quickly learned them all.  somehow, the combination of music repeatedly played brings a security to a child, too.  you can also get those reader's digest song books, children's song books, and all and have family sing alongs.  this is kind of a lost art (especially at holiday times).  one thanksgiving i made up my own songbook for everyone (adult songs and kids songs) and found the best piano arrangements of the tunes that i could play on the piano.