WHEN TO TAKE PIANO LESSONS....An often asked QUESTION!

When should we start piano lessons? When should we start violin lessons? It’s one of the most common questions I’m asked. Often by parents of toddlers and preschoolers.
The sad thing is that typically; start when you’re three, quit when you’re four. Start when you’re four, quit when you’re five. But start a little older, after having group music classes, and you’re more likely to have success and fun with your instrument. Group classes teach beat, rhythm, phrasing, pitch matching, music concepts, and vocabulary in a joyful,
active way. An older child of 7 or 8 years who has learned basic music skills from a group music program will quickly pass up a child who started private lessons at a young age.
The progress for the older child who had group music classes first (especially classes that have a music education curriculum, such as Kindermusik, not just a sing along) is fast and successful and these children tend to stay in music much longer because they do make good progress.
One private teacher put it this way, “The progress of the young child starting private lessons as a first-time music experience is painfully slow.” Just as babies learn to understand language before they can speak and read it, young children need to learn to walk to a beat, echo sing pitches accurately and have an understanding of basic music concepts before starting to learn music reading and the specific skills of playing an instrument.
What do we think is best for the 3, 4, or 5-year-old?
The Kindermusik classes! And...the parent who listens to music or plays the piano or another instrument at home, encourages their child’s musical interest!