As the fall rolls in and everyone begins to cozy up for a quiet Seattle rainy season amidst the pandemic, many families and mentors are thinking about activities for their children that will nurture them throughout the upcoming winter and beyond. One popular idea that comes up, of course, is piano lessons. But then one wonders: What is the best age to start piano lessons? Is my child ready to begin piano lessons? On top of that you have to find teachers who offer piano lessons in Seattle.
Like any good question, the answer is nuanced. It depends! Some students are well-suited to begin with their private piano teachers as early as age 4 or 5, others at 6 or 7. There is no one-size fits all number. Instead, a tremendously useful way to understand this is to analyze the traits that signal a child is ready to begin piano lessons. So let’s walk through two litmus tests you can use to decide if your child is ready to begin piano lessons.
An Interest in Music
The first litmus test comes in the form of this question: Is your child interested in music? There are so many ways this could manifest itself. If there is a piano, keyboard or other instrument in the home, do they gravitate toward it? Do they ever – even if only occasionally – explore it or experiment with it? Do they ask questions about it or how it works? Maybe there isn’t an instrument in the home, so instead you might ask: Do they listen to music? Do they ever ask you to play music? Have they ever hijacked your phone to load up a song on Spotify? Or have they figured out how to play their favorite CD on your home stereo system?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then they are showing an interest in music, and this is a sign they are ready to begin lessons. Find a piano instructor that can cultivate and grow that natural interest, just as a spark grows into a flame, while having fun teaching and learning the fundamentals of the piano along the way.
A Readiness for Challenge and Growth
But an interest in music isn’t the only possible indicator your child is ready for lessons. For many kids, an interest and joy in music comes a bit later on. What hooks them first is a sense of bewilderment and curiosity at new challenges and the sense of accomplishment that comes with attempting a new skill and improving with practice. Which brings us to a second litmus test: Is my child ready to experience the challenges of personal growth? To try and to fail and to try again? To feel the pride of improving through practice?
Perhaps you notice another arena in their life where your child demonstrates tenacity. It could be an excitement to practice a sport, a sense of pride taken in their school-work, or even demonstrating improvement at their favorite video game in order to overcome a challenging level. If that is the case, then that too may serve as a sign your child is ready to begin piano lessons. Find a piano instructor that knows how to be encouraging and positive while also setting realistic goals and objectives that your child will be proud to accomplish. Then add in just five to ten minutes of daily practice, and voilà. That’s all it takes for the journey of learning piano to become deep and rewarding for a young beginner student.
More Reasons to Begin
Keep in mind that it does not need to be that case that every one of the aforementioned litmus tests are passed – or even any of them for that matter. There are many other good indicators your child is ready to begin piano lessons beyond the reasons mentioned here. In fact, take a look at “The Advantage of Learning Piano Young” to investigate other ways in which piano instruction can benefit your child and “3 Benefits of Online Music Lessons” to learn more about how the possibility of virtual piano lessons allows for you to select from a wide range of instructors so that you can match with an ideal piano instructor for your child’s needs.
So long as you can see a way that piano instruction will bring joy, happiness, mentorship, confidence, positivity, learning and/or growth to your child’s life, then there is a piano instructor out there that is a perfect fit for your beginner piano student and your family. Our teachers will come right to your home for every lesson, plus we offer virtual music lessons, too. However, our online music lessons are being taught by local music teachers with live lessons tailored to your child! Contact us today to learn more.