What Age Should A Child Begin Piano Lessons?

I have successfully taught pupils from as young as 3 years of age but this is very rare: the child must be attentive and articulate, ideally able to write a few numbers up to six, and know alphabet A-G, and above all, the child must be easily able to sit and listen to the teacher for up to half an hour to begin.

So many children are ready to begin at age 7 years (in order to focus for half an hour at the piano). But your child may be able to focus once they begin school age 5.

Every child is different, and the attention span increases with age. If your child sings tunefully or shows other early musical ability then it is certainly worth asking a teacher to assess the possibility of an early start to learning, but don`t be disappointed if the time is not ripe: perhaps a further year or two at school is necessary.

Each child has their own ideal momentum within the learning process and it is a mistake to begin unsuitably early: late is preferable to too early. If the child struggles during the vital early stages they will become discouraged and lose momentum. So a late start is better because the older the child, the more rapid their absorption.

However, you certainly don`t want to lose the moment - too late, into the teens, and the prospective pupil will lose that creative early love of piano sounds and the willingness to experiment, learning through corrected errors.

Be flexible and be ready to share your child`s practice time if this helps them to focus on the material from one week`s lesson to the next. Every child, even within the same family, learns at their own pace and develops their own favourite sounds and styles of playing.

Taking your child out to piano lessons on cold dark winter evenings may have a negative effect: see if you can locate a home tutor! Your child will play best on their instrument, rather than a strange one each week.

Hopefully, with a good start, enthusiasm, regular practice and a cheerful teacher, your child will enjoy many years of fine playing fun, and continue to play and learn into adulthood.