I can remember dancing and singing around the living room since I could walk. We hear this all the time from parents of students, and it makes us so happy to see the future rock stars who already love music! But what is the right age to start music lessons?
For younger, preschool aged children, group music classes that center around singing and movement are the perfect place to start! While they might be a little too young to sit through a private lesson, the repetitive songs and melodies of nursery rhymes combined with elements of musical knowledge and dancing are a great way to successfully introduce your child to music. By using movement and dancing to different styles of music in these classes, it allows children to feel the “beat” while expressing themselves and being creative. With children’s group classes, it also teaches students about patience and discipline, while allowing them to have fun and be independent.
For private lessons, we typically recommend starting around 5 years old. Each child’s development is different, so I always look to see if the child has patience and can listen and respond for the duration of the lesson, as private lessons require a lot more focus from the student than a group class. Fine motor skills and dexterity are also very important in a child’s success in private lessons, as coordination is key to playing an instrument. Student’s will also need a basic understanding of the alphabet and words in order to understand some of the fundamentals of music. If a child isn’t ready for private instruction, starting these lessons too early (before they’re able to practice at home) can start them off on the wrong foot and can make it more difficult to retain the information and want to continue with music in the future.
In some cases, younger students may benefit from private instruction, even if they’re not quite ready to play an instrument for the majority of the lesson. Us teachers are always finding new games and movement based activities to incorporate into the lesson to help them learn about music in a fun way. In fact, I love ending each lesson with a fun game or activity - even with my older, school aged students! Choosing an instrument that will invite success is a very important part of private lessons. Instruments like piano or ukulele are a great option for students under the age of 8. For piano, the instrument allows for lots of creativity, and students will quickly be able to play songs by using finger numbers and letters, and students can practice at home with a keyboard. For those who want to try piano but may not be ready for private lessons, we also off a group piano class in Collingswood, Keyboard Kids. Ukulele is also a great starter instrument, as it’s similar to a guitar, but is smaller and easier to play. For all younger students (between the ages of 5 and 8), repetition inside and outside of the lesson is key, and we strive to involve parents when practicing at home to ensure that the student is building good practicing habits. For younger students, practicing 2-3 times a week for shorter increments, such as 10-15 minutes, can help them to retain the concepts from their last lesson, while not feeling like practicing is “daunting.”
For students over the age of 8, other instrument options become more feasible, as fine motor skills and strength develop. This is the age where music classes at schools start introducing easy wind instruments like the recorder. Naturally, this is an age where many children may start to show an interest in playing a band or orchestra instrument. Instruments like guitar, violin, trumpet, drums, saxophone, etc. start to become much more feasible for students aged 8 and up. As mentioned earlier, however, everybody learns and develops at their own pace, some may benefit from waiting longer, some may be able to start earlier.
If you aren’t sure which option is best for your situation, contact us and ask! We are always happy to help. If you’re interested in signing up for lessons or classes at Collingswood Sound Music, please fill out our contact form, or call/text 856-202-3949.
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