Are you wondering what age to start piano lessons for your little one? The best age to start piano lessons depends both on your individual child, and what exactly you mean by ‘start piano’. There’s no definitive answer as to what age to start piano lessons, because every child is unique. Children reach different milestones at different times, and there are many different types of teachers. You may find one teacher who does not teach children until they are 8 years old and can read confidently. You might also find a teacher who will offer piano lessons for 2-year-olds. These 2 teachers are likely offering very different versions of a piano lesson!
Yes, I know – none of that helps you decide what age to start piano lessons for your child. Let’s go into what to consider a little bit more, as well as some alternatives if your child isn’t ready for traditional piano lessons just yet.
Piano lesson readiness
By traditional piano lessons, I mean the piano lessons you may have taken as a child. You sit on the piano bench for most or all of 30 minutes while your teacher teaches you. There’s nothing wrong with this style of lessons, but they aren’t always suitable for very young children. Little ones will need lessons to be adapted to their shorter attention span and need for movement. Here are some general guidelines to judge what age to start piano lessons for your child. Before beginning piano lessons they should be able to:
Recognize letters A – G
The keys on the piano are named after the alphabet letters A through G. Most piano methods will need children to be able to recognize these letters. You can get your child ready for piano lessons, by teaching them to read these letters at home. If you want to try some simple songs without reading letters, check out my piano by color songs for preschoolers.
Read numbers 1 – 5
Your child should also be able to count to 5 and recognize those written numbers. Most beginning piano music uses finger numbers 1 through 5 to guide playing. Note values also involve counting, although usually just up to 4.
Attention span
Before enrolling in piano lessons, your little one should be able to focus on one activity for at least 10 minutes. A good test is to give them an an activity book or coloring page and see if they are still focused on it 10 minutes later. If they don’t have that long of an attention span yet, home learning in short spurts or a music class involving movement would be the best option.
Motor Skills
Piano lessons themselves will increase finger strength and develop motor skills. However, to enjoy their piano lessons, children should have sufficient finger strength to push a key using just one finger first. They should also be able to move their fingers independently of each other.
Listening Skills
Most piano lessons involve listening to and following a direction from the teacher. You can check if your child’s listening skills are ready by giving them one or two directions to follow. If they listen to the directions and follow through with both the actions, they will likely do fine.
Readiness of you as a parent
Your child may be ready to start piano lessons, but are you? Learning to play an instrument takes a lot of participation and commitment from parents as well. Especially for young children, learning to play the piano requires active participation from an adult to:
- Practice regularly with them
- Encourage them and show enthusiasm about their music
- Take them to lessons every week
- Pay for lessons
- Provide and maintain an appropriate instrument
Not ready to start piano lessons yet?
If your child hasn’t quite reached the best age to start piano lessons, that doesn’t mean they can’t start learning anyways. There are so many benefits to music learning for young children. If your little one is eagerly exploring the keyboard at home, the ideas below could be a good fit for them. I’d never encourage you to push your child into formal piano lessons when they aren’t ready yet. Music for young children should always be positive. Build a foundation of joy around making music that will encourage them to continue as they get older.
Free exploration
Let your child explore sounds and be creative at home. It might sound like noise to you. But, it’s also learning about high and low sounds, short and long, loud and soft. Young kids learn a lot of things as they grow by exploring, experimenting, and observing. The same can be said of exploring with music sounds, on the piano, or with other household objects and toys that make sounds and music.
Try short, informal ‘lessons’ with them at home
If you’re not quite sure if your family is ready for the commitment of regular lessons, you can start teaching your little one yourself with very short ‘lessons’ at home. This way, if they are done after 5 minutes, that’s just fine and you can come back to learning the same concept the next day. Doing this at home with your own child eliminates the need for a long attention span and may be a good way to judge your child’s readiness and enjoyment of piano lessons before making a commitment with a teacher. It’s also a great chance to learn and have fun together!
If you don’t play music yourself you might think this isn’t an option, but there are a lot of resources out there to help you learn some basic piano along with your child. You can start by checking outmy article on how to play the piano by color for preschoolers.
Piano Lessons for 3 Year Olds
Have you decided you’re definitely ready to start lessons with a teacher, but your little one is just 3 years old? You may have trouble finding a teacher who is a good fit. I’d recommend looking for a WunderKeys teacher. You can find their teacher directory here. WunderKeys is a piano program taught in one-on-one lessons with a teacher that also reinforces simple math skills. It is designed specifically with 3-year-olds in mind.
Group music classes
Group music classes are a great option for young children who might not be ready for the piano yet. These classes can also help build social skills. They may have parents stay and be involved in the class depending on the age and program.
I’m not affiliated with either of the programs below, but they are both popular options with age appropriate music classes for very young children. Depending on where you live there are likely other good options available as well.
Music for Young Children
Music for Young Children offers programs for ages 2 and up. Their classes also teach beginning piano skills. You can learn more about their program here, and find their teacher directory here.
Kindermusik
Kindermusik offers classes for ages 0 and up. Their classes include more music and movement activities, along with simple instruments. Kindermusik classes don’t teach piano, but are a good age appropriate introduction to music for very young children and their parents.
Conclusion
I hope I’ve helped you get a better idea of the best age to start piano with your little one. There are lot of options outside of traditional lessons if your child isn’t quite ready for those yet. The most important thing for younger kids is to find an age appropriate option and help them find a joy in their music making that they can continue to build as they grow.
Have you tried any of these options in your family? What age was your child when they started piano lessons?
