What Age Should My Child Begin Piano Lessons

The question of what age should a child begin piano lessons does not have one set answer. Both the abilities of the child and teacher play a major role in the age where a child can productively start learning to play piano.

While not necessarily immediately obvious, learning music requires some level of math abilities. These are fairly basic math skills, but not ones that most children have mastered until around seven or eight years old.

As a result, a child starting piano lessons earlier than that point is normally going to require special circumstances.

In almost all cases, there is no point starting piano lessons before the age of four years old. Before that point, it is very unlikely that any meaningful progress would be made before this point. Even then, from four to about seven is a fairly questionable area for starting.

You absolutely need a piano teacher that specializes in young children if you want to start in this age range. The reason is because children this young do not have the basic knowledge or attention span to understand normal music instruction.

Piano teachers that specialize in this age range use special techniques specifically designed to work on children in this age range. Generally speaking, this is not a good age range for most children to begin piano lessons. Very, very few children can make meaningful progress at this age.

Around eight years old is probably that youngest age most children should begin most piano lessons. At this point, they should have the basic knowledge to understand normal music instruction. In addition, their progress is going to be much quicker than what a four year old would be able to accomplish.

Children at this age also have a long enough attention span that most could be expected to perform a regular practice routine. The extra three or four years of training from starting at four usually only amounts to what someone around eight can learn in a few months, so they are not going to fall behind most children by waiting a few extra years.

Waiting a little longer, even past ten years old, might be a better option for some children. Most people that learn to play piano because they were forced by their parents never develop into good players.

The most common scenario is that they do the bare minimum in terms of lessons and practice until they are allowed to quit. An older child has a much higher chance of being motivated when they start learning. If they are motivated, they are more likely to develop more quickly and to higher skill levels.

What age should a child begin piano lessons is a touchy subject. The amount of time you spend in lessons does not correlate to ability. Someone that spent twenty years in lessons might barely be able to play the piano.

However, another person could develop virtuoso level skills in a couple years of learning. Generally, the best age to begin piano lessons is the age the child expresses actual interest in learning piano. Motivation is usually a bigger factor in their progress than age and most children cannot be forced into being motivated.