Is Your Child Ready for Piano Lessons?

What age should children start piano lessons?

Parents and teachers ask this often, and the honest answer is there’s no single right age. As an experienced piano teacher at LP Music Tuition in Worcestershire, I’ve taught confident young pianists from as early as three, and thoughtful beginners well into their teens. Readiness for piano lessons comes down to the individual child, so it’s wrong to assume any child below a certain age isn’t ready to learn.

Musical aptitude and musical achievement

Exposing children to music is fundamentally the key to unlocking their interest in learning and pursuing a musical instrument, such as the piano. Cutietta (2001) claims that there are two very important concepts in relation to a child’s musical development: “musical aptitude and musical achievement”. In simple terms, whether a child has a natural ability to be able to learn music quickly (aptitude) and what the child can do with music (achievement). Cutietta (2001) found that “somewhere around the age of nine, a child’s aptitude tends to stabilise and remain constant throughout the rest of childhood and adult life”; therefore, exposing children to music – listening, learning and playing, during their first five formative years will help to develop their musical aptitude from a young age.

I teach children piano in my home county, Worcestershire, from the age of three, and although lessons are structured very differently, I have found that introducing formal music tuition at this age provides a fun starting point for children and a positive engagement with their learning long-term.

Piano Lessons: the special balance of serious and fun

Following this early exposure, children should then be able to differentiate between and choose which instrument they would like to learn. If a child has developed a likeness for the piano’s distinct output, neurochemical tags will have already been made in their brain, processing the sound that a piano makes as a memory, thus making the piano something they care for (Dopamine).

Levitin (2019) states that “caring leads to attention”, meaning that as the child now cares for the piano, they will, in turn, give attention to it. It is therefore important at this stage not to discourage or refuse music lessons, but to encourage the child to gain experience and knowledge to further develop their musical intellect. There is no evidence to suggest that this can only happen if the child is above the age of seven or eight. In fact, I have struggled to find evidence to suggest that there is a specific age at which this takes place. Instead, it is up to the child’s caregivers to listen to, engage with and understand the child’s individual needs and expectations relating to an interest in the musical instrument. The Peterson Family Foundation suggests that the optimal age for a child to begin piano lessons is between three and four years old. They argue that the piano is “a great instrument that can grow with your child as their skills and interests grow”.

Whilst I am inclined to think that age three might be somewhat on the ambitious side, I agree that exposure to and experimenting with the piano would be most beneficial at this age. One of Vancouver’s most sought-after piano teachers, Lauren Kelly, agrees that children should begin formal music tuition from the early age of three years old. One of her students, aged four, is already improvising and composing. Kelly is highly regarded and has mastered “that special balance of serious and fun”.

The benefits of learning the piano before the age of seven

In a 2013 study by the Beijing Normal University, Alec Coles-Aldridge of Pianist Magazine reports that “individuals who started learning the piano before the age of seven benefited from advanced cognitive skills later in life” and that “the benefits remained even for those who stopped practising in their teenage years”, providing enrichment and a positive start to children in Worcestershire. Over the past century or so, a wealth of teaching and learning material has been specially developed and created for the younger pianist. One of the most accomplished pianists, teachers and composers of his time, Tobias Matthay, has created numerous books designed for the younger pianist (although a specific age is not specified). A large proportion of his pupils started learning the piano before age five and went on to pursue careers of excellence in music. However, his pedagogical approach has been questioned by some, including Thomas Fielden, who is a distinguished pianist and professor. His argument, similar to that of Ty-Tomkins, is that the physical technique involved in playing the piano is of utmost importance. Ty-Tomkins argues that “a five-year-old simply cannot learn these basics … unless of course, the parent wants to give up his day job and spend six hours a day at the piano with a child”.

There is great detail involved with piano playing; provided the child is given the right tools and guidance, or, as Fielden found, the use of the upper body as a whole (e.g. rotation and leverage rather than just the hands and fingers), then there is no reason why a child younger than age seven could not begin to learn the piano. Fielden concludes that in teaching accurate technique, “it must be based on scientific facts, and not on any personal idiosyncrasy of one authority”, and that “the method of teaching them depends on the personality of the teacher, not on any panaceas which are his alone”. Confirming that a teacher should use the right age-appropriate dynamics within the lesson, such as child-friendly books, appropriate language and depth of information. Some of the greatest pianists, such as Lang Lang and Sir András Schiff, commenced formal piano lessons at age three and five. The argument that children should be at least age seven or eight years old before they begin to learn the piano is not, therefore, based on scientific cognitive, physical or physiological evidence, but rather a more personal choice.

Exposure to music as early as pre-natal (listening), and then progressing from post-natal to pre-school age/school age (listening and playing), could have many benefits to a child’s cognitive, physical and emotional growth. Not allowing this natural progression to take place (where it is presenting itself as a need or desire) could, in fact, have a long-lasting, detrimental impact on a child.

In conclusion

It really comes down to the child in question, their parents and the teacher. It is a personal choice for families in Worcestershire. Should a child wish to start learning the piano at age four, parents/caregivers should encourage accordingly, but must ensure the correct teacher is employed in order to bring out the best of the child’s abilities, with the right technique and in the most age-appropriate manner. As Alec Coles-Aldridge states: ‘Put simply, starting at age five will give you an extra year’s practice than starting at age six, and with committed practice, this will lead to an extra year’s progress.’

Is your child ready to start Piano Lessons?

Ultimately, there isn’t one “perfect” age to start piano lessons; it’s about readiness, interest, and a teacher who makes lessons genuinely age-appropriate. If you’d like a gentle first step, take a look at our Piano Lessons page (or the flexibility of Online Piano Lessons), or try one of our Music Holiday Clubs as a fun, pressure-free introduction. For simple ways to keep little learners engaged between sessions, browse our Music Resources. If you’d like to chat about your child’s needs, book a trial lesson or contact us here.

Sources:

Coles-Aldridge, A. (2019) ‘What is the best age to start learning the piano?’ Pianist Magazine, 28 February. Available at: https://www.pianistmagazine.com/blogs/what-is-the-best-age-to-start-learning-the-piano/(Accessed: 20 October 2020).

Cutietta, R. (2001). Raising Musical Kids. New York: Oxford University Press.

Fielden, T. (1927). The Science of Pianoforte Technique. London: Macmillan and Co.

Kelly, L. (2020) ‘Lauren Kelly, Master of Music, Piano’. Piano Teachers Federation, 6 November. Available at: https://www.rcmusic.com/teachers/l/lauren-kelly (Accessed: 6 November 2020).

Kelly, L. (2020) ‘PianoLessonsVancouver’ [Instagram]. 23 October. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGsuyyLgxyQ/?igshid=1aw5nvikbnkoi (Accessed: 6 November 2020)

Levitin, D. (2019). This is YOUR BRAIN on MUSIC. UK: Penguin Books.

Matthay, T. (1905). First Principles of Pianoforte Playing. London: Bosworth & Co

Matthay, T. (1941). Approach to Music. London: Boosey & Hawkes.

Montgomery, E. (2016) ‘The Best Instruments to Learn Based On Age’ Peterson Family Foundation, 8 September. Available at: https://petersonfamilyfoundation.org/music-therapy/best-instruments-learn-based-age/ (Accessed: 25 October 2020).