Music lessons? - Where do I start? What age?

MommyToAshley wrote: Ashley really wants to take music lessons, the guitar or piano in particular. We don't have room in our house for a piano at this time, so I wouldn't want her to take lessons and not be able to practice. So, how hard is it to learn to play the guitar. She will be 6 next month. Is that too early to start? Where would I even look into getting lessons for her?

mom21kid2dogs replied: Olivia takes voice and we are starting piano this Fall. We postponed piano for awhile because she isn't the most structured child on the planet and we wanted to be sure (via what she showed us with schoolwork & the like) she had the discipline to do it. Although we have a piano, it's my understanding that a keyboard with weighted keys also is doable for beginners.

We have several friends with kids in piano and decided who we should use based on their references and our preferences. We chose the man who accompanies our local children's chorus. He's great with kids and is very honest about a child's progress. We aren't ones to throw money away needlessly and he will tell you and the child if he feels the timing is wrong. You might talk to elementary music teachers or children's orchestra or choir directors in your area to see who they like if you don't know anyone locally with kids in piano.

my2monkeyboys replied: I know a very common thing is for people to recommend starting a child on piano first, then letting them try other instruments as they get older. However, a friend of mine did that even though her son just wanted guitar lessons. Needless to say it was a losing battle trying to get him to practice piano, and when they finally decided to let him switch to guitar he had lost all interest in music. Just something to think about if you are pushed into the piano thing.
I would love for Will to take guitar lessons (he loves the guitar and is dying to take lessons) but I haven't found anyone around within a 25 mile drive that teaches children guitar. If you have trouble finding a teacher, you could always try the online and/or DVD lessons. We got one for Will (though we haven't started it yet ).
Hope this helps!

momofone replied: i think some music stores may give lessons.

lisar replied: Guitar is hard to learn cause it takes alot of coordination. It will hurt the fingers also for a while at the beginning.

kit_kats_mom replied: The classes at our music store won't take children until they know Left from Right. He said usually around 5. Katheirne wants to start in piano which provides a great base for other instruments. She really wants to play the trumpet (my poor ears) but she will start on piano. My parents are buying her a full sized keyboard for her birthday or Christmas. I think they already picked one up at the pawn shop.

Boo&BugsMom replied: There isn't a "proper" age really, it just depends on the child or person. If she is ready to pick up an instrument, then she'll do well. If she's not ready, you'll know. Either someone is musically gifted, or they aren't. They will start her at an age-appropriate level. A few friends of mine are private music teachers (one violin, and one guitar) and both have a very wide variety of ages at different levels. Some are adults just starting, others are 6 year olds who are at advanced levels. Just depends.

Tanner wants to learn guitar. He has the small motor control for it, but I'm not sure if he'd take it seriously yet or want to put in the time, which is why I am not letting him start yet. If you feel she can be responsible, put in the time and effort, and take it serisouly, then let her go. As a child (and now as an adult), singing and playing piano is what kept me grounded and down to Earth.

ETD: check out music stores. A friend of mine is employed through one as a teacher. Also check out churches. We offer lessons through some people. Check craigslist. Also ask the music teachers within the local school system.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: As a music teacher - I teach guitar (beginners only), piano, violin, trumpet, trombone, cello, flute and I do some voice coaching.

As a music teacher with a specialty for beginners, I think 6 is a great age to start.

I also have noticed that piano is the easiest instrument to learn with, because it's basically one key per finger... as opposed to a guitar, where there's strumming with one hand, and holding down the string on the frets with the other hand. If, however, Ashley's interest is in learning to play guitar, she's at a great ago to be learning, especially with knowing her "background" in how she was recognizing letters early, reading, etc etc etc... she will pick up on it fairly fast.

Depending on the quality of the teacher you have, she will either be playing little songs on the bottom few strings (the thinner ones, E, B and G), or she will know a few of the basic chords.

I currently have a 5 1/2 year old piano student, started with me in February, and can play fairly well, mostly separate hands, like songs that will use both hands but only one note at a time.. he can read the music for the notes we have learned, and he has gotten quite good at playing both hands together for a note or two here and there, and the occasional 3 note chord - 2 notes with one hand, and one with the other.

I also currently have a just turned 4 violin student - there is NO interest on the child's part, he's not able to hold the violin AND play it - but the idea is to have fun at THAT age, it's more like kindermusic than a music lesson.

As a teacher, though, i'd recommend maybe going to talk to the teacher either the first or last 5 mintues of the lesson.. but not to stay in the room for the lesson (private lesson, I mean.. not group lesson, obviously). Most of the trouble I have with beinner students when they are areound that age, is that the parent wants to stay in the lesson to see what the child learns, to try to help to practice at home. Honestly the first lesson it's fine.. the rest, not only does it feel like being micro-managed, it's insulting our certification, and it distracts the child, because the child does not see us as an "authority figure" and turns to the parent for acknowledgement rather than to our instructions.

MomToJade&Jordan replied: Being a teacher of voice and piano I would recommend the piano first. You can get Ashley a keyboard to start and that should be fine. I tell all of my parents that the piano is the greatest way to train the ear. Any voice teacher will tell you that the hardest thing to learn is walking up to a piano playing a note and singing it back correctly. As for age it kind of depends on the motor skills. I am going to have to agree with Rocky on the age though. Most of my colleages as well as myself think 6 is a good age to begin. Now for Guitar at Mason's we start the beginners on that bottom string. No real chords, but just the fretts. I did guitar in the music camps that we had this summer and I will tell you that the youngest ones had trouble just doing that. The child really needs to focus on their hands working independently and that could be tricky. I'm probably going back to piano here because that will also help in teaching a child to use those hands independently eventually. Whatever you decide I'm really excited that you are getting Ashley into music. I am going to start Jade on the piano sometime this year. Jordan is my little singer and she's pretty good with call and responce and just picking up a song.

sparkys2boys replied: I just registered Logan for drum lessons and he is 9 and only now taking the interest and relizing that it will be work and not just all fun! I say enroll her and see how it goes and if she doesn't seem to like it them take her out and try again next year.

jem0622 replied: I started with piano, then moved to flute. I started lessons around 3rd grade. I think Ashley could start sooner. Nathan has to buy a recorder for school, which is great to get them started too. He is starting 3rd grade.

If she is capable, then she will demonstrate it very quickly.

redchief replied: If there's interest, then 6 is a great age to start learning an instrument. All of our children who played an instrument picked them up later than that and did well, but I can't see any reason they couldn't have done it earlier if they had the interest. I think interest is the real key. We as parents want our kids to be involved in culture and music, but if the child has no interest personally, it will be hard to get him or her to take to it. If Ashley wants to play, then I think she'll do fine.