Home | Education
I have taught children as young as four to play the piano; a few have been successful whilst most have been pushed by their parents and returned later on when they are closer to six. I specialise in a course designed for very small children which uses a lot of singing and all round musical tuition, but there are the physical hold ups of tiny hands that just aren't ready to use the fingers independently and most children will progress much faster and therefore enjoy the experience much more if they are around six. Between five and six the difference in children's hand sizes is not great but their ability to concentrate on learning to play the piano moves on considerably. Their ability to take in information and just their knowledge of such things as the letters of the alphabet (A to G) makes a huge diffence. A lot depends 'though on the course offered and the skill of the teacher. When I teach the very little ones I encourage their parents to sit in on the lessons and help to guide their child. I can then lead from the front of the class whilst parents can help to guide their childs hands in to place on the keyboards whilst I move around the class to check that all is well. Lessons for the very young need to be flexible and fast moving. Incorporating singing and even dancing helps to introduce musical concepts leading to learning piano without the need for great physical dexterity. Preventing piano or music lessons from becoming too intense helps in teaching adults as much as it does in teaching children. It not only takes skills in the movements that we produce with our fingers, but our brains have just such a lot to assimilate and analyse. It's only when you think that you're asking a very small child to read two languages at the same time, use their two hands in totally different directions and then put expression and feeling into the music that you begin to realise what a task it is. It is perhaps all the more amazing then that a six year old with limited skills in English can still make a success of learning the piano. There are lots of young children who manage it very well 'though. Seeing a small child looking at ease, sitting well and enjoying playing is a wonderful sight. To summarise, therefore, I would say that, on average, seven would be the ideal time to start to play the piano. The child is old enough and physically big enough to cope with the academic work and the size of the keys on the instrument but a keen, musical six year old from a supportive family would probably be far more successful than a sullen eleven year old who is being pushed into learning by eager parents. Every child is different and every teacher is different. Don't despair if things don't turn out right on the first attempt. Once you achieve the right formula, you and your child will experience the joy and overall benefits that good musical tuition will give.
Article Source: http://www.just-article.com
Rachel Branston has designed a superb dvd course to teach piano to both young and older. Pick up her free piano lessons for beginners and find everything you need to know about piano music lessons at www.playyourpiano.com .
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
