When Should My Child Start Piano Lessons?
If you feel like your child is naturally inclined towards music, you may wonder when you can start them on piano lessons. There are a few different skills that your child needs to exhibit in order to succeed in this new endeavor. Before you sign them up for something they may not be ready for, here are the skills you need to watch for.
Knowing Right and Left
Knowing the difference between left and right is essential for learning to play the piano since it is extremely difficult to take any instruction without it. Most books and teachers will instruct their students how to play by describing where to put each finger on the right and then the left. If the student is not sure which hand is which, it could potentially be very confusing. If you think you are going to sign your child up to play the piano in the future, you may want to quiz them frequently on which hand is which.
Basic Motor Skills
Very young children lack the ability to use their fingers well enough to play individual notes on the piano. Fine motor skills allow people to use each finger independently, which is absolutely essential to playing songs. In addition, kids with advanced motor skills will be able to coordinate doing different things with their hands.
Basic Counting
If your child is good at basic counting, they will probably do great at counting the beat and figuring out how many beats each note gets. Very young children will likely struggle with the counting aspect of playing the piano, which is why they may want to wait until they are a bit older.
Focus
Some children really struggle with focusing long enough to get through an entire piano lesson. In order to do well in piano lessons, your child should be able to focus for at least 30 minutes. If your child struggles with an attention deficit disorder you may need to split up piano lessons in order to keep them interested long enough to play. Most individuals with attention deficit disorder can learn to play the piano just like everyone else, though they may require a bit more effort.
Parents may find that their kids are ready to start piano lessons around 6 years old. Every kid is different, so your child may have the skills needed earlier or later, and that is fine. Just make sure that they are ready when they do start so that they can succeed. For more information, contact a company like Daniel Lee Music Studio.