The 6 to 9 age bracket is generally viewed as prime time for skill development on the piano.
At La Maison, we tend to agree with this idea. When you’re younger, we think it’s important to be musically awake first. That’s why we designed “Music Discovery”.
Of course, exploring the instrument beforehand is not forbidden, and the piano is rather accessible for little ones, with an ideal key size. A far cry from the violin!
But here’s the best part – it’s never too late to start learning the piano! Whether you’re 10 or 100, anyone can learn and enjoy playing this instrument.
Signs Your Child is Ready to Learn Piano
As parents, we make decisions for the good of our children. Enrolling them in music lessons is one of them, and deserves to be thought through.
There’s no rush!
While age is an important factor, there are other things to look out for to make sure your child is ready.
Among them, we list:
- Basic Motor Skills: Your child should have developed enough dexterity to press the piano keys confidently.
- Differentiation Between Left and Right: Your child should express the ability to identify left and right hand coordination. This is crucial for piano playing. Both hands are used to play this instrument, and their movements are often different. Even if, at first, the child learns to play with the right hand only, knowing how to distinguish between the two is a good first step.
- Counting Skills: Your child should be able to count from one to ten consistently, as counting rhythm is fundamental in piano music. Sometimes it’s a bit of a maths game.
- Motivation to Learn: Your child should express a genuine interest or curiosity in music and the desire to learn the piano is a promising sign. If we want to see progress, there has to be some interest first!
- Ability to Focus: Your child should be able to concentrate for at least 30 minutes to engage in focused practice sessions. Children tend to have short attention spans, so it’s ideal for them to be able to concentrate for the duration of a lesson.
- Readiness to Practice Daily: Playing the piano requires regular practice, so your child must be willing to commit to daily practice sessions. Consistency is key.
- Maturity to Follow Instructions: Your child must be able to follow directions and understand basic instructions. This is essential for progress in piano lessons. If he trusts his piano teacher and follows his advice, his improvement will be boosted.
Tips for Starting Piano Lessons
If you choose to enroll your child or yourself in piano lessons, there are a few things we recommend. Often very simple, these tips will help you progress and be consistent in your learning.
- You should choose a convenient location for your piano/keyboard: Place the piano or keyboard in a strategic part of your home for easy access and regular practice reminders. If you place it in a corner away from everything, We promise you that your practice will suffer.
- You should keep the instrument tuned: If you have an acoustic piano, make sure it is regularly tuned by a professional. Alternatively, consider an electronic keyboard with adjustable tuning. It’s very annoying to play an instrument that sounds wrong. Besides, it opens the door to bad habits. How can you develop your ear with an out-of-tune piano?
- You should adjust the piano stool: We often underestimate the importance of good posture. Sometimes we mistakenly think we have a good one. Once and for all, take a little time and make sure there is nothing you could improve. Ensure the piano stool is set at the right height for comfortable playing, allowing proper posture and optimal hand position.
- You should focus on accuracy: It’s very tempting to want to play fast. It’s impressive and gives you a good feeling that you’re making good progress. But playing fast is not what you or your child should be aiming for when starting. In the early stages of learning, prioritize accuracy over speed. Take your time to play each note correctly and gradually increase your speed as you progress. Quality rather than speed.
- You should practice daily: Learning the piano isn’t magic. Even with perfect teaching, in the best conditions, and with the best teachers, you won’t learn without practice. We advise you to develop a habit of playing every day. If it’s your child who’s learning, help him or her to develop this behavior. The results will be greatly improved. It’s better to play for 20 minutes a day than for 2 hours every two weeks.
- You should explore some group lessons: Rehearsing and playing a piece in a group has many virtues. It’s a great way to improve coordination, communication, and public speaking skills, meet new people, and work on consistency (It’s hard to let others down, isn’t it?). Alone we go faster, together we go further.
Following these tips will help you in your practice. We insist on these points with all our students. If they’re not always convinced by all the points at first, they soon become so later on.
Remember to stay patient, enjoy the process, and celebrate your achievements along the way!
Is It Ever Too Late to Start Piano?
Many people come to us wondering if there is an age limit for learning the piano. The truth is, it is never too late to start.
While younger children may have certain advantages when it comes to flexibility and brain development, individuals of any age can begin piano lessons and enjoy the benefits of playing an instrument.
Adults and teenagers who are interested in learning piano may need to be patient with the learning process, especially if they have little to no prior experience in music. It may also take longer for them to develop reading skills related to sheet music.
However, with dedication and consistent practice, they can still achieve a high level of skill and experience the joy of playing the piano. No best age to learn piano as an adult!
Learn more about our adult piano program here.