June 30, 2022

June 30, 2022

What Is The Best Age For A Child To Learn An Instrument?

There are so many benefits a musical instrument can bring to the life of a child. Time and again, research has shown that social and academic skills are both helped by learning to read and play music. Instruments also help to promote discipline, and they can raise a child’s self-esteem, too.

For many parents, the biggest question isn’t at what age is it easiest to learn an instrument, but at what age should a child start music lessons. Read on to find out the answers to these questions and more!

What Is The Best Age For A Child To Learn An Instrument?
For parents who are itching to get their kids interested in music and start on an instrument, the rule of thumb is to wait until about the age of five to do so. Why? Attention span! If you have younger kids, you know how fidgety and squirmy they can be when they have to sit through something. Music lessons are no different.

A child has to be able to pay attention and sit still to take instruction, usually consistently for about 30 minutes, before they are ready to start taking music lessons. In general, this is possible around age five, though it may be different for your child, as some are ready earlier while others might be late bloomers.

On top of their attention span, children also need to be physically able to hold an instrument comfortably, as well as have the finger strength required to hold down a string or push down a key.

If you start a child off in lessons before they’re ready, it can backfire. If they get frustrated or bored, they may be less likely to try again later. Also, keep in mind that the type of instrument you choose to start them on plays a key role. For very small children, a simple instrument like a recorder may be a good place to start, but if they’ve shown interest in one instrument over others, then you should support that interest as much as you can.

What About Younger Children?
Many parents want to know when to start music lessons for toddlers, but others may wonder if toddlers can even take music lessons. Learning an instrument at a young age is beneficial, and you may want to introduce some sort of music to your child as early as age two or three, but the truth is, it all depends on the child as well as on the instrument.

You can tell if your child is ready to learn a musical instrument or not by judging if they can sit still and listen for a small amount of time. If your child shows interest in a musical instrument from a young age, such as piano, they can start to learn when they’re old enough to reach the keys and have the strength and coordination to push them down. You may want to hold off on other instruments such as a string instrument, since toddlers have small hands and may not be able to reach the chord positions.

How To Incorporate Music Into Your Child’s Life
If you want your child to benefit from music, then there are a few things you can do to help pique their interest in it.

  • Envelop them with music – Try to make music a central part of your child’s life from a very young age. Just listening to music can help kids to learn musical concepts such as rhythm and pitch. Buy them a microphone and let them make sounds, or let them bang all they want on those pots and pans. Don’t force a musical instrument on them, but try to get them interested in learning more.
  • Give them control – You may think that a guitar is a great instrument or that your kids need to learn piano, but the truth is that if you want your child to be interested in playing a musical instrument, you need to let them choose what they want to play. If your children have their hearts set on a certain instrument, let them give it a go if you are able.
  • Encourage them – Learning is often something that happens through mistakes, so if your child does end up playing an instrument, be as supportive as you can. Perfection should never be the goal, so make sure you praise them for how hard they’re working and encourage them through the frustrations of learning and making mistakes.

Best Type Of Music By Age
For a list that you can easily refer to, here is a breakdown of the types of music and musical instruments you should introduce to your child corresponding with their age.

  • Between ages two and four – Get them involved in group or online music lessons if you think they can handle it. Have an easy, small instrument at home on hand that they can play with, and play as much music as you can in their presence.
  • Between ages five and seven – This is a good age to start a child in lessons for an instrument. Encourage your kids to play and support their practice. Keep playing lots of music with your child.
  • Between ages eight and nine – A wider variety of instruments is available to kids in this age range, so don’t be afraid to introduce more advanced instruments such as strings or woodwind.

Music is great for everyone, but there are significant benefits to kids. Encouraging your child to appreciate music and learn an instrument will have tons of benefits, both now and in the long term.

Featured image by Heidi Yanulis on Unsplash