Singing lessons - what age?

[ImpYCelyn]

Hello,

I was wondering what age is recommended for singing lessons please? I only did instruments and have a handle on that side of things, but unlike his brother DS2 loves to sing and actually sings in tune, which his brother was hit and miss with at that age. He also seems to have a real ear for music. He's 4.5, is that too young?

Any recommendations for where to look for singer teacher please? Are there specific websites?

Thanks!

[teacher54321]

Hello! Head of music here who runs peripatetic lessons at our school. Our singing teacher doesn't take pupils until year 3 as she finds that they struggle to read the words and sing at the same time before then. Also being asked to control their breathing is tricky as they don't necessarily understand what they're being asked to do. At 4.5 he could do something like stagecoach or similar where they do group singing or kindermusik, but I'd hold off formal training for a good few years yet.

[Lancelottie]

I'm no expert (and I know there are lots of chorister parents on here who are) but I'd say look for a choir aimed at tiddlers and let him sing in a group for fun. Find one where he's not the only boy if you can, as this put DS off once he got a little older.

DD and DS both sang in a children's choir with separate sections for under-5s, 5-9s, 9-13s and finally teenagers to mid-20s. The smallest ones did tend to steal the show at joint concerts...

[ImpYCelyn]

Brilliant!! Thanks, just what I wanted to know. I'll look for a littles choir

[ImpYCelyn]

Oops just realised op should say "singing teacher", not "singer teacher"

[Lancelottie]

Meanwhile, enjoy! A tuneful small child is so much easier on the ears than one who loves singing but can't hold a note (DS aged anywhere from 2 to about 8, when he suddenly retuned to something bearable).

[ImpYCelyn]

Haha very true! It makes a nice change from DS1!!

[onlymusic]

Choir is a good idea but private singing teachers in our area don't take children till 8yo-which is year 3 as said above.

[ElizabethHoney]

I'd definitely not recommend lessons for a child that young, and would be dubious about any teacher offering them.

Most of the very best teachers recommend not starting lessons until puberty (or after voice has settled in boys) - long term, those pupils who only start formal lessons at that point usually do better, and those who start earlier often haven't helped their voices by starting lessons before the voice is sufficiently developed.

However, choirs - you can't start too young or do too many! I'd steer clear of musical theatre groups (they teach a very particular technique which is harsh on the voice), but otherwise, choirs choirs choirs!

Source: Former Director of Music, and used to be very pally with a few of the singing teachers/profs at the London music colleges.

[dotdotdotmustdash]

My Dd started in a local children's choir at about 5 and didn't start formal lessons until she was 12, but her voice didn't really take off until she was bout 15. She's just applied for the Conservatoire at almost 18. I don't think there's any rush as long as your boy continues to enjoy singing and performing.

[ImpYCelyn]

Thanks all, I'm going to start trying to find a choir unfortunately the only one I've found so far doesn't take them until 6.