Age for piano lessons

[KateandtheGirls]

What is the best age to start lessons?

Tamum - no offence - but GOD You POOR THING having TBW playing for you (BTW where was that??). I personally can't stand the man, he was a git and despite the fact that it was my first term at a specialist music school nearly quit because of him. Anyman that doesn't think that women should play the organ, or that girls shouldn't sing in Cathedral choirs shouldn't be applying for hte job at a mixed cathedral choir and shouldn't be teaching organ pupils at the school where he has no choice in his pupils.

Roisin - when I was 7 I did one of those 'pitch tests' at school to learn the violin - they turned round and told me "completely unmusical and will never play a musical instrument" - needless to say we wrote them a letter once I started in Edinburgh ;-)

Obviously I'm musicial (well my choir think I am LOL) and DH has a decent voice and an excellent sense of rythmn so when I was pg with DS1 I said a little prayer "please give my child at least a sense of rhymn if nothing else". I wish I had asked for him to be unmusicial as before he could talk he was singing nursery ryhmns (tunes not words) pefectly in tune and now aged 4 sings all the time - he's way more musical than me and it scares me!!! DS2 is only 13months but already claps in time to music

Incidienly - because he was such a git to me the school got a new organ teacher, he wasn't 'too' bad, but I prefered it when he went away to exam for the ABRSM as I had Dennis Townhill teaching me

Thanks for the sympathy Gwenick To be honest he played the organ brilliantly, and let me choose the music, and that was all I cared about

I had no idea how horrendous he was- you poor thing. It was St Mary's in Edinburgh, BTW.

Oh you lucky cow!!! I went to St. Mary's Music school - which is how I came to have him teaching me. If I'd have got married in the UK I would have loved to marry in St. Mary's beautiful cathedral, fantastic accoustics. That must have been while I was still at school there, he arrived the year before I arrived at the school and left the same year as me - perhaps I saw you coming out of the church as we often used to watch the wedding parties coming out!!!!!

Go on, make me feel reeeeeallly old why don't you? It was 1993- I didn't spot any schoolgirls hanging about, but you never know! There were quite a few old biddies I'd never set eyes on before who'd obviously just popped in for the show . It was lovely actually, but a bit daunting.

'93 well if it was during term time then we probably did watch you. You wouldn't have seen us school girls as uniform was only compulsory for Choristors (LOL) or at 'special occasions' - plus in '93 we were still in the boarding house on the corner of Palermston Place - near the traffic lights, and from certain rooms you could see people coming out of the catherdral. God I miss Edinburgh, it was wonderful, best (school) days of my life those 5 years

meant also to add - just to make you feel old - I was 14 in 1993

I think its nice if children can start playing at a young age because then they sort of grow up with it - it seems to be always a part of their life. My dd started piano at age 4 and has progressed steadily ever since; she learnt to read music at the same time as learning to read books. Her lessons cost £10 per half hour (she began at 4 with 15 mins, then later did 20 mins). She has also started private singing lessons aged 5, which cost £7 for half an hour and are great for giving confidence.

A bit off the point here, but how can you ladies teach musical instruments with your own children around? I mean do you get them child minded or only teach when dh is around or what? I am interested because I am an ex primary school teacher and have often thought about giving private tuition but can't because when other people's children are out of school, so are mine of course. I don't want to give up my Saturdays unless there is no other way.

Lonely - Most of my pupils have younger (and older) siblings who usually sit in on their lessons, I've got an open plan lougne/dining room with the piano in the dining part so they usually just sit in the lounge while I teach. I've found 99% of them are quite happy for your children to be around when you're teaching - as long as it doesn't interfeer with their kids lessons. I do also occasionaly send the youngest to a child minder for a couple of hours (haven't recently as haven't needed to) for when I'm teaching during school hours - usually to adults.

No that wouldn't work for me. My children are aged 8, 7, 4 and 22 months and they are constantly charging around like a herd of elephants. When they are older, we have a basement where I could put a TV and tell them to stay and be quiet, but right now, that is out of the question. Oh well....

My kids are quite good about not coming into the lessons, but actually, just about all my pupils have a mother/sibling etc who is happy to look after the children for me. Works really well.

Should add, that's another reason I keep the fees quite low, as they are doing an element of childcare!

Hmmm that's interesting. If a parent looked after my four for half an hour while I taught their child some Maths or something, I wonder who would have to pay who?!

Lonely - I only do that with parents who bring another sibling - if it's just one child and parent I pack the little one off to a childminder - but actually - that's never happened - there's always a little brother or sister with them and DS1 in particular in the afternoons is so tired from nursery he just veggies in front of Nick JNr (I know terrible mum LOL).

You need to cultivate a nice kind helpful 6th former, Lonelymum! You wouldn't have to pay her nearly as much as you'd get! (Is there a 6th form college near you?) (Our HV used to spread names about for babysitting and other duties.)

My neighbour ( and qualified childminder) has a dd who babysits for us very occasionally. She is 17 now but I think she has too much on to babysit at the time I would need her (3:30 - 5:30 ish). I guess I will have to wait until ds1 is old enough to keep his siblings in check and ds3 is old enough to care about his older brother telling him what to do! Can you tell chaos reigns in our house?!

Tamum, my dh IS a male soprano (well actually his voice has developed more into a male mezzo now)

He charges around 20.00 an hour for lessons. When he has a lesson with a teacher form RNCM he pays double that.

He would say that 3 is too young to be starting formal lessons. At that age they would just be playing musical games involving pitch and rhythm. The youngest student he has taught (piano, not voice) was aged 5 and it was pretty much games at the piano.

I agree with the others that an instrument to practice on is essential.

Oh gosh JulieF, I'm really sorry- I wasn't casting aspersions on male sopranos, just laughing at JanH's description of her husband changing voices depending on who was standing next to him. It was just a kind of shorthand. Sorry

Oh, lord, sorry, Julie - it was me that started that - as tamum said it was just a kind of shorthand

DH doesn't change to a soprano voice, just sings the soprano part (ie the melody) if there isn't another tenor nearby.

Ds goes to preschool for the afternoon from 1pm and I teach a baby music class at 2pm and then at 3 a homeschool boy comes and then at 3.30 my school age pupils come from school. Dh picks up ds from preschool at 5pm so I can go into the evening. Once Bob goes to school I'm not sure!

I teach adults in the evenings once dh is home.

Oh I'm not offended (and neither is dh) at all. Juast thought I'd point out that the voice type does exist (though it is unusual), male altos are more common but dh has a higher range.

So pleased when I opened my son's bookbag yesterday. Out popped this leaflet about new public-funded music classes: three hours each saturday, tutoring in a range of musical instruments, free hire of instruments, singing tuition, creative music exercises and ensemble playing. £20 per term.

Wow! That's amazing! I thought public-funded music was all but non-existent in this country these days
Make the most of it!

we will! I don't know where the funding is coming from exactly (lottery perhaps?), but isn't it fab!

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