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Original poster

Is 5 about right to start learning the piano?

24 replies

CountessDracula · 08/10/2007 23:04

DD loves the piano
she plays and sings for hours at her grandparents'

So should I get her lessons
I started too old and was never any good but she seems musical and likes it

OP posts:

WendyWeber · 08/10/2007 23:05

I believe 5 is a bit little (hand span apart from anything else) - do you know any teachers, CD?

Original poster

CountessDracula · 08/10/2007 23:06

Not round here, no

MIL has a small piano (an octave short) and she seems ok with that, I wonder if the keys are smaller too

OP posts:

pinkteddy · 08/10/2007 23:08

5 is OK I think if she is interested. A good teacher would cater for small hands! Don't leave it longer than 7 or 8 anyhow, its much harder later.

WendyWeber · 08/10/2007 23:11

aha - perfect abrsm forum thread!

pneumalifenewname · 08/10/2007 23:15

I started at 11 and got to Grade 5 before I had too much other studying to deal with. I'd say no later than 5 and no earlier than 5.

I will pay you as soon as I can but stuff keeps on croppin gup like car, bed...sorry

WendyWeber · 08/10/2007 23:15

DD2 started at around 5-6 (don't remember exactly) and did very well with simple pieces, but when it came to spreading out a bit and complicated chords she hit a mental wall and had to stop. She had a similar problem with tap dancing at 8-9.

She did very well with flute later though - one note at a time

SoMuchToBats · 08/10/2007 23:18

I think 5 is fine, as long as she wants to do it. Our ds has just started aged 6. I started aged 10, but had already started with recorder (aged6) and clarinet (aged 9), so that helped, although I gave up piano when I was 16, but am still playing clarinet now!

SoMuchToBats · 08/10/2007 23:19

Ah, yes, Wendy - I found one note at a time (clarinet) far more comfortable than piano!

tortoiseSHELL · 08/10/2007 23:23

At 5 they can find it slow going, they need to have a certain size hand - I would suggest getting a book and doing a bit with her at home, rather than starting formal lessons. Ds1 is doing really well, he is 6, I've had some 5 year old pupils who've gone quite slowly, partly because of the hand size, partly because they're just that bit younger.

tortoiseSHELL · 08/10/2007 23:23

I use Me and My Piano by Fanny Waterman, Marion Harewood with littlies.

pneumalifenewname · 08/10/2007 23:24

wtf am i talking about? menat to say no later than 7 or 8 and no earlier than 5!

MrsSeanSlater · 08/10/2007 23:36

So how does this music lessons thing work? Do you take them to someone's house and leave them? Stay with them? Does the music teacher come to you?
DS1 is five and I want him to learn an instrument fairly soon (probably piano) because he seems very musical.

pneumalifenewname · 08/10/2007 23:37

For me, it was a case of going to piano teacher's house for my lesson while my mum sat and listened and then I practised at home on piano between lessons.

SoMuchToBats · 08/10/2007 23:39

ds goes to teacher's house - dh sits and waits while he is there. We try to get him to practise in between, but try to make it fun, because he's more likely to do it if he enjoys it IYSWIM

WendyWeber · 08/10/2007 23:39

torty, what do you think of the Alfred books?

All of mine went to the same teacher, and the older ones - going back many years now, DD1 started more than 15 years ago - had books by some woman called fanny-mae or something (???), but by the time DS2 started he was using the Alfred books and they seemed to work v well (despite the American terms) - mind you DS2 is somewhat the smartest of them all so that probably helped!

WotzNow · 08/10/2007 23:47

I think 6 is good if they are keen. Both of mine were about 6.
dd1 doing her grade 3 in Nov (11.1)
dd2 doing her grade 1 in Nov (8.5)

I am sure others have done exam either quicker or over a longer period. That's not the point really. They should do it to enjoy it. DD1 does it for physio for her arm\hand too.

twentypence · 09/10/2007 02:46

Ds is 4 and coping well - but I am piano teacher. Unless you have a musical genius being small in unlikely to be a problem as growth is quick and progress slow .

Usually problems with starting young are:

No one to help at home (questions can't wait a week at this age)
Not practising every day, which means pieces are always a struggle and motivation dips.
Finding a teacher who will take a 5 year old and has a opening at the right time for a 5 year old.

I spend around half the lesson with the littlies doing guided improvisation (so I set a few notes they can use and then play an accompaniment which those notes will sound good with) in different styles. This suits the child who will "play" for hours, but only has around 10 minutes of learning new stuff in them each lesson.

So in answer - yes if you can find the right teacher, she has an instrument at home to practise on and you don't expect her to practise her music lesson pieces without being reminded.

tortoiseSHELL · 09/10/2007 08:20

I've not used the Alfred books before, I'll keep my eyes open next time I'm browsing the music shops!

THe biggest thing to be careful of at this age is that if they start lessons and then find it's going too slowly, and stop, they can psychologically feel they've 'given up' the piano, whereas waiting a year or two could make all the difference, which is why I wouldn't start formal lessons at 5.

What about getting a recorder to start her off reading music, and then do a little bit with her when she seems keen on the piano.

Original poster

CountessDracula · 09/10/2007 09:44

Thanks all

I think I may leave it a little longer then. My Dad has a clavinova that I can pinch so will get that up and start diddling about with her myself and see if she is still keen in a year

OP posts:

MegaLegs · 09/10/2007 09:49

DS1 and 2 started just after they were 6 and have done really well. We have a lovely, very patient lady who comes to the house and they both do half an hour each on a Sat morning.

DS1 took his Grade 1 and passed last summer, he is about to take his theory and also Jazz Grade 1 so he's come along way in two years. He also started the cello last year and because he could already read music has done very well.

multitasker · 09/10/2007 09:58

I wouldn't take a child younger than 6.5 preferably 7 or 8.
The ability to sit and learn for half an hour is tough for a young child. Granted every child is different, but I think if you keep them exposed to music and rhythm they will learn faster when they start proper lessons. I have started children at 10 or 11 and they have grasped it very quickly.

orangina · 09/10/2007 09:58

I started playing at about 5, having asked for piano lessons.... I didn't think it was too young, it would be a matter of getting the right teacher I think. If your daughter actually WANTS lessons, I would go for it. If the worst comes to the worst, you can start then, decide she's too young, and delay them for a year....

bobsmum · 09/10/2007 10:06

Really really depends on the teacher.

Ds was 5 last month and has just started lessons with a really excellent patient teacher. He's young and in a band so right up ds' street. As well as the piano, he's brought along his saxophone and his guitar occasionally which ds has loved tinkering with.

Ds can already play by ear - takes requests at school! So getting him to go 'backwards' and learn the names of notes/time signatures etc is interesting, but it's only half an hour and he loves it. He also needs to unlearn some bad habits that he has picked up, like his positioning and never using his thumbs. The amount he plays means he really needs to get it right or he'll do some long term damage.

DS doesn't sit still for much, but he loves his piano lessons!

Last week he even asked if he could practise for his teacher coming.

twentypence · 10/10/2007 02:14

I would start to look for a teacher now CD - then you will have one in a years time! I love teaching 5 year olds, but with a 4 year old of my own the time I have free to teach them at a time they can learn is very limited - I only take one a year.

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