what age to start learning a musical instrument?

[Clare123]

Just wondering when. Would love my LO to play something and read music. Also, did you wait for them to show an interest or encourage it yourself?

My son started at six, on piano. He wanted to do flute but they said his hands were too little. He's nearly seven now so may do flute too. I've always talked about them doing it so he was keen, though it can be difficult to get him to do 5 mins a day practice that is recommended. I want his brothers to do it when they are six too - at least for a couple of years to open their minds to something completely different. But after they've given it a good go, won't force it if they don't want to...

My Dcs both started piano at 6. They had a lovely teacher in their primary school and piano lessons were very popular. When it came to DD's turn there were no spaces so she got her brothers books out and started teaching herself. Unfortunately a few years later the teacher left and the replacement was really awful. DS gave up, but DD carried on playing she spends a lot more time now practising than when she had lessons, teaching herself her favorite pop songs from youtube.Now she is in secondary she has also has taken up the guitar again no lessons, but goes to a club at school. She has just started singing lessons at school.

DS1 started piano at 5 and a half. I didn't dare try any earlier due to 1)I was afraid he wouldn't sit still for the lesson and practice and 2) wanted to make sure that he physically would be able to stretch his hands to do scales.

I initiated him learning as I think that it is a fantastic skill to read music and piano playing was always important in my family. He really enjoys playing, but I would have pushed him to continue for 1 year even if he was hesitant to continue.

Music was my 'thing' when I was growing up, so I was really keen for my dc to take up an instrument, and took them along to baby music type things, always had musical instruments to play with etc. However, none of them really showed an interest We were having so many problems with ds1 during the primary years, that I didn't want to add anything into our lives which could cause yet another argument, so I waited for him to ask. He did start playing the violin (his choice) at 9 but although he is innately musical, he didn't want to practise so stopped after a year.

When ds2 was 6 I took him to keyboard lessons for 18 months, but they were a waste of time and he barely learned anything, but he's just started wanting me to teach him the piano (he's just turned 10) and has made huge progress in a few weeks. The difference is that this time he wants to do it, and he's ready, both physically (bigger hands, longer reach) and intellectually (able to see the patterns in music).

So in answer to your question, OP, it's a bit of a mixture of both

Our school is very musical and goes from 3 to 18 years. However, in reception we were invited to an open music lesson with the head of music. At the end of the lesson the teacher firmly shut the door behind the children as they left.
She told us that whilst some of us and our children may be keen to start an instrument, but these little ones are currently learning to read and trying to get them to read another language at this point would be unfair. Also they all needed to learn to use their first instrument- their voice. Year 2 is the earliest they would allow them to start an instrument recorder or piano (only if their is a piano or keyboard at home). If they start too soon they loose interest and are no further forward at 10years old than those who started later.
Hope this helps.

That's very interesting, lizcat.

My DD (5) is bilingual and needs to learn to read in both English and French over the next 18 months. I hadn't thought about the overloading aspect of music - but you are quite right.

Depends on the instrument I think - eg you can't play a "grown up" woodwind liek Clarinet until 9 or 10 cos you don't have the lungs.

My dd1 started accordion at 8
My ds started piano at 6
My dd2 started violin at 5.

All are bilingual and in no way overloaded - in fact violin teacher says bilingual kids are very often more musical as the language and music centres in the brain are similar, and all of mine are doing very well in music as well as both school languages and a third language out of school.

That's interesting weegiemum - which languages do your DCs read and write?

Depends on the child also.

DD started piano at 6y. Few tutors were iterested in taking on student younger than that round here.

DD had been asking for 2 years before that.

DD started piano age 5 and violin age 6. She is now 8 and can go to jazz improvisation classes for piano and play in an orchestra with her violin. It certainly hasn't held her back.

She has a strong opinion about using the voice as an instrument. She feels that it is a personal thing and that you would be 'giving' too much of yourself if you performed singing solo. She will happily sing in a choir though and quite likes the idea of private singing lessons.

I started to play the piano at 6 and started teaching ds1 at that age and will be starting ds2 soon too. Any earlier for the piano and their fingers just aren't long enough to be able to manage scales and arpeggios etc

Can't comment on other instruments but would imagine the hand size would be an issue for a lot of them so maybe 5/6 an ideal time? Children also have more of an idea about whether they really want to learn at that age and are able to commit to practising whereas younger children are more interested in just playing with toys and to a certain extent that's how it should be really!

If you're sure their hands can cope and that they are old enough to understand about the time they need to set aside for practising then you'll be the best judge for your own child.

I agree with Lizcat that often starting earlier just means they take longer to progress. I would say about 7 is the earliest age worth starting to learn an instrument. It really does depend on the individual child though - if they want to learn, let them try, but it's important to get the right teacher for little ones. Consider instruments that come in smaller sizes (eg strings) and maybe consider alternative ways of learning, eg suzuki method.

DS has recently started piano lessons at school aged 6. We have a ( very out of tune ) piano in the house and he has shown some interest in it for a while. He is, however, tone deaf I think. He cannot for the life of him follow a tune by ear, even simple ones like Jingle Bells. I didn't realise the full extent of it until DD came along and sang in tune virtually from birth.

DS is however a bright little boy and loves learning it. I don't know whether once he gets older it will be more difficult for him to pursue because he's tone deaf but he enjoys it for the moment and I am sure it all helps his neural pathways, self discipline in practising and all that malarkey.

I suspect part of the reason he enjoys it is that he gets a teacher all to himself....

It's an interesting debate, the age at which it is most appropriate to start learning an instrument - or indeed any discipline.

DP started both the DSSs off on tennis at 4 and ski-ing at 3. He now realises with hindsight that they suffered quite a bit from his enthusiasm and made painfully slow progress at wild expense for rather a long time. So he is a bit more relaxed with DD! She'll probably be the sportiest of the three, however.

TC I would have said that my middle child was pretty much tone deaf. He has a classic school report somewhere that says 'DS2 sings with enthusiasm, and some appreciation of rhythm' [and, we assume, no hint of a tune]. But he's been the one most interested in learning an instrument, and after three years or so of lessons he now (aged 11) plays in a local band, sings with a choir and even had a couple of solo lines, and is playing (today eek) in an interschool music competition.

He's still no cathedral choirboy, but he's competent and enthusiastic, and no longer painful on the ears!

Oh, and my other two sing like birds, have wonderful pitch and really aren't interested. In our family, at least, enthusiasm without much natural musical talent has got much further than talent without enthusiasm.

mine both started piano in year 3 and a string instrument in year 4/5. That age seemed to work quite well imo.

lancelottie - how interesting. love the report quote.

Was so pleased to hear about your experiences as DS enjoys it so much.

DS1(6) skied for the first time this year and it was obvious that this was precisely the right time for him to do so. Any younger and he just wouldn't have coped as well with falling/being cold. He is ready for reds now .

taffetacat - Suzuki violin is great for training the ear. I have seen children with no obvious aptitude for music make great progress.

My Dad took me to piano lessons when I was just four. If I have heard the tale of how I 'banged my fists on the keys' the first time once, I have heard it a thousand times! For me - way too young!

I asked a friend recently (who teaches piano) what age and she said it really depends on the child and that ideally they should be reading well.

My son (5.5) goes to informal, short, music lessons where does a mix of guitar, drums, keyboard and singing. He loves these but I think he is too young to have formal lessons on one instrument, but he is a fairly immature boy! I shall re-think when he is six but I think he may be nearer 7 before he is ready.

DS1(6) has his first guitar lesson this evening - I hope think he is ready.

My DH is a musician and is very keen that DD should wait until she's old enough to want to /ask for herself.
But there are various instruments around the house that she tinkles about with.

My DCs are too little at the momentt but me and my brotherts and sister all did a lot of music. I started at 8 and went to a teacher who slowly worked through the grades so I was doing grade 8 at 17 and basically practise didn't happen with A levels/ weekend job/ boyfriend etc.

My brothers were both choristers and started playing on instruments with suzuki teachers aged abt 4. Both are very competent - play piano/ brass/ string each and still really enjoy it so I think it depends on finding a really suitable teacher who will teach enthusiasm for music as much as technique to start with.

Depends on the intstrument too. It's better to wait until they have their second teeth before starting them on a brass instrument.

My DC are 3 and 4 and way too young for any formal tuition, but I let them bang away on my keyboard and they really enjoy it. I also have access to a range of percussion instruments at my brass band hall and take them with me sometimes and let them have a shot. I would like them to start formal lessons eventually (really really hope that they want to!)as I think it is a great thing to learn.

There's no way I would be able to teach them though - I don't have the patiece