When Should You Get Music Lessons for Your Kids?

Many parents dream of their children developing a passion for music, but few of them take the steps needed to instill that love of music at an early age. You can start getting your kids interested in music by playing songs for them yourself or on the radio as soon as they are born. Eventually, however, you probably want to get them involved in music lessons. The time for guitar lessons and piano lessons stumps many fathers, so here is a guideline to help.

Starting Early

Whether you plan to get Toronto piano lessons, schedule guitar lessons, or get your children involved in another type of musical instrument, the first step is to develop a keen interest in music. You can start this right from birth by singing to your children or playing them an instrument of your own. As they get older, you might want to consider buying them a simple electric keyboard or toy guitar. These instruments won’t play music quite as a high-quality instrument can, but they can help kids learn the fundamentals. Generally, you can start introducing your children to simple musical instruments around the age of three.

Beginning Guitar Lessons

If you want to take advantage of guitar lessons and teach your child how to play that instrument, it’s best to start in earnest around six years old. Younger children might be able to learn the guitar, but it usually takes until the age of six for a child to gain the fine motor skills necessary to handle all the strings. If you think your child is particularly gifted, you might want to consider starting on simple two- or three-string songs to see how the performance goes. Some music schools also provide special camps for very young children. These camps can teach your children the fundamentals of music and give them a chance to handle certain instruments.

Beginning Piano Lessons

As with guitar lessons, piano lessons are best put into action by the time your child is six years old. If your six-year-old doesn’t seem to be able to grasp the fundamentals of the piano early on, don’t worry—it can sometimes take a child until nine years old in order to gain the fine manual dexterity needed to play this complex instrument. The piano is an excellent instrument on which to learn because it can run the gamut from very simple songs to complex pieces. Children also find it easy to operate a keyboard. While using a guitar can cause pain and irritation on the fingertips early on, children are much less likely to feel physical discomfort while playing the piano.

Whether you plan to get your child guitar lessons or piano lessons, it’s best to introduce them to music at a young age. 2nd hand stores can be a great place to pick up cheap instruments, but also research the best guitar or pianos for beginners. From there, enroll them in lessons around the age of six, but don’t panic if they take a little while to warm up to the instrument. Different people learn in different ways, but your child will come to master the instrument if you let them.

Photo by Clark Young