These guidelines will help you to have a successful, rewarding experience learning an instrument. These are practical tips that we have discovered from years of teaching and our experiences with teaching hundreds of students each year.
1. How Young is too young- Starting at the Right Age
Adults can start any instrument at any time. Adults have many commitments and their success is based on their willing- ness to commit to a weekly/daily regimen of lessons and practicing. We teach many beginner students in there 60's and 70's.
For children, starting at the right age is the key element to their musical success. Some people will tell you "the sooner the better" but this attitude can actually backfire and be a negative. If a child is put into lessons too soon they feel overwhelmed and frustrated and want to stop lessons. The last thing you want to do is turn a child off to music just because they had one unpleasant experience, which could have been prevented. Sometimes if the child waits a year to start lessons their progress can be much faster. Children who are older than the suggested earliest starting age usually do very well. The following are guidelines we have found to be successful in determining how young a child can start taking music lessons.
3-4 Years Old
If the preschooler has a keen desire and wants to start music lessons, a group preschool music class will give them a good foundation in music basics, which will be helpful in later private lessons. At this age, private lessons generally do not work, as the child has not yet experienced the formal learning environment of kindergarten and/or primary school. They learn more effectively through the game oriented preschool environment.
Piano/Keyboard
At our school, 5 years old is the youngest age we start children in private lessons. At this age, they have begun to develop longer attention spans and can retain material much easier.
Guitar- Acoustic, Electric, and Bass
8 years old is the earliest we recommend for guitar lessons. Playing the guitar requires a fair amount of finger pressure on the strings. Children under the age of 8 generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable. Bass guitar students generally are 10 years old and older.
Voice Lessons
10 years old is recommended as the youngest age for private lessons. Due to the physical nature of voice lessons (proper breathing techniques, development of the vocal chords and lung capacity) the younger body is generally not ready for the rigors of vocal training. For children younger than 10, we have a children's choir (ages 6-9) and a preschool singing program (ages 3-5) that teaches them how to use their voices properly in a fun, relaxed environment.
Flute, Clarinet, and Saxophone
Due to lung capacity (and in the case of the saxophone, the size if the instrument), we recommend that most woodwind beginners are 9 years of age and older.
Violin/Viola
We accept violin/viola students from the age of 5. Some teachers will start children as young as 3, but experience has shown us the most productive learning occurs when the beginner is 5 or older.
Trumpet
The trumpet requires physical exertion and lungpower. 9 years and older is a good time to start the trumpet.
2. Insist in Private Lessons when Learning a Specific Instrument
Group classes work well for preschool music programs, entry-level beginning programs and theory lessons. However, when actually learning how to play an instrument, private lessons are far more superior since in private lessons it is hard to miss anything and students can learn at their own pace. This means the teacher does not have to teach a class at the" middle of the road" level, but can focus on the individual student's strengths and weaknesses. For that lesson period, the student is the primary focus of the teacher. This is beneficial to the teacher, too, because they do not have to divide their attention between 5-10 students at a time. Thus, the teacher can help students be the best they can be.
3. Take lessons in a Professional Teaching Environment
Learning music is not just a matter of having a qualified teacher, but also having an environment that is focused on music education. In a professional music school, television, pets, ringing phones, siblings or anything else cannot distract a student. With only 30 minutes to 1 hour of lesson time per week, a professional school environment can produce better results since the only focus at that time is music. Students in a school environment are motivated by hearing peers who are at different levels and by being exposed to a variety of musical instruments. In a music school, the lessons are not just a hobby or sideline for the teacher, but a responsibility, which is taken very seriously.
Make Practicing Easier
As with anything, improving in music takes practice. One of the main problems with music lessons is the drudgery of practicing and the fight between parents and students to practice everyday. Here are some ways to make practicing easier.
a) Time - Set the time every day to practice so it becomes part of a routine or habit. Generally the earlier in the day the practicing can occur, the less reminding is required by the parents to get the child to practice.
b) Repetition - We use this method quite often when setting practice schedules for beginners. For a young child 20 or 30 minutes seems like an eternity. Instead of setting a time frame, we use repetition. For example, practice a certain song 4 times a day, and the scale 5 times a day. The child then does not pay attention to the amount of time they are practicing their instrument, but know if they are on repetition number 3, they are almost finished.
c) Rewards - this works very well for both children and adult students. Some adults reward themselves with a cappuccino after a successful lesson or strong week of practicing. Parents can encourage children to practice by granting them occasional rewards for successful practicing. In our school we reward young children with stars and stickers on their lesson books. Praise still tends to be the best" coveted award and there is no substitute for a pat on the back for a job well done. But sometimes we all have a bad week with little practicing and in that case, everyone can always look forward to next week.
4. Use Recognized teaching Materials
There are some excellent materials developed by professional music educators that are made for students in a variety of situations. For example in piano, there are books for very young beginners, and books for adult students who have never played before. There are books that can start you at any level you are comfortable with. These materials ensure that no important part in learning the instrument can be inadvertently left out. If you ever have to move to a different part of the country, qualified teachers and instructors will recognize the materials and be able to smoothly continue the previous lessons.
5. Have Fun!!!
Music should be something that you enjoy for a lifetime. So, try not to put unrealistic expectations on yourself or your children too quickly. Everyone learns at a different pace and the key is to be able to enjoy the journey.