WHEN SHOULD I START PIANO LESSONS?

• Always consider the individual student. There is no one “best” time to start, whether considering one student, or the human population as a whole!

• General categories

• Let’s start with age ranges by James Bastien (How to Teach Piano Successfully, 1995)

• Young Beginners (under 7 years of age)

• I usually consider:

• “Booty on Bench Time” (aka attention span development)

• Please don’t force a kid not ready to sit on bench for 30 minutes. It will become miserable for us all!

• Are they drawn to the instrument?

• I think my parents started me 1st grade because I was tall enough to bang on (“artfully explore”)  the keys for hours…

• Hand development

• Assessed during interview. Can’t rush this. Hand span, joint “gumminess”, individual finger control

• Independent Reading (non-music language like English)

• ABCDEFG, 12345, simple instructions, easy lyrics

• At-home practice support

• Parent, grandparent, sibling, guardian - who can spend time reading the method book pages and guiding practice. It helps to have played piano and/or read music, but not totally necessary.

• Shorter lesson lengths (30 minutes max to start)

• Special method books

• Music for Little Mozarts (Alfred)

• My First Piano Adventures (Faber)

• Other methods beginner levels, marked “younger beginner” (Bastien, Alfred, etc) or broken down into “all-in-one” more incremental levels (Hal Leonard, Bastien, etc)

• If teacher and parent decide “too soon” (the most common result!) be sure to keep developing musical skills. And remember, we do NOT want to force anything too soon.

• Dance with your kid

• Sing to and with your kid

• Listen to everything with your kid

• Clap along to music

• “baby talk” develops a wide range of pitches and sounds in the ear

• Try some percussion instruments (classic= wooden spoon on plastic box)

• Keep audio levels in check. Hearing damage is cumulative and permanent.

• Look for early childhood music classes such as Kindermusik and Musicgarten

• Average Age Beginners (7-10)

• Most kids ready during this time

• Most method books designed for this

• Older Beginners (10 up)

• Drawback - puberty makes development a bit less “elastic”

• Advantage - the kid usually WANTS to learn piano

• Special method books

• Accelerated Piano Adventures (Faber)

• Complete Book 1, Basic Piano Library (Alfred)

• College Beginners

• Music majors/minors who need to pass piano proficiency

• Often vocalists who want to accompany themselves or others

• Helps understand theory, literature, and more

• Can be class or individual instruction

• Non-majors/minors interested in piano, for credit in the fine arts or for enrichment

• Adult Beginners (or those who used to take a while back)

• Variety of reasons

• Retirement hobby

• “Recreational Music” (the goal is fun, less so advancement)

• “I wish I never quit”

• “I used to know how”

• “My kids all learned, now it’s my turn!” (empty nest goal)

• “I miss it”

• “I miss my teacher”

• Finishing That Piece

• “Maybe I’ll understand theory this time”

• Rewards

• Stave off dementia

• Increase brain elasticity

• Bring out your inner child and creative spirit

• Treat arthritis

• Seated work on balance, breathing, spatial awareness

• Advantages from Age

• Easier understanding of music theory (an advanced math)

• You know your strengths and weaknesses

• Motivation is yours, not your parents

• Challenges

• Scheduling (job, responsibilities)

• Less elastic body and mind (at first)

• Special method books (plenty)

• Faber, Adult Piano Adventures

• Alfred, Basic Adult Piano Course

• Bastien, Piano for Adults

• Hal Leonard, Adult Piano Method

• Specific Topics:

• How to Use a Fake Book

• Play the Blues!