Your child can announce that he wants to play the piano when he comes home. The question of he is too young, always arises. Generally anything under 4 or 5 is too young however children under 4 can still be introduced to music in many forms including piano that is appropriate for age and attention span. Many lessons can be learned by young children when put in the form of music. If your child is under 4, check with the local musical schools or pre-schools to see if they have any kind of musical programs for your child.
There have been many studies done regarding children and exposure to music with many positive results. Children exposed or involved in music early, learn to read earlier and generally score better on tests (even standardized tests such as SAT etc.).
Only you can tell if purchasing an acoustic piano is right for you and your budget; or perhaps you want to let your child first start with a digital one (less expensive) and judge to see if the expense is warranted based on your child’s enthusiasm.
Upright pianos and the grand piano style are examples of an acoustic piano. A digital one is just the key board and the electronics give all the sounds of a piano without taking up the room like an acoustic takes. Perhaps if space is tight in your house then a digital piano might be the way to go.
Since we are talking about teaching young children, the prospective teacher should be approachable, with the ability to motivate your child through inventive lessons. A devoted teacher will treat each child as an individual and gear lessons towards both your child’s strengths and weaknesses.
Ask the teacher about their philosophy on piano technique. Some teach that the fingers and only the fingers should be involved in playing, while others believe the whole arm is involved. See what the teacher feels is appropriate for your child and ask how they go about teaching it.
One method of teaching that does work with very young music students is called the Suzuki method. The drawback of this method is that it concentrates on developing istening skills but doesn’t teach the reading of musical notes until the child gets older. Some teachers swear by this method while others disagree.
The Music Tree (or Clark Method) does a very good job teaching the basics. The lessons teach the reading of music as well as counting, phrases and form from day one.
A very popular series is written by Nancy and Randall Faber (Faber & Faber) and is used by many teachers. The position method is taught in these books and it reinforces proper hand position and appropriate suggestions for counting.
There are many other methods used by teachers and the goal will be to find the right teacher and method for your child. Many teachers believe that playing scales over and over is the right thing to do, where as others feel it’s making a child do something that is not necessary. Some children do well with one method and not with another.
When speaking with the prospective teacher, ask about what books they use. Is it possible they loan the books to you until you know if the method they are going to use will be good for your child. That way should your child decide he doesn’t want to play piano anymore; maybe it has to do with the method being taught. Find out how flexible is the teacher when it comes to method.
By doing some foot work following your child’s announcement of wanting to play piano, you will be giving your child the gift of music today and long into their future.
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