These guidelines will help you to have a successful, rewarding experience learning an instrument. These are practical tips that Elena Gnenna, School Director
Canada's Professional School of Music & Arts has discovered from years of teaching and our experiences with teaching hundreds of students each year.

How Young is too Young? Starting at the Right Age.

Adults can start any instrument at any time. Their success is based on how willing an adult is to commit to practicing. We teach many beginner students in their 60’s and 70’s. For children, starting at the right age is a key element to the success of their lessons. 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 may feel overwhelmed and frustrated and want to stop lessons. The last thing you want to do is turn a child off 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:

For children from birth to 5 years old  Kindermusik classes are highly recommended. The latest brain research has confirmed: purposeful musical activities stimulate the cognitive & language, social & emotional, as well as physical developments that all begin in the very first days of your child's life. Kindermusik is the world's leading music and movement program for children from birth to seven years.

By the age of 5 children have longer attention spans, can retain information and have the hand size and finger strength needed for playing. For most children younger than 6, we would recommend " Music for Little Mozarts " - piano, music and movement classes or " Kindermusik for the Young Child"  program where children can explore vocal development, rhythm, notation, musical symbols, and authentic pre-keyboard, stringed and wind instruments. Usually kids are forced into private lessons before they are ready. But the thing is, at 4 or 5 years old, a child really isn't ready to make a long-term commitment to one instrument. They don't have the experience to know what they're good at, and what they'll like. also, at that age, music needs to be fun for them, and most private lessons just aren't. The Kindermusik for the Young Child or Music for Little Mozarts programs are really great because it covers everything your child needs to get a head start in music, while keeping everything fun.

• Piano/Keyboard:  At our school 5 years old is the youngest age that we start children in private piano lessons. At this age they have begun to develop longer attention spans and can retain material with ease. Guitar - Acoustic, Electric and Bass 8 years old is the earliest we recommend for guitar lessons. Guitar playing requires a fair amount of pressure on the fingertips from pressing on the strings. Children under 8 generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable.
• Voice Lessons:  7 years old is recommended as the youngest age for private vocal 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 yet ready for the rigors of vocal technique. For children younger than 7, we have a  Kindermusik and Music for Little Mozarts programs.
• Flute, Clarinet & Saxophone: Due to lung capacity (and in the case of the saxophone the size of the instrument), we recommend that most woodwind beginners are 9 and older.
• Violin:  We accept violin 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.

 
Insist On Private Lessons When Learning a Specific Instument.

Group classes work well for preschool music programs, and theory lessons. However, when actually learning how to play an instrument, private lessons are far superior since in private lessons it is hard to miss anything, and each student can learn at their own pace. This means the teacher does not have to teach a class at a middle of the road level, but has the time and focus to work on the individual student’s strengths and weaknesses. For that lesson period, the student is the primary focus of the teacher.

Take Lessons in a Professional Teaching Enviroment.

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 school environment a student cannot be distracted by t.v., pets, ringing phones, siblings or anything else. With only 1/2 to one hour of lesson time per week, a professional school environment can produce better results since the only focus at that time is learning music. Students in a school environment are also motivated by hearing peers who are at different levels and by being exposed to a variety of musical instruments.

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 every day. Here are some ways to make practicing easier:

• Time : Set the same time every day to practice so it becomes part of a routine or habit. This works particularly well for children. Generally the earlier in the day the practicing can occur, the less reminding is required by parents to get the child to practice.
• 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 this piece 4 times every day, and this scale 5 times a day. The child then does not pay attention to the amount of time they are practicing their instrument, but knows if they are on repetition number 3 they are almost finished.
• Rewards: This works very well for both children and adult students. Some adults reward themselves with a cappuccino after a successful week of practicing. Parents can encourage children to practice by granting them occasional rewards for successful practicing. In our school we reward young children for a successful week of practicing with stars and stickers on their work.

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 that have never played before. There are books that can start you at a level you are comfortable with. These materials have been researched and are continually upgraded and improved to make learning easier. These materials ensure that no important part of learning the instrument can inadvertently be left out. If you ever have to move to a different part of the country, qualified teachers and institutions will recognize the materials and be able to smoothly continue from where the previous teacher left off.

Most Importantly . . .Have Fun!

Music should be something that you enjoy for a lifetime. So, try not to put unrealistic expectations on yourself or your children to learn too quickly. Everyone learns at a different pace and the key is to be able to enjoy the journey.

Elena Gnenna, School Director
Canada's Professional School of Music & Arts
6590 Meadowvale Town CC, Mississauga, ON
www.canadamusicschool.com, (905)821-1142