How young should kids be learning to play music? - General Discussion

rudi · 16-09-2005, 09:32

I have three sons, aged 15, 12 and 3 (I know, I know). The eldest plays guitar very well, the next is learning bass, and the youngest plays his toy guitar and my drums. There are also a couple of keyboards and other bits and pieces in the house.

You hear of viruosos who started violin or piano at age 3, or whatever, but realistically, what age is optimum for kids to be learning to play an instrument? Do you play, and when did you start? Were you forced to do it? Are you glad you were?

Rudi

™

PamelaL · 16-09-2005, 09:40

First of all very cute little boy.

Secondly I think the age your child is when he/she shows an interest in a particular musical instrument is the age he/she should be learing.

I learnt the recorder at school and that's about it, we were more of a sporty, outdoors at the beach or by the pool kind of family.

16-09-2005, 09:42

At the primary school my two go to, they don't start teaching musical instruments until Year 2 as they say the children often lose interest if they are introduced to an instrument earlier. My No.1 child is now 8, started music (recorder) at school at 6, she also started learning the guitar at 6 (& is now really good!)

matthewukchef · 16-09-2005, 09:55

They tried to teach us recorder in primary school. Only a couple of people took to it. It was secondary school when they forced music classes on you.

I can read sheet music but can't play an instrument!

matthewukchef · 16-09-2005, 09:56

Also, what's too old to learn an instrument? I'm 25, and I'd like to learn piano and/or drums. But I don't think the signals between my brain and my hands work as fast as they should be doing, and it seems to me that when you're doing piano or drums, you have to think about what you're doing with your left hand, your right hand, and a foot.. it's all too much for me!

Collette · 16-09-2005, 09:56

My daughter's just started learning the clarinet and she's eight and a half - granted she's had two lessons and is still on the "learning to put it together and make a noise with it" stage, but she's enjoying it so far (and hasn't yet had to be nagged to do her practising each night!)

Joolie · 16-09-2005, 09:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by rudi

I have three sons, aged 15, 12 and 3 (I know, I know). The eldest plays guitar very well, the next is learning bass, and the youngest plays his toy guitar and my drums. There are also a couple of keyboards and other bits and pieces in the house.

You hear of viruosos who started violin or piano at age 3, or whatever, but realistically, what age is optimum for kids to be learning to play an instrument? Do you play, and when did you start? Were you forced to do it? Are you glad you were?

Rudi

™

Our son has been learning piano since he was 7, it was something he always wanted to do - he used to pretend his desk was a piano and 'play' it. He's 12 now and working towards Grade 5. He has a natural talent and it would have been a waste not to have let him at least try the instrument. He loves it and never complains about practising (well, he's not too keen on scales

). He also gets great pride out of taking part in school concerts etc., some of his friends look on in envy.

Why not have a chat with a local music teacher - or your child's music teacher at school, and see what they suggest.

Inkblot · 16-09-2005, 09:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by rudi

You hear of viruosos who started violin or piano at age 3, or whatever, but realistically, what age is optimum for kids to be learning to play an instrument? Do you play, and when did you start? Were you forced to do it? Are you glad you were?

Rudi

™

I can't play a note. Listen to music all the time, have thousands of LPs and CDs that I know off by heart but put me in front of a keyboard and I can't even pick out Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

My son started learning piano at primary school, couldn't get on with it (or the teacher) and gave up. Suddenly at 14 he picked up the guitar he'd had for a year and hardly touched, and started teaching himself to play it. He's not brilliant but he's not bad either.

So I guess there are no rules. If you've got the right gene and you want to play your body clock will tell you when the time's right.

katebug · 16-09-2005, 09:57

I think it is never too young for them to start. Actually, the sooner the better

As long as the pressure isnt on them to do well. It should be fun

rudi · 16-09-2005, 10:02

I started playing drums aged 16, in order to be in a band, like many teenagers, but wish I had started much earlier. Up until that point the whole idea of making music was a mystery to me. As it turns out the basics of music, and some instruments like piano, guitar, and drums are actually very simple, but most people who listen to music have no idea how it get's made in the first place.

I firmly believe that having played any instrument, even only to a small degree, we then hear music in a much more fulfilling way.

I am always suspicious of people you aren't interested in music. I would certainly never employ someone like that. Actually I always ask people in interviews if they play an instrument.

Rudi ™

NatsD · 16-09-2005, 10:31

I think if a child is showing an interest in music, let them learn! I had a keyboard when I was about 6 and used to love playing it but my parents couldn't afford music lessons for me

flagpole · 16-09-2005, 10:31

Kids shouldn't learn to play music. At my school it was always the weiners that did.

Chubbler · 16-09-2005, 10:33

I think the minimum age for a intrument like a recorder, piano, keyboard, violin, guitar or drums should be 5/6. Thinks like Saxophones, Trumpets, Viola and other brass and woodwind instruments perhaps 10/11 and Harps, Cello's and Bagpipes 13/14.

neddy2000 · 16-09-2005, 11:10

I started the piano when I was 4 and loved it. I went through years of exams and although I didn't look forward to them I was always glad I did them. My parents never pushed me to do more than I wanted and I only did a few recitals for friends and one for a college. There were bigger and better recitals around but they were aware that I wasn't interested.
So I think that as long as your child shows an interest in something it's ok and it's even better if they are young as it helps to expand their mind, teaches them disicipline and control in areas other than music.
I think all children should be introduced to music but if they try it and hate it, then leave it until another time.

17-09-2005, 00:09

Well Buddy Rich started playing at around 18 months and when I went to see him not long before he died he had his 2 year old grandson on stage with him playing as well. My ex husband started playing the bongos at around 2 years old then got his first 'real' kit at 4 years old. I believe that as long as the child is interested then the younger the better.

Arwen1972 · 17-09-2005, 03:53

I do not see the point in 'manipulating' a very young child into learning an instrument as it can have the opposite affect you want.

Do what my parents did .... they surrounded me with musical instruments - they were there and if I wanted to have a strum on a guitar or a plink on the keyboard then I did. I was praised when I did this, but it was not turned into a structured learning thing, it was always fun.

When I got older and began to show an actual interest in learning to play (about 5 for the recorder, 6 for the guitar, 9 for the piano, 11 for the flute) I was then encouraged and either taught by my father or I went to a tutor. With each instrument I never had any trouble in learning to play and I am 'fluent' in each of the above - I would literally pick it up over night and I strongly believe this was because I was left alone to find my own way around instruments and not see them as a task or a threat but something to be enjoyed.

I think it is important for a child to learn an instrument (if they can) but wait until they show that interest - you don't want them to feel under pressure.

I am 33 now and still learning I am about to purchase a xylophone (Patrick Moore stylie

) and a friend is teaching me to play his banjo - no naughty pun intended

CHUTNEY · 17-09-2005, 06:15

I took piano lessons at school and enjoyed them (mostly).
Of course I never did enough practising but I managed to get to Grade 3 or 4 if memory serves.

I'd love to still have a competence on the keyboard but sadly it's all gone. I think it's a beautiful musical instrument.

valskey · 17-09-2005, 07:05

I played the cello from about 8 i think. I kept it going until I left school. Sometimes I loved it, sometimes I hated it - varied on the teacher mostly.
I left school mid way through my A levels - I wasn't getting anywhere, had no aims, so got a job and left, but also dropped anything conected to my childhood including my cello playing and piano. Thats what i really regret. Its taken until my kids were here to want to play again, and though the paino/keyboard was easy, the cello was much harder. I managed enough cello to do some recording for someone for part of their music college course, and at school when they wanted a parents orchestra! Keyboards are easy for me, bands don't play stuff anything like as hard as I could play, so thats been a fun newish thing for me, but I so wished I had realised that years back as now the kids come first for my time so I can't do as much music as I would love to do.
I think all kids should learn the recorder at school, we all did and so we could read music, which makes a huge difference when they start to learn an instrument.
I want to pay the guitar, but as an adult I think its much harder to learn things because we have less patience, we know what it should sound like so want it to happen quickly, but in fact it takes years to perfect playing an instrument.

16-09-2005, 09:32	#1
rudi Banned User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: 55deg49'31.63"N 4deg15'06.87"W Posts: 3,305	How young should kids be learning to play music? I have three sons, aged 15, 12 and 3 (I know, I know). The eldest plays guitar very well, the next is learning bass, and the youngest plays his toy guitar and my drums. There are also a couple of keyboards and other bits and pieces in the house. You hear of viruosos who started violin or piano at age 3, or whatever, but realistically, what age is optimum for kids to be learning to play an instrument? Do you play, and when did you start? Were you forced to do it? Are you glad you were? Rudi ™

16-09-2005, 09:40	#2
PamelaL Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Worcestershire Posts: 55,127	First of all very cute little boy. Secondly I think the age your child is when he/she shows an interest in a particular musical instrument is the age he/she should be learing. I learnt the recorder at school and that's about it, we were more of a sporty, outdoors at the beach or by the pool kind of family.

16-09-2005, 09:42	#3
Bessie Wink Posts: n/a	At the primary school my two go to, they don't start teaching musical instruments until Year 2 as they say the children often lose interest if they are introduced to an instrument earlier. My No.1 child is now 8, started music (recorder) at school at 6, she also started learning the guitar at 6 (& is now really good!)

16-09-2005, 09:55	#4
matthewukchef Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Yorkshire & Lancaster, CA, USA Services: Channels 1-5 and Bulldog 8mbps in UK, Adelphia cable and internet in USA Posts: 312	They tried to teach us recorder in primary school. Only a couple of people took to it. It was secondary school when they forced music classes on you. I can read sheet music but can't play an instrument!

16-09-2005, 09:56	#5
matthewukchef Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Yorkshire & Lancaster, CA, USA Services: Channels 1-5 and Bulldog 8mbps in UK, Adelphia cable and internet in USA Posts: 312	Also, what's too old to learn an instrument? I'm 25, and I'd like to learn piano and/or drums. But I don't think the signals between my brain and my hands work as fast as they should be doing, and it seems to me that when you're doing piano or drums, you have to think about what you're doing with your left hand, your right hand, and a foot.. it's all too much for me!

16-09-2005, 09:56	#6
Collette Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Schmocation Posts: 3,747	My daughter's just started learning the clarinet and she's eight and a half - granted she's had two lessons and is still on the "learning to put it together and make a noise with it" stage, but she's enjoying it so far (and hasn't yet had to be nagged to do her practising each night!)

16-09-2005, 09:57	#9
katebug Forum Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 11,160	I think it is never too young for them to start. Actually, the sooner the better As long as the pressure isnt on them to do well. It should be fun

16-09-2005, 10:02	#10
rudi Banned User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: 55deg49'31.63"N 4deg15'06.87"W Posts: 3,305	I started playing drums aged 16, in order to be in a band, like many teenagers, but wish I had started much earlier. Up until that point the whole idea of making music was a mystery to me. As it turns out the basics of music, and some instruments like piano, guitar, and drums are actually very simple, but most people who listen to music have no idea how it get's made in the first place. I firmly believe that having played any instrument, even only to a small degree, we then hear music in a much more fulfilling way. I am always suspicious of people you aren't interested in music. I would certainly never employ someone like that. Actually I always ask people in interviews if they play an instrument. Rudi ™

16-09-2005, 10:31	#11
NatsD Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Pikeyborough (Cambs) Posts: 1,525	I think if a child is showing an interest in music, let them learn! I had a keyboard when I was about 6 and used to love playing it but my parents couldn't afford music lessons for me

16-09-2005, 10:31	#12
flagpole Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: london Services: N97-1 vod, O2 BB 8meg, digihome PVR, W7-64 - addicted to World of Goo Posts: 15,013	Kids shouldn't learn to play music. At my school it was always the weiners that did.

16-09-2005, 10:33	#13
Chubbler Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ipswich / Athens, Greece Posts: 11,395	I think the minimum age for a intrument like a recorder, piano, keyboard, violin, guitar or drums should be 5/6. Thinks like Saxophones, Trumpets, Viola and other brass and woodwind instruments perhaps 10/11 and Harps, Cello's and Bagpipes 13/14.

16-09-2005, 11:10	#14
neddy2000 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Services: Sky+, Tivo, DVD+R, Freeview Posts: 2,093	I started the piano when I was 4 and loved it. I went through years of exams and although I didn't look forward to them I was always glad I did them. My parents never pushed me to do more than I wanted and I only did a few recitals for friends and one for a college. There were bigger and better recitals around but they were aware that I wasn't interested. So I think that as long as your child shows an interest in something it's ok and it's even better if they are young as it helps to expand their mind, teaches them disicipline and control in areas other than music. I think all children should be introduced to music but if they try it and hate it, then leave it until another time.

17-09-2005, 00:09	#15
AS1 Posts: n/a	Well Buddy Rich started playing at around 18 months and when I went to see him not long before he died he had his 2 year old grandson on stage with him playing as well. My ex husband started playing the bongos at around 2 years old then got his first 'real' kit at 4 years old. I believe that as long as the child is interested then the younger the better.

17-09-2005, 03:53	#16
Arwen1972 Banned User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 2,019	I do not see the point in 'manipulating' a very young child into learning an instrument as it can have the opposite affect you want. Do what my parents did .... they surrounded me with musical instruments - they were there and if I wanted to have a strum on a guitar or a plink on the keyboard then I did. I was praised when I did this, but it was not turned into a structured learning thing, it was always fun. When I got older and began to show an actual interest in learning to play (about 5 for the recorder, 6 for the guitar, 9 for the piano, 11 for the flute) I was then encouraged and either taught by my father or I went to a tutor. With each instrument I never had any trouble in learning to play and I am 'fluent' in each of the above - I would literally pick it up over night and I strongly believe this was because I was left alone to find my own way around instruments and not see them as a task or a threat but something to be enjoyed. I think it is important for a child to learn an instrument (if they can) but wait until they show that interest - you don't want them to feel under pressure. I am 33 now and still learning I am about to purchase a xylophone (Patrick Moore stylie ) and a friend is teaching me to play his banjo - no naughty pun intended

17-09-2005, 06:15	#17
CHUTNEY Banned User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Newcastle on Tyne. Posts: 15,665	I took piano lessons at school and enjoyed them (mostly). Of course I never did enough practising but I managed to get to Grade 3 or 4 if memory serves. I'd love to still have a competence on the keyboard but sadly it's all gone. I think it's a beautiful musical instrument.

17-09-2005, 07:05	#18
valskey Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Worthing, West Sussex Services: NTL Broadband Posts: 4,123	I played the cello from about 8 i think. I kept it going until I left school. Sometimes I loved it, sometimes I hated it - varied on the teacher mostly. I left school mid way through my A levels - I wasn't getting anywhere, had no aims, so got a job and left, but also dropped anything conected to my childhood including my cello playing and piano. Thats what i really regret. Its taken until my kids were here to want to play again, and though the paino/keyboard was easy, the cello was much harder. I managed enough cello to do some recording for someone for part of their music college course, and at school when they wanted a parents orchestra! Keyboards are easy for me, bands don't play stuff anything like as hard as I could play, so thats been a fun newish thing for me, but I so wished I had realised that years back as now the kids come first for my time so I can't do as much music as I would love to do. I think all kids should learn the recorder at school, we all did and so we could read music, which makes a huge difference when they start to learn an instrument. I want to pay the guitar, but as an adult I think its much harder to learn things because we have less patience, we know what it should sound like so want it to happen quickly, but in fact it takes years to perfect playing an instrument.