When deciding to enroll into a music program, there are a few things that should be kept in mind and considered. Here is a list of tips to help give you or your children the most successful and rewarding experience in learning an instrument. These practical tips have been discovered from years of teaching hundreds of students each year and we hope this will assist you in making your decision.
(1) How young is too young?
Adults can start any instrument at any time. The only concern for an adult is how committed he or she is to learning and practising.
The right time in starting children in learning a musical instrument is a little bit trickier since starting at the right age is essential in determining the success or failure of the child in learning the instrument. We don't want the child to have a bad experience and then dislike music.
Going into specific instruments, the best age the student should start at should be:
Piano/Keyboard - 5 years of age at the youngest.
Guitar - 8 years of age at the earliest.
Voice lessons - 10 years of age is recommended.
Drums - Typically 8 years of age is the earliest but it will also depend on the height of the student because the student would need to be able to reach the pedals.
Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet & Saxophone - Usually 9 years of age.
Violin - 5 years of age at the youngest.
(2) Take lessons in a professional teaching environment.
When learning, the student may become distracted by outside noises made by siblings, pets, or phone calls. This is why it is recommended that the student be in an environment that is dedicated for the sole purpose of learning music.
(3) Make practising easier.
As everyone knows, practising is a bore and students can easily be side tracked into doing something more interesting. A good way to keep the student on track is to schedule a time slot that is the same for each day just for the student to practice. For younger students, it can be as simple as telling them to practice the same song 4 times a day. By doing this, it gives them something to aim for so that they know that when they have finished the third time, there's only one more to go and they're free to do something else afterwards.
(4) Use recognized teaching materials.
Purchase books that are widely used by other music instructors so that if you happen to move, your new instructor can carry on from where you left off. This also saves you money on books in the long run.
The thing to keep in mind throughout all of this is that the main goal is to HAVE FUN! This is something that you and your child(ren) should enjoy and high expectations and comparisons should not be placed on how fast you learn since everyone has his or her own pace.
