What Age Is Ideal To Start Piano Lessons?

In general, we recommend kids between 6-7 to start. However, not all kids are created equally. Some grow faster than others in terms of size and maturity. That’s not to say those who start at six or younger will be ahead of the curve. Some eight year olds might zip past the 6 year olds who had a head start two years prior. 

Some kids are ready when they’re four or five or even younger, but that falls under the exception category, rather than the rule. 

Some eight year olds can’t sit still for more than 30 seconds without slithering under the piano. Every kid is different, but here’s a checklist to help you out whether your kid is ready for piano lessons.

1. Is your child motivated?

It’s one thing that you want to start them young, but you have to be mindful that it’s what they want as well. Does your child show an interest in playing the piano? Do they ask for lessons? Do they seem to gravitate towards the piano/keyboard when they see one? If your child is not ready and you push them, it’ll cause a lot of grief for both of you. Keep monitoring if you notice any change. They might not be motivated now, but show interest a few months later. Their brains build connections at an amazing rate.

2. Is their hand size big enough?

Can your child comfortably put five fingers over five consecutive white notes? For some kids it’s a big stretch. If the hands are small, consider waiting it out for their fingers to get a little bigger. 

3. Can they move their fingers independently?

Once they place five fingers over five notes, you want to see if the can move their fingers one at a time independently. If they can, it’s a good sign. Even if you don’t have to piano/keyboard, you can test it out by asking your child to wiggle their fingers one at a time.

If they pass all the above criteria, it’s a good chance that they’re ready for piano lessons.

If you’re still unsure, or if your child is younger than six, it’s best to bring your child to a teacher for an evaluation. With the help of an experienced teacher, you should be able to determine if your child is ready.

Even if your child is not ready for piano lessons, encourage them to get involved in music related activities.  Singing, dancing, listening to recorded music or attending live music are some of the activities you can do to build a good foundation for learning a musical instrument. 

Some teachers might even have music related programs for the very young kiddos who are not yet ready for piano lessons.

At For The Love Of Piano Studio we have a surefire way of evaluating whether your child is ready for piano lessons or not. It’s best to bring your child in person, but it can also be done virtually. We teach kids as young as five to play piano the easy way. Call us at (408) 641-9926, or click on the button below to sign up for a Free Introductory Session.

You might also want to check out…

How To Find The Right Piano Teacher In San Jose For Your Child