Chances are, this isn’t the first time you’ve been asking this question. When is the best time for a child to begin taking music lessons? There are many different opinions about this topic, but generally you will find the number between five and seven years old. However, after teaching private piano lessons in Tulsa, Oklahoma for many years, I’d like to share some things that could – perhaps – adjust the starting point for piano lessons.

Is the child already interested in music?

If the child shows interest and excitement when the piano is played (assuming you have a piano in your house), then you may want to consider your options for piano lessons. A great option for toddlers is general music lessons – in which the teacher uses the Dalcroze teaching method.

Does the child have older siblings – or parents – that play music?

There are many factors for success when learning an instrument. One of the largest factors, however, is the amount of practice between lessons. When a child observes their older siblings or other family members playing music, it will instinctively ignite the aspiration to play as well.

Is the child relatively well-behaved?

Listen, I’m a dad too – I know how kids are! I’m not saying they should be able to sit down and read a book on their own for 30 minutes before taking lessons. If you’re able to find a teacher that can mix things up a bit (for the sake of interest), then there shouldn’t be any reason why a child wouldn’t be able to have fun during their lesson.

Do you have a good instructor in mind?

Learning to play an instrument is quite the endeavor. For that reason, be sure to find a teacher that helps the child enjoy the process – not despise it. There will always be ups and downs – especially when the novelty of trying something new wears off.

Looking for a piano teacher in Tulsa? Find out more information here.

Final Thoughts

I would certainly agree that a great age to begin taking lessons is between five and seven years old. In general, children younger than five or six tend to have difficulty sitting at a piano for 30 minutes. For that reason, it is important to know that a music lesson does not need to require the student to sit at the piano for that length of time. There are definitely other options to explore for a toddler.

Which songs seem to be hard to play on guitar but actually are not that difficult?

Funny story. When I was a freshman in college, there was a guy that was just ridiculous at playing guitar. He could play Blackbird by the Beatles flawlessly. I had never even picked up the guitar before, but it would soon be my lifelong ambition to play Blackbird.

I started playing guitar and learned hundreds of songs, but never once attempted Blackbird. “When I’m good enough” was always the thought. “One day.” After 6 years of playing, I decided that I would muster up the courage to find the music for Blackbird. My true skills would soon be tested. I was building the anticipation towards the moment that I would begin learning this treacherous song. I figured I would be spending the next month or two working on it.

I started practicing it and…. 15 minutes later I had it down. Literally the largest anti-climactic moment in my life.

All of that to answer the question: Blackbird by the Beatles

One of my favorite movies is “Orange County.” When I was in high school, I would put the movie on and watch it until I went to bed at least once a week. I don’t know why I liked it so much, but I just thought it was an incredibly entertaining movie.

If you haven’t seen it (which may be a good thing. It’s PG13, but that doesn’t mean it’s wholesome by any means), this is the basic premise: A high school surfer-dude, Shaun, from California finds a book in the sand. This book is written by a professor at the University of Stanford, who quickly becomes Shaun’s hero. After reading the book hundreds of times from cover to cover, Shaun decides that he no longer wants to be a pro surfer, but a writer. His first step after graduating high school is to study with this professor at Stanford. Although he’s got the grades that would cause your grandmother to smooch all the saliva that she has onto your cheeks, the movie goes on to follow the adverse situations that cause this task to become unattainable.

One thing that I love about this movie is the fact that Shaun decides he will be a writer, despite the opposition of his friends and family. His only advocate is his girlfriend, who he claims is too supportive to be of any real help.

[Spoiler alert – which is fine. Cause I don’t condone the viewing of this movie anyways. Haha] In the end of the movie, Shaun randomly bumps into the professor from Stanford. Unbeknown to Shaun, the professor that changed his life had read the book that Shaun sent to him. Not only that, but the professor was incredibly pleased with his writing ability. Shaun then comes to the realization that he never wanted to go to Stanford in the first place; all he really wanted was to receive the affirmation from this professor.
Sometimes we have all these ambitions and goals, which are GREAT. Without goals, we would get stuck in monotonous living and probably give up on life. However, when our sole focus is on these goals, everything else in life is peripheral. I think Shaun finally realized that. I don’t recommend trying to get your affirmation from some random professor, but perhaps the affirmation of whom we’ve been searching for has been supporting us from the very beginning. When we give our lives as a sacrifice to the Lord, we’re able to surrender everything else and live for the only thing that matters. Our goals change with time, but He will always remain constant.