When should a child start piano lessons? Altenburg Piano in Elizabeth has the answer

Suburban News By Suburban News Suburban News
on July 28, 2012 at 9:37 AM

The answer to this question is… when they are mature enough to follow instructions from a teacher or parent, usually between 7- and 9-years-old. According to Piaget this is the readiness age to learn. There are three elements that appeal to a child…the first is rhythm because it calls for a physical response, i.e. tapping the feet, clapping hands and swaying in time in the music.

This is fun and even a baby will respond to patty-cake games and rhythmic repetition. Four-year olds delight in skipping, marching and swinging in time to music. Rhythm is the most important element in the very first early stages of learning. In school, rhythmic activities are usually accompanied by a piano and the child will unconsciously hear tone divisions, different note values, accented beats, loud and soft sounds, and these things will all come together when they start to take lessons.

The second element is melody. Pitch discrimination is the most important part of learning melodic phrases. In short, the child must be able to tell one note from another, remember what it sounds like and how it relates to other notes. Did it go up or down? Was it low or high?

As children grow older, they are able to distinguish smaller intervals between notes. Primary age children sometimes have difficulty with half-step intervals. After 12-years-old, the critical period for pitch identification, there will be no further improvement in that area.

The third element is harmony. This is the ability to hear multiple sounds and to be able to follow the melody with accompaniment.

This ability starts at about 8-years-old and continues to develop with age.

Altenburg Piano House is at1150 East Jersey St., Elizabeth, NJ 07201, 908-351-2000.