What is the right age to Begin Piano? This is one question that almost everyone who wants to learn to play the piano wants to ask, be it the kids, or their parents, and even adult students too.
Introduction
Want to begin Piano lessons? Not sure if you are ready for it? Well, at least that’s the case with most adults; they always find some excuse not to get started, and then blame on things like its too late to start learning the piano and so on.
So for adults, the answer is that there is no right age to get started. You start whenever you feel like learning.
But what about kids?
Well, you should be old enough to have some developed motor skills (ability to move your various body parts) but as an adult you can start anytime you feel like.
Read: checkout these young prodigies on various musical instruments.
Piano For Kids
Most parents are eager to get their kids started right at a very young age, they want to give their children a head-start, and its definitely a great thing to do.
Children who have some musical background can start taking beginner piano lessons when they are above 4 years of age.
A musical background means, somebody in the child’s family can play a musical instrument, in which case, there is a good probability that the child has some basic knowledge of melody and rhythm.
There is even a good probability that the child may have developed a good ear for music and is exposed to different styles of music depending on the kind of music that is played at home.
Children without any musical background can start when they are around 6 years old. By this time they would have developed the motor skills needed to play the piano.
Motor skills simply mean the ability to use your various body parts together. You need good hand-eye coordination and concentration to be able to play the piano. So 6 years and above would be a good age to start.
More useful links on learning piano:
- How to play piano, for beginners – Useful Tips & Methods
- Piano lessons for beginners, product reviews
Piano For Adults
Lot of adults and seniors feel apprehensive about learning something new because they think that it is late to learn.
For adults the old maxim applies perfectly, which says that “It is never too late to start learning anything”.
The same applies to the Piano as well. But the problem is adults spend a lot of time unnecessarily thinking whether they should learn the Piano or not. They need a lot of coaxing and convincing before they actually start taking lessons.
Adults should also set their expectations right (maybe it is a bit late to be a concert pianist but I still wouldn’t discourage you).
Strengths
Adults, in general, have a lot of advantages over children when it comes to learning the Piano. Some of them are:
- Far better concentration
- Highly developed motor skills
- Highly motivated and eager to learn quickly
- Can think and relate better
These are some of the strengths which give adults a head-start over children if they have to learn the Piano.
Weaknesses
Though adults have some inherent strengths, they also have weaknesses which they acquire over the years. Some of them are
- Higher expectations with themselves
- Fear of failure
- Lack of patience
- Juggling with too many different things
- Like smaller learning curves. 6 months is too much time for some adults to learn a new thing.
Take The Plunge
These are some of the weaknesses which prevent lot of adults from taking the plunge in the first place. Even if they do, lots of them give it up midway simply because they lose their focus or because they do not have sufficient patience.
But as long as you are focused and aware that you need to give it some time, it becomes easier for you to learn the Piano.
Useful links on buying keyboards:
Toy Pianos & Keyboards
Find a range of toy pianos and keyboards to help your kids get started
Lighted Keyboards
Keyboards with lighted keys that help to learn to play
Arranger Keyboards
Find a range of electronic keyboards (for kids as well as adults)
Digital Pianos
76 and 88-key keyboard & pianos for those who’re serious about learning pianos
If you factor these things, your age has got nothing to do with how good you can become at playing the Piano. Once you get past the beginner piano player level, your improvement will depend purely on how much practice you are willing to put in.
More tips on learning to play the piano
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KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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