Have you ever considered getting your child started on music lessons? Our Guest Geek post today has a few tips on what age is right to get started, depending on what you’re looking to get out of it. Whether it’s singing, playing an instrument or writing a symphony, children can benefit from being exposed to music from an early age.

Getting Started with Music Lessons

Many parents dream of their child becoming a star, enjoying fame, fortune, and the good life. It’s not always just for the benefit of the child, in many cases, the parents benefit hugely. After all, a child star needs a manager and that is usually the parents. In short, if the child is making a fortune, so are the parents. A perfect example of how this works is Brittany Spears.

Before you consider what age your child should start music lessons, you should consider why you want them to start. It should only be considered if your child has an interest in music and is likely to enjoy it. There are too many stories of children forced to study music who hate music as adults.

The Importance of the Right Teacher

If you’re looking for music lessons, then you will need to make sure you have the best teacher possible. Verify with friends and family if they have any experience with a specific teacher and check their reputation in the industry. Good music lessons will be entirely focused on the child and how to help them improve.

Speak to the teacher, make sure you and your child are comfortable with them and that they offer the best possible tuition and facilities.

Selecting The Right Age to Start

One of the most difficult decisions is to decide what is the right age for your child to start music lessons. Some of the most famous musicians started very young. Mozart wrote a symphony at eight-years-old, and the violinist Midori started at age eleven. There are others that have started younger, and some started older, when they were able to decide for themselves.

Research suggests that the best time to develop a sensitivity to music is between birth and nine years of age. That would make this the opportune window to start music lessons. It should be easy for children to learn, and they will appreciate music, allowing them to develop an affinity for it that will last for life.

However, when to send them to their first lesson actually comes down to what you want to achieve:

• Good relationship with music

If you’re simply looking for your child to develop an appreciation for music with the possibility of continuing their studies further later on, then you can give them music lessons from birth.

The aim here isn’t to master an instrument, it’s to help music become an important part of their lives. In this instance, the lessons shouldn’t be too formal and may cover an array of instruments. This allows the child to explore their own interests.

• Instrument Mastery

In contrast, if you want your child to master a musical instrument, it is generally better to start them off at around ten-years-old. They will be old enough to want to learn an instrument and they will have developed a good affinity with music through their informal lessons.

This approach helps children excel at music and enjoy sound throughout their life.