These guidelines will help you to have a successful, rewarding experience learning an instrument. These are practical tips that we have discovered from years of teaching and our experiences with teaching literally thousands of students!

1. HOW YOUNG IS TOO YOUNG - STARTING AT THE RIGHT AGE

Adults can start playing an instrument at any time! Their success is based on how willing an adult is to commit to practicing. We have found that contrary to popular belief, adults learn music much faster than children.  It’s never too late to learn to play!  We teach many students in their 60’s and 70’s.For children, starting at the right age is a key element to the success of their lessons. Some people will tell you “the sooner the better” but this attitude can actually backfire and be a negative. If a child is put into lessons too soon they may feel overwhelmed and frustrated and want to stop lessons. The last thing you want to do is turn a child off to music just because they had one unpleasant experience which could have been prevented. Sometimes if the child waits a year to start lessons their progress can be much faster. Children who are older than the suggested earliest starting age usually do very well. The following are guidelines we have found to be successful in determining how young a child can start taking music lessons.

3 - 4 Years Old If a pre-school age child has a keen desire and wants to start music, a group preschool music class will give them a good foundation in music basics which will be helpful in later private lessons. At this age, private lessons generally do not work as the child has not yet experienced the formal learning environment of kindergarten or school and learns more effectively through the game oriented preschool environment.

Piano/Keyboard At our school 5 years old is the youngest age that we start children in private piano lessons. At this age they have begun to develop longer attention spans and can retain material with ease.

"Music for Kids" Children under the age of ten can take piano and voice lessons together. We call this “Music for Kids.” These lessons include learning the basics of piano and singing as well as rhythm, reading notes, etc. and are a lot of fun!

Guitar – Acoustic & Electric 7 years old is the earliest we recommend for guitar lessons. Guitar playing requires a fair amount of pressure on the fingertips from pressing on the strings. Children under 8 generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable. Also, we have found that children and ladies learn faster, have more fun and are more likely to succeed if they start on electric guitar.  The strings are smaller and closer to the fingerboard making playing a lot easier than a standard acoustic guitar.  The body of an electric guitar is smaller and more comfortable as well.  If you already have a standard acoustic guitar it is fine to start on that for a while to see if you are really interested in playing guitar.  You can always change from an acoustic to electric or electric to acoustic guitar at any time.  Both are played exactly the same way!

Bass Guitar Bass guitar students generally are 10 years old and older. This is due to the physical size of the instrument.

Voice Lessons 10 years old is recommended as the youngest age for private vocal lessons. Due to the physical nature of voice lessons (proper breathing techniques, development of the vocal chords and lung capacity), the younger body is generally not yet ready for the rigors of vocal technique.

Drums The age of our youngest drum student is 5. This varies greatly depending on the size of the child. They have to be able to reach both the pedals and the cymbals.

Flute, Clarinet & Saxophone Due to lung capacity (and in the case of the saxophone the size of the instrument), we recommend that most woodwind beginners are 9 and older.

Violin We accept violin students from the age of 5. Some teachers will start children as young as 3, but experience has shown us the most productive learning occurs when the beginner is 5 or older.

Trumpet The trumpet requires physical exertion and lung power. 9 years and older is a good time to start the trumpet.

2. INSIST ON PRIVATE LESSONS WHEN LEARNING A SPECIFIC INSTRUMENT

Group classes work well for preschool music programs, and theory lessons. However, when actually learning how to play an instrument, private lessons are far superior since in private lessons you won't miss anything your teacher says, and each student can learn at their own pace. This means the teacher does not have to teach a class at a middle of the road level, but has the time and focus to work on the individual student’s strengths and weaknesses. For that lesson period, the student is the primary focus of the teacher. The teachers also enjoy this as they do not have to divide their attention between 5 - 10 students at a time and can help the student be the best they can be.

3. TAKE LESSONS IN A PROFESSIONAL TEACHING ENVIRONMENT

Learning music is not just a matter of having a qualified teacher, but also having an environment that is focused on music education. In a professional school environment a student cannot be distracted by TV, pets, ringing phones, siblings or anything else. With only 1/2 to one hour of lesson time per week, a professional school environment can produce better results since the only focus at that time is learning music. Students in a school environment are also motivated by hearing peers who are at different levels and by being exposed to a variety of musical instruments. In a music school, the lessons are not just a hobby or sideline for the teacher but a responsibility which is taken very seriously.

4. MAKE PRACTICING EASIER

As with anything, improving in music takes practice. One of the main problems with music lessons is the drudgery of practicing.  Here are some ways to make practicing easier:   Time Set the same time every day to practice so it becomes part of a routine or habit. This works particularly well for children. Generally the earlier in the day the practicing can occur, the less reminding is required by parents to get the child to practice. Repetition We use this method quite often when setting practice schedules for beginners. For a young child 20 or 30 minutes seems like an eternity. Instead of setting a time frame, we use repetition. For example, practice this piece 4 times every day, and this scale 5 times a day. The child then does not pay attention to the amount of time they are practicing their instrument, but knows if they are on repetition number 3 they are almost finished. Television & Radio Practice!  (What?) Believe it or not if you are working on a scale or exercise that simply needs to be repeated 100’s of times, rent a good movie or watch your favorite sitcom while you practice.  A half hour goes by really fast and you will have played a ton of repetitions.  Sometimes it is just what the doctor (music teacher) ordered! Rewards This works very well for both children and adult students. Some adults reward themselves with a latte after a successful week of practicing. Parents can encourage children to practice by granting them occasional rewards for successful practicing. In our school we reward young children for a successful week of practicing with stars and stickers on their work. Praise tends to be the most coveted award - there is just no substitute for a pat on the back for a job well done. Sometimes we all have a week with little practicing, in that case there is always next week!

5. LEARN YOUR FAVORITE SONGS!

The reason why you wanted to play an instrument in the first place is because you enjoy music.  Insist on learning some of your favorite songs.  This will naturally increase the amount of time you are practicing.  You must have fun or all the scales and chords in the world will mean nothing.  A well rounded music program that teaches the fundamentals PLUS your favorite songs is the best way to learn to play or sing! HAVE FUN!! Music should be something that you enjoy for a lifetime! Try not to put unrealistic expectations on yourself or your children to learn too quickly. Everyone learns at a different pace and the key is to be able to enjoy the journey. Please call us at 425-485-8310 if you have any other questions about music or voice lessons for yourself or your child. 4/4 School of Music, LLC Seattle | Kirkland | Lynnwood | Everett | Bothell | Redmond | Renton Wa.