Preschool Piano Lessons

When can my child start piano lessons?

Many parents are eager and excited to get their child started in music, especially if they have seen some of the research about the benefits of early childhood participation in music. Music can be a wonderful addition to a child’s development and there are many great ways for young children to participate in music. Instrumental lessons might be a good fit for some students at this age, but readiness varies greatly for preschoolers. FFMS will accept students as young as four years old for piano lessons when it is determined that the parent is ready to adequately support the child in lessons and when the child demonstrates readiness for piano lessons during a Trial Lesson.

‘Readiness’ for children includes the ability to listen and follow directions (including studio rules), a willingness to engage and to try new musical things especially through imitation, and a real willingness (as opposed to reluctance) to use fingers in combination or independently to push down piano keys (fine motor skills). Readiness for the parent includes having appropriate expectations for the learning process at this age, time during the week for the parent to sit with the child in brief ‘practice’ sessions, patience and the ability to playfully encourage the child in engaging with the piano in lessons and at home. Two recommended resources for parents to grow in their understanding of music in childhood are ‘Positive Practice’ by Christine Goodner and ‘The Musical Child’ by Joan Koenig.

For children or families who are not yet ready for piano lessons, I recommend the research-backed Music Together program, which you can learn more about online at the Music Together website. On their site you can also search for local class offerings. Due to the high number of skills that need to be developmentally ready for a preschooler to start to learn to play the piano, not all preschool students will be ready for piano lessons. If your child is not yet ready for piano lessons, it is quite likely that by kindergarten he or she will be ready and eager to engage in one-to-one piano lessons at FFMS. Be patient with your little one and wait a year or so if necessary. A healthy mindset for parents regarding piano lessons would be that the primary desire is to lay a foundation for long-term musical and developmental health. These are far more important than starting piano during the preschool years. In my opinion there is no one ‘best age’ to start instrumental study and ‘readiness’ really is unique to the individual.

Creating a Healthy Relationship to Music and the Piano

As a teacher, I seek to create a safe space for children to learn to love to play music. Each child needs to develop his or her own ability at his or her own pace. Parents of potential preschool students will go through a phone interview and an in-person consultation (without the student) to ensure that our goals and philosophy regarding music education align well. I whole-heartedly believe that all children are musical. I also believe that learning for children primarily involves play - however to learn the piano does involve education and the practice of skills, similar to learning to read or do math. Piano lessons should not be thought of purely as entertainment, nor should piano lessons be thought of as a place for discovering talent. The study of music has intrinsic value for a person’s life and should be approached with that in mind without a focus on achievement as a goal or motivation. Additionally, all professional musicians have spent many years honing their skills. Among successful professional musicians are those who started in music at a variety of ages and with a variety of levels of natural giftedness. Hard work and perseverance will always be necessary in the long-run to achieve even an intermediate level of playing the piano, and whether or not the eventual destination is a career in music. For these reasons at the preschool level the focus for the teacher and the parent should be on developing in the child a healthy love of music and a positive relationship to the instrument first of all.

Materials, Curriculum and Parent Involvement

Lessons and materials for preschool piano lessons may include one or more books as a foundation, but are also highly individualized. Some of the methods that I may use with preschoolers include:

Piano Safari, Wunderkeys, Piano Adventures by Faber and Rhythm Cups

Preschool lessons are approximately 30 minutes long and the fee is set whether or not the child is able to focus and complete the entire lesson.

A parent is required to sit in lessons with any student who has not yet started kindergarten. Siblings are not allowed to be present in lessons since it is too distracting to the preschool-aged student. Childcare is not available on site. If a parent will not be able to sit in the piano lesson without siblings along – then FFMS will recommend waiting to start lessons until kindergarten. From kindergarten on up students at FFMS normally attend lessons without a parent being present in the room. (Parents of K-12 students are still required to remain onsite during lessons and will frequently be invited into the lesson for brief demonstrations or to celebrate having learned a new piece.)

At home, parents need to be willing and prepared to sit with their preschool-aged student at the piano and facilitate activities that were done in the lesson. These mini practice sessions ideally happen a few times a week for about 5 minutes at a time. Practice at this age should be short, fun and exploratory and it is not limited exclusively to playing the piano, but may include playing games that focus on a musical concept, listening, and other activities.

An adequate instrument makes an enormous difference in a child’s early experience of the piano. Students are required to have their own instrument for at-home practice that meets the following criteria: Full-sized 88 key keyboard or acoustic piano with all keys working. If a student has a keyboard it must have weighted/graded keys and a damper pedal (can be bought as a separate attachment). A bench of the proper height is also necessary as well as a music rack.

Learn more about the kinds of positive musical experiences that a preschooler can have with the piano! Parents of preschool students will go through an individualized phone interview, parent-teacher consultation and then if expectations about Preschool Lessons are a good match between the Parent(s) and Teacher, children may attend a single Trial Lesson for $30. Length of study for preschool -aged students varies and may be adjusted based on the Trial Lesson. All other students under the age of 18 enroll for a Full-Term of lessons.

Please note that in-person consultations and Trial Lessons are only offered when the studio is able to determine that there is a potential good fit between the parent/student/teacher and readiness for enrollment (see above). Trial Lessons are also only offered when there is the potential for the client and teacher’s schedule to allow for enrollment if the student is ready - space is limited! Serious inquiries only please.