Age for learning an instrument?

[Maia]

Just a general question... At what age can children start to learn an instrument? And is it better to wait until they are older or start younger?

(in particular we have both a piano and flute at our disposal, along with the usual tambourines and percussion type instruments of toddlerdom).

[peekaboomummy]

There are often toddler group keyboard lessons :) they break it up into theory and learning rhythm dance etc :) then they move up to the next class which progressively gets more focused on piano etc :) my brother thought these were GREAT when he was little :) I'd start piano/ keyboard as young as 3 in a simple way :) flute I'd wait till mid to late primary school :) remember to keep it fun and the percussion buts can be a great help teaching timing etc too :)

[Leeee]

depending on the child (coordination, motivation, parental support.. although realistically at that age 10min practice 3 times a week is enough), piano can start from 4 or 5. i started at 7 but i was doing violin at 5.

i think most primary schools leave wind instruments until grade 4 but i really don't know anything about them.

if you wanted to start teaching rhythm and coordination you could start with the percussion instruments you've got. probably not a bad idea, actually. i still suck at rhythm and sight reading lol

[HarvestMoon]

I was looking into it a while ago and all the music school i looked at suggested waiting til children were older. I think only violin was offered from 5 years. Everything else they wanted the kids to be older.

I think you could probably come across a private piano/guitar teacher that would be willing to start at an earlier age. I know a couple of people that started guitar lessons at 4 years but that would have been a good 22 years ago.

[EvilWombatQueen]

In regards to the flute in particular, in my experience children start learning at around 9 or 10. Any younger and they'd have troubles with the lung power required and with reaching all the keys (there are special flute heads for younger learners, though). Most flautists I know started learning the recorder at 5 or so instead. That way they learn to read music, basic fingering of notes (flute and recorder are similar for some notes) and how to coordinate breath control with fingering positions. Learning an 'easy' instrument first puts them in good stead for learning other instruments later on.

(I learned recorder from 5 until 9 then flute from 10 until university.)

[NancyBlackett]

I started flute at 7 turning 8. I had to get special permission to join the school program a year early. I also had private lessons. However, I really wanted to learn - as opposed to it just being learning any instrument.

I started cello at 12 when I went to high school. Was much harder at that age ;)