The “Right” Age to Start Music Lessons

Whether you’re a parent of a child thinking about music lessons near you, or you’re later in life wondering if it’s too late to start, the same question comes up - “when is the right time to start?”

The answer, of course, depends. While it’s never “too late” to start, there are certain things to keep in mind regarding the type of music lessons you’re thinking about when it comes to younger children.

Here is a short guide from Expressions Music Academy on choosing the right age to start music lessons in your area. Remember that these are general guidelines - not hard and fast rules. The right age to start differs for each individual person.

It’s Never Too Early for the Basics

We call music the universal language, and like any other language, the earlier you start, the easier it will be to retain that information.

Learning to read music, identify notes and rhythms, and general musical expression is the focus of our introductory early childhood music classes, which bring a fun and active experience for children to build a strong musical foundation from as early as 3 years old.

The lessons learned in these early childhood music classes will help immensely if they move into more focused vocal lessons, piano lessons, or string and wind instrument lessons. The value of understanding the basics of music before starting on an instrument cannot be overstated - it’s an incredible jump-start on getting comfortable with any future music lessons!

What is the Right Age to Start Instrumental Lessons?

While you can’t really start introductory music lessons too early, you CAN start instrumental music lessons too early.

The reasons for this are more physical than anything. You can’t expect a toddler to hold a cello, and most 4-year-olds don’t have the lung support or hand strength to play an oboe yet. Because of this, some music lessons for children are more appropriate at earlier ages than others.

Beginner Instrument Lessons for Kids

Piano lessons for kids can start around the age of five or six, because the keys of a piano are simple to operate. Starting earlier than that can be more difficult as hand size and dexterity may be an impediment to learning well.

Drum lessons are also good for first instrument lessons because they are easier (and fun!) for kids to understand and play.

Voice and singing lessons are also a great starting point that don’t require children to hold or manipulate anything except their own voice. Singing will be included as part of our early childhood music classes. The most important thing at this early age is to not restrict the kids, but to encourage and nurture their natural curiosity and allow them to express themselves with their creativity and imagination!

Musical Instrument Lessons to Start Later

String and wind instruments are a bit trickier, as the right age to start can vary by instrument. 

Violin lessons can begin as early as 4 or 5, but 6 is generally a good target age if you’re looking for the absolute earliest starting point. Violins can scale down easily for smaller hands without changing the fundamental skills too much.

For wind instrument lessons, there are more things to consider. Flute and clarinet are more difficult instruments to learn, they require more lung capacity and consistent air support. There are potential physical limitations to consider for wind and brass instruments, like fingers needing to be big enough to cover tone holes, or arms being long enough for a trombone slide.

The right age to start flute lessons or clarinet lessons, in addition to other wind and brass instruments, is usually no earlier than 8-10 years old. This is a good age for guitar and ukulele lessons as well.

Contact Expressions Music Academy

At 10 years of age, most children are developed enough to begin just about any kind of music lessons, but as you can see, some music lessons can begin much earlier than that!

And of course, it’s never too late to start with music lessons either. So contact Expressions Music Academy today so we can help you take those first steps on your music journey!