Piano Lessons For Kids | Answering The 5 Most Common Questions

1. How old does my child need to be to take piano lessons?

Generally speaking 5-7 years old is a great time to start taking piano lessons. It's good for them to know their ABC's before taking lessons because the notes of the piano are named after letters in the alphabet. You can read more about this Here. We've taught students as young as 4 years old but it's generally a better idea to have children four and younger take infant music classes.

2. Is my child gifted enough to take piano lessons?

The short answer is Yes! The desire to make music is something we're all born with- the same way that we're all born with a desire to eat food and to sleep. Everyone loves music and that means everyone has a musical gift. It doesn't matter what other interests your child has, they will almost always have a hidden gift for music that can be explored.

3. Are piano lessons a good investment in my child's future?

Piano lessons not only teach your child about the wonderful world of music, but they help your child to succeed in almost every other area of life. Even if they're not planning on becoming a concert pianist or a famous rock star, piano lessons will prove to be a great investment in their future. This Study by MIT shows how music lessons improve language skills in young children. And This Article by Psychology Today claims that "musical training before age 7 can benefit brain function for a lifespan." There are countless studies that show how music improves executive function, language development, critical thinking, and proficiency in mathematics.

4. Will my child enjoy piano lessons?

It depends on the school and the teacher they are learning from. At La Costa Music Academy it is one of our main goals to make music lessons fun! Many people who took piano lessons in childhood remember it the way they remember getting their first cavity filled. They recall torturously practicing scales and being forced to play 300 year old classical songs that they've never heard of. We make sure that lessons are fun while remaining challenging so that our students retain the information without the unnecessary pain.

5. How do I find the right piano teacher? 

Good piano teachers are hard to come by. You're going to want to look for someone who can teach them the full history of the piano, from Bach to Taylor Swift. A Good piano teacher will go beyond 'reading music' to help kids learn to play modern music as well. These are two very different approaches to teaching the piano and they are both equally important. Check out This Blog Post to read more about these two main styles of music.

Ready to take lessons?