Piano education

A good rule of thumb is start lessons when the child is reading, so they can start to read music. That may be at age 3 or age 7! They are able to read instructions and the words in their books. Their eyes are trained to look left to right as we read music. If you are a Suzuki proponent this would be different, but for myself and for my students, this has worked well. 

It depends on the receptiveness, maturity, and readiness of the child.  Are they excited and eager and is that drive coming from the kiddo vs the parent?  Do they anticipate having fun?  A ready to learn child can learn to read music before they can read words.

However, prior to about age 9 is a must or else the "hard wired" notes on the page direct to fingers likely won't happen.  Just like learning any language, there's an age point at which learning to read and play music becomes more academic and less innate and natural.

My experience has shown between the ages of 6-7 works best. While some younger children can have ear training most are not reading well enough yet. 10 of course is never to let to start but hopefully will be motivated to put in the time.

I agree with Rada. Starting music training at the same time as school in general or a year earlier works well. Music training helps to develop good lifelong study habits. Performing lays a great foundation for learning how to conquer fear and for future public speaking generally. And piano playing lights up the entire brain; thus, helping with the physical brain development. There is no downside to starting earlier rather than later. How long kids continue is very much dependent on their level of talent, inclination and home environment.

I had a friend who started lessons at 3 years of age. She had perfect pitch and could play any tune by ear in addition to all the classical repertoire. Such skills are rare from where I am from, so I am currently experimenting on my own kid who is now 4 years old. 

At 3 years old, most kids are not able to read yet, so the traditional syllabus requiring note reading is not suitable. Other early kid's music education programs are centered around singing, dancing, and playing with percussive instruments rather than at the piano. Which is very good in its own right. 

I did look around for a suitable piano course for young kids and the best one I came across is practically unknown where I come from. I like it so much I'd like to share it here. 

Piano Bob by Jacab Koller

https://jacobspianoclub.podia.com/

The biggest reason why I like this course so much is because it is FUN. I believe that building interest is key to a lifelong enjoyment at the piano.

Each lesson in the books have 3 videos, a lesson video, a play along video and a piano duet video. The songs in each lesson are extremely catchy. Also, each lesson is a duet, requiring the teacher to play along. The duets however stand out when compared to the ones found in other beginner books as they are expertly arranged. They each come with chord symbols and are harmonized to a professional level. It is encouraged that the teacher improvises for the duets. A lot of the duets are written in swing time, so it can be tricky, but fun.

The lessons introduce many concepts not typically covered in traditional classical piano lessons. Concepts such as question and answers (call and response), transposition of tunes, chord progressions, improvisation, lead sheets and more.

When the child can read and has enough fine motor skills. That could be anywhere between 5 ~ 7.  But I have seen an 8 yo who was not ready for the lesson and a 5 yo who was ready.  Also, the parent's involvement is crucial.   

My child, Yohan, embarked on their musical journey at the tender age of 3.5, initially delving into the world of music through the keyboard. By the time Yohan turned 4, we upgraded to a digital piano, marking a significant milestone in their musical growth. Notably, at the age of 4, Yohan accomplished the remarkable feat of mastering the complete version of Fur Elise, playing it with grace and skill. However, it was his performances of Chopin's waltzes at the age of 6 that truly stood out, as he played these waltzes with an exceptional level of expressiveness and emotional depth.

You can witness Yohan's impressive and emotionally charged musical progression, especially in their renditions of Chopin's waltzes, by visiting their YouTube channel at www.Youtube.com/YohanG.

During the early stages of Yohan's musical education, my role as their father extended to that of a teacher, allowing us to spend quality time nurturing their musical talents. Given their young age and our unique circumstances, we chose an organic approach to learning, which primarily involved playing by ear. This method fostered a deep connection between Yohan and the instrument, laying a solid foundation for their musical journey.

Formal lessons with a teacher may pose challenges when introduced before the age of 5 or 6, as young children may not be fully receptive to structured instruction. During this early stage, parents often serve as the most effective guides in nurturing their child's musical development. It's essential that the child perceives these initial experiences as playful and enjoyable rather than overly academic or demanding.

I have been teaching for about 15 years. I have had one precocious 3 year old... A friend's daughter, who I started with to see how I did with young children. She was amazing! But once I stopped my free teaching, mom put her in dance and cheer.  My usual recommendation is 5-6, but I always do an assessment - and I have started becoming brutally honest with parents. I recently had a former colleague from the HS bring his daughter who is in kinder, but she couldn't sit for 10 minutes. I suggested he bring her back in a year.   

I find 6 seems to be optimal, but it varies! By 10, I have students playing mid-late intermediate repertoire if they start at 6ish. Of course there are a lot of factors in play too - parent support is huge when a child is young, short, frequent practice sessions for the young children is critical... 

I started when I was 5, stopped at 6. Started again at 10 with the local church pianist, went to a formal music school in my home town. NEVER was taught theory, barely touched scales... Hanon was technique.  Stopped playing at 18... when I joined the Navy. Went to university at 33... and relearned... I am now 52 and still study with a PhD. 

I learned through my experience, that had I been exposed to theory and technique and solid sight reading strategies, I would have been at a whole different level than feeling as if I were always catching up... SO, I embed that in my lessons... So, my lessons are much more "cerebral" than a lot of storefront lessons. I have inherited students from other studios who have had lessons for a year or more, and still can't read. Don't even know what the note sub divisions are called... or what dynamic markings are called... The went to lessons, and might have some skills... but I question the seriousness of the teacher or if the teacher was just out to make a buck.

I digress...  Young children really do have the ability to see patterns, understand music more than we give them credit for... and really dig in... Here is a video of one of my 10 year olds. She has been with me for about 4 years. I teach her older brother (playing Kabalevsky Sonatina in C Major, Joplin Peacherine Rag, Schubert Waltz in D Major (don't quote me on that key... it's early) and her 7 year old sister... (Yes, I had permission to video and post this)... She can understand chromaticism, pick out keys, analyze roman numerals... THINGS I NEVER knew til university at 33.... and she plays scales better than I ever have. 

Anyway... I love teaching beginners- :-) I suppose it depends also on the teacher too... I take teaching piano as a wholistic journey.

I would say it all depends on what you would consider piano/music education, what your expectations are and what you as an educator think/feel is the goal of teaching music to children (or anybody really). Every child is so different and their development varies so much during their firsts years of life. If you start by singing, chanting and moving from the moment they are born (ideal situation) the child will probably be ready for formal education and with more understanding, sooner than another child who wasn’t exposed to music at all, or had very limited exposure. My opinion is, start as soon as you can but guide and teach according to each child’s needs.