The short answer… if they are six or older, they’re probably ready to rock!
The long answer…
Having taught hundreds of guitar students over the past twelve years, one thing has been abundantly clear. All students are individuals and learn at different speeds and in different ways. Nonetheless, experience has shown that for most students, starting guitar lessons below the age of six is an extremely difficult task.
Whilst various approaches such as the Suzuki method have been devised to successfully work with younger students by focusing on an aural approach which teaches music as language, it would be remiss as an educator to deny the complexity of learning an instrument. More than the academic challenges, such as learning to read and write music, it is the physicality and manual dexterity required which pose the biggest challenge to most young learners. Indeed, guitar can be particularly troublesome as the musician must perfectly coordinate both hands to produce a single note, and let’s not get started on chords!
The dangers of starting guitar lessons too young
Of course, as much as is possible, an experienced guitar teacher will structure lessons which work around the limitations a young student may exhibit. Nonetheless, progress is likely to be slow and as such, only extremely experienced and energetic tutors will be able to keep lessons interesting and varied.
Whilst we would love our children to become the next Mozart, for most, starting guitar lessons below the age of six or seven is unlikely to yield tangible benefits. In fact, it may even prove a negative experience for the child if s/he learns to associate guitar and music in general with an unenjoyable and insurmountable task. Many of the greatest guitarist didn’t start until their teen years whilst musicians who have found their instrument below the age of six or seven are extremely rare.
In my experience, it is much better to start a little later and really hit the ground running. This will likely result in much faster progress, a confident, happy child and a lot of money saved on lessons!
My child is under six. How can we introduce him or her to music now?
If your child is under six, it doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy music lessons and start developing now. Younger students will still greatly benefit from exposure to music. There are a lot of classes available for all age ranges. Generally, I would recommend something which involves singing, percussion and movement. For students who are a little older, piano is also a good option as though it is a difficult instrument to master, the larger movement and ability to produce a note with a single finger means a far lower barrier to entry than many other instruments. Piano is also perhaps the best instrument to develop an understanding of harmony and music theory, laying a strong foundation for any musical pursuits that follow.
If you’d like to sign up for music lessons with us, please get in touch and we’d be happy to discuss the different options with you further and help you decide when would be the best time for your child to start lessons.
We’d love to hear what you think in the comments
How old was your child when s/he started lessons?
Do you think that was the right age for them?