Music lessons

[Red Pajama]

Is there an ideal age to start music lessons? I am considering starting drum lessons soon with my twins, and called the local music store. They have many private lesson students for a variety of instruments. He pretty much told me he didn't want to see them until they could read.

Is this typical?

[Harmony08]

I have no idea if it is typical but am interested to see what others have to say about it. It sure seems like some people start earlier than that. Maybe try a different school/teacher. Does Suzuki do drums???

[pianojazzgirl]

When I used to teach piano lessons I preferred teaching kids who were a bit older (6 or 7 and up), but that's because of the method that I used (which was easier to teach to kids who were reading).

Now dd who is 5 is taking Suzuki violin lessons. Her teacher begins teaching kids as young as 3 (in fact she gave one lesson to ds who was just 2). In the Suzuki method they start learning the music by ear, and only later learn to read music (the opposite of most teaching methods).

That said, I bet you'd be able to find a drum teacher who would teach by ear. Most drummers I know (and I know a lot - I'm a professional jazz musician) learned by ear and only learned to read later on. You might have to search around a bit to find someone that was into teaching younger kids. A lot of them are probably more used to teaching teenagers and adults.

[SunshineJ]

Unfortunately I think the attitude is common. I have a little guy who's BEGGING to learn to play the sax. A friend who is just amazing on the sax evaluated him and determined that he has the abilities to do so (there's a concern about being able to blow or something a certain way) but no one who gives lessons is even willing to see if he would be able to do it! Back where we used to live they wouldn't consider piano before age 6, up here it's 5, and there are also age restrictions on other instruments as well. However, I suspect that if you were to look, you may be able to find a private individual who would be willing to consider it.

[caiesmommy]

I work in a music school and drums is the earlist we accept lessons for. And we'll do it for 3 year olds. If they can sit the 1/2 hour lesson then bring them in.

Does your ds have a drum kit? If so I would explain that he has to sit through a whole lesson for x amount of time and try and train him to do that before he actually goes to lessons

[pianojazzgirl]

I wanted to add that I saw from your siggy that your boys are pretty much exactly the age my dd was when she started violin (she started right after her 5th b-day). My dd is not exactly the patient sit-still kind of kid, but she has done very well with violin. I think two factors that have really helped is that her teacher is experienced in teaching younger kids, and also that in the Suzuki method there is a large parental involvement.

I remember when I was still teaching someone asked me to teach his 3 yr old. I told him I didn't have any experience teaching a kid that young, but I would give it a try. I found it very difficult and I suggested that he needed to find a teacher who was a better fit. But I imagine the same girl would have done just fine with a Suzuki teacher. Keep searching until you find a teacher who is comfortable teaching younger kids (not just one who will grudgingly take a 5 yr old student).

SunshineJ - I don't think it's necessarily a "bad attitude" at play here, but more a lack of training on the part of the teachers. I know I was happy and willing to try teaching that 3 yr old girl, but I just didn't know how. Teaching a little kid is much different from teaching a school-aged kid, and takes a much different approach (depending on your methodology).

[SunshineJ]

Originally Posted by pianojazzgirl

I wanted to add that I saw from your siggy that your boys are pretty much exactly the age my dd was when she started violin (she started right after her 5th b-day). My dd is not exactly the patient sit-still kind of kid, but she has done very well with violin. I think two factors that have really helped is that her teacher is experienced in teaching younger kids, and also that in the Suzuki method there is a large parental involvement.

I remember when I was still teaching someone asked me to teach his 3 yr old. I told him I didn't have any experience teaching a kid that young, but I would give it a try. I found it very difficult and I suggested that he needed to find a teacher who was a better fit. But I imagine the same girl would have done just fine with a Suzuki teacher. Keep searching until you find a teacher who is comfortable teaching younger kids (not just one who will grudgingly take a 5 yr old student).

SunshineJ - I don't think it's necessarily a "bad attitude" at play here, but more a lack of training on the part of the teachers. I know I was happy and willing to try teaching that 3 yr old girl, but I just didn't know how. Teaching a little kid is much different from teaching a school-aged kid, and takes a much different approach (depending on your methodology).

I totally understand that and personally think it would be incredibly difficult to teach one that was preschool aged (not that it can't be done of course, just not by me! LOL!). My son is now 7 and we continue to be told he can't have lessons on sax until he's a teenager, but that he can start flute around 11. Which he has zero interest in of course! To be honest we can't foot the cost of a sax for another year or so anyway, so I've got time to look but it does get frustrating that no one will even check to see if he has the ability to do so, kwim?