Is 3 too early to start piano lessons? I'm trying to find an activity for my little boy. He's not really a 'physical activity' type of boy. He's more cerebral. He likes to write and count and listen to music. He likes to play the piano and mimics his mom by trying to play with both hands. He can already play by ear (with one finger of course). He even uses the black keys when he plays. I think he's got perfect pitch.

How do I go about finding a teacher for him? I've tried to find one online, but so far I can't find any close by that will teach someone his age. Where should I be looking? Or should I give up and just enroll him in soccer?

He sounds like a perfect student for Kindermusik or some other early childhood music program. Go to Kindermusik.com and you can find a teacher in your area.

I do think that for most teachers, 3 is too young simply because they are not developmentally at the point where they can do complex things with their fingers. Everyone is different however. Joining an early childhood music class will involve him in responding to music, singing, and dancing, as well as learning some musical terms and playing some percussion instruments. In later classes (ages 5-7) they learn to play the glockenspiel, recorder, and dulcimer, which will set him up nicely for private music study.

IMO, 3 is far too young to start traditional lessons. Let him be a child and play with his Duplos. But . . . play lots of good music in your home. That will get the ear prepared. And SING!

Ask other parents in your area about good music classes. When speaking to a potential new teacher, don't so much as even mention how talented your son is, because teachers hear it all the time and it's never true. Just ask some questions about the class, and if it sounds good and you like the teacher, then sign up. Many of the classes require you to attend and take the class along with your son, which is usually a good thing.

A 'music & movement' program is the best thing for this age. If you want a program that also includes piano/keyboard activities check out the following:


www.harmonyroadmusic.com
www.yamaha.com
www.myc.com

Another thing to consider is drum lessons.

Children his age can easily handle drum sticks, and a good teacher can teach him rhythms, tempo, and other things that are invaluable as a student of other musical instruments.

I have numerous students who have at some point added drum lessons, or started with them, and all are glad they did.

Having a home where the parents are singing all the time is probably better than many music lessons.

This is so true! No matter what you end up doing, Vivin, be sure that you sing to your child. Even if you're not a good singer, encourage them to sing with you. There's nothing as beautiful to a child than the sound of their mother's voice singing.

My mother is a terrible singer, and when I was quite small I asked her to stop.

When you were three? Back to the child factory with you! (j/k :P )

i may get strung up for suggesting this here, but also try CDs and DVDs (where you watch the musicians play their instruments...not necessarily kids' DVDs where there is some cartoon thing going on) of musicians playing many different instruments. And kid-appropriate concerts.

Introduce him to as wide a variety of instruments and good music as you can. It may be piano is his 'true love' or it might be something else he hasn't seen yet. String teachers start kids early

I think I was about six or seven.

In support of the Prodigal chappie from Phoenix ... with suggestions of a suitable CD for a 3-year old ... might I offer my Pied Piper CD ... as the small fry take in most adult bleat through THE EARS ... my modus operandi involves listening to

"Little Miss Muffet" ... 66 Songs, stories & Nursery Rhymes (12 Medleys)

Medley 1
Girls and Boys Come Out to Play
Ring Ring of Roses
Here We Go Around the Mulberry Bush

Medley 2
What Are Little Girls Made of
Mary Mary Quite Contrary
Lucy Lockett
Polly Put the Kettle on
Mary Had A Little Lamb
Little Bo Peep
Little Miss Muffet
Ride A Cock Horse

and 10 more Medleys.

With the aurally sharp brats (forgive me, I stand no nonsense!! ... I might like to think) the big idea is to get the little ones to find the melodies on the keyboard ... great fun!!

Three is not to young as long as he has a decent attention span, and can read single letters and numbers. I've had some great success with 3 year olds, but i've also had to turn them down because some just can't sit still for 5 minutes, and some didn't know their letter or numbers, which, granted, is relatively easy to teach, but the parents weren't really on board so by the next week they had forgotten everything due to lack of practice/help.

I've never dealt directly with Kinder Music, but i've had a few students who have come to me after participating in the Kinder Music program and, IMHO, it was *horrible*. What they were taught was all relative, using a lot of guess work and no *real* theory behind it... i had masters at one finger playing who guessed at notes and rythms until it sounded right, and hardly knew the names of their notes or symbols... It was really hard to UN teach them what they were taught.

Well, it does all depend on the teacher. However, Kindermusik is all about experiencing music - singing, dancing, listening. It is process oriented, and not performance oriented. It's not intense musical training, and so a teacher accepting a student from Kindermusik should expect to teach them just like a regular beginner. Hopefully their experiences in Kindermuisk would lead them to have a good sense of steady beat, high/low, long/short, fast/slow, etc. They play mainly percussion instruments, and in the later years do learn some recorder, glockenspiel, and dulcimer as I mentioned above.

Unless they go into the Young Child program (a 2 year program) then they wouldn't do any theory whatsoever except name a few terms (staccato and legato, for instance). So from your post, it's hard to say whether the teacher for your local Kindermusik program is sub-par, or if your expectations of a Kindermusik program is unfounded. You mentioned that you teach 3 year olds, so if you had 3 years olds from the Kindermusik program, then they would not be old enough yet to have participated any of the instruments or theory taught in the Young Child class, or the terms taught in the previous class (Imagine That! is the name).

the students i had from kinder music were 5 and 6... like i said, i don't know, i've never looked into the kinder music... but these kids, along with their parents, thought they were virtuosos because they knew "so much" and could play "so well"... I should probably look into the program they have here and find out more about it, so i have a better knowledge of the program, and find out who their teachers are.

There are so many enjoyable ways for a 3 year old to be enriched with music - many mentioned already.

Why does a parent think that piano specific education is important at this point?

The child mind and child size body does not fit to an acoustic piano and bench, hasn't anyone noticed. The principles of physics apply to playing of a piano and a very small child can not yet meet those demands.

Small children sitting at a piano are like a very short person 5 foot or less trying to drive one of those old Edsels' or the '57 Cadillac with tail find. If sitting in the drivers seat of a car you can't reach the pedal, can't hold your arms up onto the steering wheel, and can't see over the dash and out the window - is there a reasonable expectation about the outcome of any efforts today.

Let's do things in a time wise appropriate way.

A 9 year old is going to do so much better with the thinking, logic and spatial relationships and vocabulary of music. He's going to produce a better outcome at this age then anything possible at 3 years old - and you will be spending about the same amount of money, but now it's an investment, not a throwing away of money.

Let's for instance, allow the 3 year old to:
cut hair in the beauty salon,
climb a rock wall,
cross the street by himself,
cook Thanksgiving dinner,
use sharp scissors,
perform surgery,
be a Supreme Court Justice,
run for President,
play policeman and carry a loaded gun?

It doesn't compute, does it! Everything happens in an appropriate time wise and readiness manner and there are prerequisites and a long path toward musicianship.

Who knows what their parents were basing this off of. I think many parents like to think their child is talented just because they paid for a class and went through it. Many of the children I taught when I did Kindermusik did not practice regularly at home. The ones who did, of course, got the most out of the classes. Even considering if they did practice, I would not say that they would be able to play piano so well, as no piano is taught in Kindermusik unless that particular teacher decided to add that. If so, it sounds as though they probably shouldn't be adding it

Where I live the major benefits from a childrens' music program are; singing in tune, listening and copying, following a beat with the body (or part of), loving music, excited to take Real lessons.

These are great benefits, any theory/reading and writing i assume nothing but it's great if it they remember stuff, makes them feel clever

Parents coming in with stories of kindermusic success may be more a reflection of the parents' enthusiasm as others have said, but go with this enthusiasm - harness it and get parents involved in making music with the child (no bad thing).

Hey, what about the sound of their father's voice? :-) Seriously, my 2.5 year-old asks me to sing all the time--I love it. "Sing it Daddy, sing it!" Her latest is jingle bells: "... Oh what fun it is to ride on a one horse open leg. HEY!"

One more funny--Monday was her last day at daycare. One of the caregivers says she'll miss her singing--at naptime if she wasn't tired she would lie there and sing!

LOL Glen, so sorry! I also love the sound of may father's voice...he's a bass-baritone and has quite the instrument!

I know several pianists at Juilliard who started when they were three, so I guess it is possible - but I am not surprised the OP is having trouble finding the right teacher.

Have you considered something like Suzuki violin? It is very common to start preschoolers there, and teachers are trained to work with that age. (My daughter started at age 6 - definitely a late bloomer!) I do encourage you to consider how much time you are willing to help with practice and sit in on lessons, though, and only pursue it if you are willing to follow through.

:-)
It's funny she likes it when I sing. I can't sing! Before her, I was strictly a shower singer (and quietly at that!).

We haven't heard from the OP since she posted this. I do wonder what she thinks of some of the advice given here?

A great way to introduce your 3 year old to piano is through suzuki. Its especially designed for very young children.

thanks for all the replies. I'm still trying to figure out what to do. maybe violin isn't a bad idea, if it's easier to find a teacher.

I think he is ready for lessons because he already likes the piano, loves to listen to music, can concentrate very well, and can read and write very easily. He doesn't just bang on the piano. He plays actual melodies like 'Ode to Joy,' 'Happy Birthday,' etc.

I would never force him to do anything he didn't like. If I start him on lessons and he doesn't show an interest, I will absolutely take him out. We just want to keep him engaged and happy.

Liking the piano and being able to sit, focus and practice daily are different things. So much would depend on the teacher, as well.