Here in Miami, many new students who sign up want beginner piano lessons for kids. This can be a very valuable addition to any child’s life. Taking music lessons at a young age gives students many opportunities to succeed in music and really take part in something beautiful and expressive. Here are a few tips on teaching the young ones how to play piano.
Why Start Young?
Young children have an amazing ability to pick up on new things very fast! Their brains are developing at the fastest speeds of their life and their ability to learn new things is at an all time high. You want to teach children how to speak multiple languages at a young age because they learn and retain so quickly, and the same could definitely be said for music. I have some students that took an hour to learn a technique that took me almost a month to get down when I started at 13. 
It is also a great idea to start kids on music lessons because it is something that can be a part of them their entire lives. Many people struggle with the fact that they don’t have a specific hobby or activity that they are very good at or enjoy. Music may be the activity that will stick with them their whole lives and keep them working towards a goal.
What To Expect
Parents often want to know what to expect from beginner piano lessons for kids. Kids will begin with the basics: how to sit at a piano, how to hold their fingers against they keys, how to find “C”, finger numbers, etc. Once these basics are established, we love to get the kids playing as soon as possible! Teachers will often use method book that teach theory to kids, while still having them play examples and basic pieces of music. Students will learn very early on the importance of practicing.
Practicing
We absolutely love it when we see young kids who are practicing. When we teach beginner piano lessons for kids, we are always encouraging them to practice by themselves at home. By keeping a consistent practice schedule, students can learn more, progress faster, and develop great technique that will stick with them their whole lives.
How Long To Practice
Sometimes, it is difficult for young children to practice for a long time. It is much better for kids to practice for a short period of time every day. Consistency is key. It is better for them to practice for 15 minutes a day every day than an hour twice a week. The best way to keep a consistent practice schedule is to set a certain time for practicing every day and work it into the student’s schedule.
Practicing Correctly
The more a kid spends practicing the piano, the better! However, it is very important that the child is practicing correctly. It is very easy for young kids to practice with poor technique, and it is extremely difficult to change that technique later on. Slow and steady always wins the race. Kids often want to play things fast, but this causes them to lose focus on their technique, which is actually the most important thing that they are developing.
Parent’s Role
Parents can really do a lot in helping along the progress of their child’s piano lessons. The most important thing is communicating with the student’s teacher. The teacher knows what they want the student to practice, and if it is properly communicated to the parent, the parent can help the student when the teacher isn’t around. This is especially true for beginner piano lessons for kids. The parent can help set a practice schedule, and make sure the student is practicing with proper technique as the teacher advised.
Conclusion
Beginner piano lessons for kids is a wonderful way to get your student started on their musical journey. We love seeing our little ones discover music!
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