5 reason why you should start piano lessons young
As a mom, you’re always looking for ways to enrich your child’s development and give them extra advantages when it comes to academics, the arts and more. One easy way of doing this is by having your little one start piano lessons young. Learning how to play an instrument usually requires dedication, patience and hard work from any age group, but starting early gives kids a head start that can lay down excellent foundations for future growth. Here are five reasons why introducing your kid to piano lessons will bring about a world of benefit:
Developing fine motor skills - playing the piano requires coordination and practice in order to properly play the instrument
Playing the piano can be an incredibly satisfying musical experience. It takes strength and agility in your hands, wrists, and fingers to sufficiently play the instrument. Furthermore, developing fine motor skills is crucial to learning how to play the piano correctly. These involve the movements used by small muscles groups of the hands and fingers in order to position them in unison with one another on certain notes or chords. For example, playing sophisticated pieces such as a Chopin Etude requires significant practice in order to perfect combining these two unique motions into harmony. Consequently, dedicated practice over an extended period of time is necessary if one wants to gain proficiency on the keys of any piano!
Learning to read music - children who start piano lessons at a young age will have an easier time understanding how to read and write music notes
Young children are natural learners, and with piano lessons they can quickly absorb the fundamentals of reading music. Early exposure to notation helps them to develop the skills needed to comprehend how notes link together in music. With practice, children who learn to read music at an early age can confidently identify pitch, tempo, harmonic and melodic patterns, and other important components of written music. This knowledge and these skills can be transferable as young musician’s progress from beginner level pieces all the way through advanced solo performances. In other words, starting a child on the path of learning to read music will lay a strong foundation for success in all their musical endeavors.
Improving creativity - playing the piano can spark creativity in all kinds of ways, allowing children to come up with new ideas while they learn
Learning the piano is an excellent way to nurture creativity in children. As they explore the keys and gain proficiency, their ability to think outside of the box also grows. While playing and learning pieces, a sense of exploration can occur, leading to unique perspectives on music composition. This can later influence their thoughts and ideas in other areas beyond music as well. Most importantly, learning to play the piano encourages creative risk-taking where children may try something different each time with increased confidence until it clicks. And when it does, the spark of delight will further light a flame within them that stokes future creative pursuits.
Expanding language skills - learning a new instrument expands language skills, as it requires reading music notes written in another language
Learning a new instrument can provide rewarding benefits to language skills, as it not only encourages understanding of the language alphabet associated with the instrument, but also requires understanding of music notation. Spending time in such an activity could have important linguistic impacts, as those who learn to read and play music gain access to a completely different form of written language. This 'other' language is amassed in sheet music and consists of musical elements such as articulation and dynamics that tell musicians which pitches, rhythms, patterns and tones they should play or sing. Thus, musicians had to master a unique 12-note musical alphabet comprised of sharps, flats, staccato notes, crescendos and more - terms that are possibly unfamiliar until practiced by reading and playing alongside the sheet music. As such, learning an instrument can be regarded as taking command over a second language!
Increasing self-confidence - with daily practice, children can become more confident and proud of their achievements when they see themselves improving every day
daily practice can be an effective way for children to increase their self-confidence. Setting up manageable, measurable goals and practising them on a regular basis gives children a tangible sense of achievement when they can do those tasks more competently each day. To provide further motivation, it is also helpful to acknowledge even the smallest successes in achieving a goal or task along the way. With each consistent step taken in order to practice and improve, children will gain confidence knowing that they are able to accomplish what they set out to do. A heightened pride in their achievements is therefore assured with daily practice.
All in all, playing piano is a great way for children to cultivate lifelong skills and develop their character. This magical instrument can nurture their fine motor skills, promote their creativity, help them learn how to read music, stimulate language growth and boosting self-confidence. With regular practice and the right guidance from knowledgeable experts or teachers, the possibilities are limitless! Who knows? Perhaps one day they will become the greatest musical genius of our times!