Music classes for 4 and 5 year old children: initiation or instrument?
Between 4 and 5 years old many children move from musical initiation to an first instrument. We tell you how to figure out if and how your child's ready.
At age 4 and 5, there are two equally valid ways: to continue with musical initiation or to start a first instrument, usually piano or violin, with short and very playful classes. Age does not decide by itself and they decide concrete signs: that it can concentrate a few minutes on a guided activity, that moves his fingers with some independence and that interest in the instrument come from him and remains with him and his time.
Many children combine both: they continue to play with rhythm, singing and movement and at the same time have their first contacts with a keyboard or a small violin.
To sum up
- At age 4 and 5 you can continue at a musical initiation or start an instrument; nothing's "better" by itself.
- Piano and violin are the first most common instruments at this age and with its fractional sizes.
- The sign of preparation are a few minutes' guided care, independent fingers, tolerance to repeat and sustained interest.
- A class of instrument at this age lasts from 30 to 45 minutes and technical blend with play.
- The practice at home is about 5 to 10 minutes, most often with an adult next door.
What changes between 3 and 5
Between 3 and 5 years old the leap is great. A 5-year-old can often follow two or three step instructions, hold his or her pulse with his or her palms and concentrate a while on a focused activity. He or she also starts to enjoy "do good": repeat something till he or she goes out and show it with pride.
That's how class changes. Music initiation The first symbols (rhythmic figures with colors, cards, syllables as "ta" and "ti-ti" to count) appear, the songs become longer and the child can already play simple patterns on a xylophone or a keyboard. It's an ideal ground to decide if an instrument's time comes.
Three possible ways at this age
| Camino | To whom | What's class? |
|---|---|---|
| To continue with musical initiation | Children who enjoy the play and still have no interest in a particular instrument. | The song, movement, percussion and first musical symbols with more structure than at 3. |
| Initiation with an enabling instrument | curious children who want to play "something true," but they still don't choose one. | Musical games plus a while of keyboard, xylophone or metallophone to play short melodies. |
| First instrument with a playful approach | Children who have been applying for piano or violin for months and have shown several signs of preparation. | Posture, first sounds and short songs by imitation, interspersed with rhythm games. |
None of the three are backlogs and advanced. A child who remains at initiation up to 6 years old doesn't lose anything: his or her best-hearing and better-pulse instrument.
Signs that it's ready for an instrument
More than asking if she's old, watch your child in daily situations. These "home tests" give you useful clues:
- Guided care: Can you put up a puzzle or follow a simple table game with you for 10 minutes without getting up?
- Independent Fingers: Can you touch each finger with your thumb, one by one, or put up a finger without them moving?
- Press: Do you go or clap at the rhythm of a known song without going ahead all the time?
- Repetition: Do you agree to try something several times to get it better, or leave the first mistake?
- Your own interest: have you been applying for an instrument for months, or have you been using toys or have you been looking at them?
If you see three or four of these signs, it's worth trying. If the interest in an instrument comes more from you than from it, or if it's frustrated a lot every time something doesn't come out, perhaps it's best to wait a few more months at initiation. Teacher can also give you his reading after one or two classes.
Piano or violin: how to start at age 4 or 5
Piano
It's a very good instrument to start with: each key sounds as you press and the child sees where each note is. At first [piano] classes](/clases/piano) The posture at the bench (with a support so that his feet aren't hung), his rounded hand "as if with a bubble inside," two and three black key groups as a keyboard map and few note songs, often learned by imitation.
At home, a keyboard or a digital piano with full-size keys are necessary. It doesn't have to be the best in the market, but it does have to be one with a finger that can be supported and sound controlled.
Violin
The [violin]](/clases/violin) The first months are about posture, with an arc and with an amusing rhythm and with an intermittent sound and with an intermittent with his or her fingers and his or her face and his or her face and his or her face and his or her face and his face and his or her face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face and his face.
The teacher measures the child to recommend size. To buy a bigger "to last" is one of the most common mistakes and makes it very difficult to play well and this guide to choose first violin and its size explain how to get it right.
What about other tools?
The percussion can start at about 5 with tools to suit them. The guitar and sweet flute usually wait a little longer, up to 6 years, and the winds as the saxophone or trumpet, until there are final teeth and more air capacity.
What an instrument at this age is
A first instrument class for a child 4 or 5 years lasts 30 to 45 minutes and rarely goes more than 10 minutes straight into an instrument. It's usually an alternation:
- A while of instrument: posture, a new sound, a short song.
- A rhythm game far from instrument: palms, cards, walk the pulse.
- Back to the instrument to apply what was played.
- A song or a final challenge that the child can show at home.
A great deal of imitation is learned: the teacher plays and the child repeats. The formal reading of scores goes forward and at this age, when it appears, it's with great notes, colors and drawings.
The practice at home: short, daily and with game
At this age the adult is, in practice, the "teacher of the week." Do not have to know music but be present. Some ideas that work:
- From 5 to 10 minutes about every day, better than half an hour on Saturday.
- Always at the same time, for example after the ounce.
- A given of tasks: each number is an activity of the class (a song, an arch exercise, a rhythm play).
- To end up while she's still up for it, but she's been tired.
- To ask the teacher to leave his homework in writing or in a short audio to figure out what to do.
If you notice that practice becomes a fight, check these ideas to [motivate your child to practice]](/blog/como-motivar-a-tu-hijo-a-practicar-su-instrumento).
Frequently asked questions
Is it best to start with piano or violin at age 5?
It depends more on the child than on the instrument. The piano gives visible results quickly and does not have to be refined. The violin wants more patience with the sound but it's portable and adapts to the child's size. If your child wants one of the two with insistence, that's usually the best lead.
Can a 5-year-old get a guitar start?
Some can, with a small guitar and nylon strings, but many have a hard time pressuring their strings and matching them with so small hands. It's usually about 6 or 7 years old, while musical initiation or piano have been preparing the way very well.
Do I have to buy a piano to start class?
You need an instrument at home to practice, but you don't have to have an acoustic piano. A digital piano or keyboard with full-size keys is enough to start with. Check with the teacher before buying.
What if an instrument starts and doesn't suit him?
That's okay: you can come back a few months to a musical initiation or try another instrument. What you have learned from rhythm, ear and posture isn't lost. The important thing is that an attempt doesn't become an experience of failure.