Children can start at four. A lesson for a child is the same as for an adult: private, half an hour, once a week, on the child's own instrument.
The best age to start
Four is the youngest Bill takes, but there is no deadline. What matters more than the birthday is whether a child can follow a short instruction and wants to make the sound. A seven-year-old who asks to play will usually move faster than a four-year-old who was signed up.
Which instrument first
Piano is often the easiest start for the very young. Pressing a key gives a clean note straight away, nothing has to be tuned or held down, and the pattern of two and three black keys makes it easy to find where you are, which later makes reading music easier.
Ukulele has four soft nylon strings, a short neck and very little string tension. Several first chords need just one or two fingers, so a young child can strum a simple song early on.
Guitar suits a child once a guitar of the right size is in hand. Small guitars strung with nylon are kinder to young fingertips than steel strings.
A child who starts on one can move on to bass, keyboards, mandolin or banjo with the same teacher later.
Guitar size
Children's guitars come in quarter, half and three-quarter sizes before full size. Age is only a rough guide (roughly 4–6, 6–8 and 8–11, then full size from about 12); height and arm length decide it. The guide to guitar sizes for children has the measurements and a fit check you can do at home, and the easiest way is to bring the child to the free intro visit before buying anything.
How parents can help
- Keep the instrument out of its case and within reach. A guitar on a stand gets picked up; one in a closet doesn't.
- Aim for a few minutes most days rather than one long session at the weekend.
- Ask at the end of the lesson what to work on, so you can nudge during the week.
- Bring the instrument to every lesson, tuned if you can (a clip-on tuner costs very little).
Questions
Is ukulele or piano better for a young child?
Both work. Ukulele is portable and quick to get a song out of; piano gives a clearer picture of how music is laid out. If the family already owns one of them, start with that.
Do children need to read music first?
No. Reading is taught along the way, a little at a time.
