If you’ve wondered why to begin piano before another instrument, than this blog post will break down the reasons why it’s a great instrument to start on. Your child may have said they want to learn drums, guitar, or another instrument, and if so, then do that! But, I still have my reasons for thinking kids should learn piano first (and you can hear more about it in podcast episode 3, especially if they’re unsure what instrument they’re interested in.
It’s Makes a Sound Right Away
The piano is the easiest instrument to get started on, because you push a key down and it makes a sound. Of course, it can still sound bad if your child bangs on it or if certain notes are played together at the same time, but it doesn’t squeak or buzz when you blow into it like horn and woodwind instruments. Also, you don’t have to learn how to press down the strings correctly like on a guitar or how to use a bow like on the violin. You simply press on a key and the sound comes out right away!
It’s also an instrument where kids use all 10 fingers and most of the time during every song. Talk about building up the hand strength. Kids are learning finger control and brain/ finger connection each time they sit down to practice
It Encompasses High and Low Sounds
The piano is laid out in a linear way and kids are able to visually see how the notes that go up are higher sounding and the notes that go down are lower sounding. This is so helpful for kids to be able to associate what they’re hearing with what they’re seeing as well.
The piano also encompasses all of the instrument sounds. I’m not just talking about a keyboard where you can push a certain sound like the trumpet or the whole brass section, although that’s definitely useful. But if your child is writing music for example (or will be one day), they can play out an instrument part on the piano to hear how it will sound, whether writing for a low or high sounding instrument.
They’ll Be Glad They Learned It Later On
If your child is a singer, being able to use the piano to sing along to is invaluable. They also may want to be a choir director one day, and will be so glad they learned piano when they were a child. There are so many choir teachers who now wish they had learned piano along the way.
It makes learning another instrument so much easier. I’ve learned clarinet and guitar after beginning in piano first, and can tell you this is the truth. In college, I also learned all the different instruments in each family while completing my music education degree, and having learned piano first, I was able to easily transfer the skills of musical theory to those instruments.
Kids Can Get Instant Gratification
Kids, especially this generation, love instant gratification. It gives immediate gratification and kids can feel successful while learning the very beginning simple songs right away. Of course there are things to practice like curving fingers, pressing the keys correctly, and proper technique, but just knowing they can easily push down a note and the sound comes out is exciting and will want to make them continue.
They’re Learning Both Clefs
While kids are learning to play right and left hands together at the piano, they’re also learning how to read the treble and bass clefs. At almost every other instrument, kids are learning just one clef at a time. So, if a child starts at the piano first, they’ll easily be able to read the music of the bass or treble clef without a problem.
Then, if a child goes on to learn a band or orchestra instrument, they’ll already know how to read the music of the clef they’re using. I remember in band seeing the tuba players (for example) try to read my clarinet treble clef music and it looked like a foreign language to them because they had only learned to read bass clef.
Music Theory For the Win
Learning how to play dynamics, tempo, note names, and everything else musical theory encompasses is so much easier to learn on the piano. Since kids are using both hands, reading both clefs, and doing music theory right along with their practice sessions each week, they’ll learn so much about not only playing piano, but about being a better musician.
If your child continues on to band, orchestra, or choir one day, they will be light years ahead of their peers because of all the years they’ve poured into learning music theory.
Have you wanted your child to learn piano, but just haven’t started for whatever reason?
If you’ve been noticing your child is ready to start learning to play piano, then I would love for you to check out my online piano lessons.
