As a piano teacher, I am often asked to teach children who are very young. It is not unusual for parents to feel that they must start as early as possible in order that their child gets a good head start. Sometimes very young children are able to learn to play but as a general rule, it is better to wait until children are at least 6 years old. It won’t do any harm at all to start a year or two after the child is ready but it can do much harm to start before they are ready. Children who start too young make slow progress and often get frustrated or bored. A pattern can settle in where the child feels pressured to do something they find too hard and they soon associated the piano with bad feelings. Children who start a little later immediately make great progress and like practicing because they get the reward of being able to easily play well. Continue reading “What is the best age to start piano lessons?”
Why should you learn to play the piano?
Playing music is fun. Anyone who likes listening to music can probably increase their enjoyment of it by having a go at playing it too. The satisfaction of being able to perform a piece of music and the great feeling of self-expression that goes with it cannot be over-stated. Continue reading “Why should you learn to play the piano?”
Lang Lang: “Parents should not be too pushy”
The Chinese superstar pianist Lang Lang is admired all over the world for his stunning virtuoso performances.
He is undoubtably one of the great talents of our generation, but his talent came at a great price. In this Telegraph article he tells how his demanding father almost pushed him to suicide. Continue reading “Lang Lang: “Parents should not be too pushy””