What Is The Right Time To Start?
We get asked this question all of the time by many parents and unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. There is no clear-cut formula. The reason being is that everyone's tastes are different and change. This is very dependent on your child and his/her personality and interests.
If your child is showing interest in the violin (or in playing any instrument) and has some patience and even a bit of an attention span, age 3 would be the earliest you might start introducing the instrument. At age 3, simple musical concepts and rhythms can be taught and learned quickly. We recommended that you find an instructor who is very experienced with this age group and won’t expect your child to sit for long periods of time, which will produce a negative experience.
Older Age Groups
Ages 4 and 5 are better options for most kids to actually start playing the violin. School orchestra often begins in 4th grade so this would give your child a few years of initial learning and practice before joining in with other classmates and instruments. But again, this is very dependent on your child’s personality and interests.
No matter the age your child starts experimenting with the violin, be sure to start introducing the joy and love of music throughout his/her young life! In order to properly do this, we highly recommended frequent exposure. You can achieve this by playing music in your home, talking to your child about what they are hearing, and even by putting on some of their favorite songs on repeat so they can learn melodies and lyrics.
What Some Other Ways?
There are many other ways to inspire the gift and joys of music to your child. Other alternatives to this can come in the form of general music and dancing classes are available in most places and even the local library can be a great resource where songs and movement are utilized to teach stories and reading.
When they are old enough, look up free concerts in your area and start introducing them to the excitement of seeing music played live. Attempt to sit close enough so they can see the instruments being plucked and bowed. These actions on your part will help lay a foundation of musical love and appreciation, making those initial steps of music education much more desirable and understandable for your little student in the future.