How long will it take my child to learn the piano?
Recently I had a family visit our studio for a trial piano lesson. The trial went well; Mia played through several finger number pieces with ease; she even learned to play Mary Had a Little Lamb. At the end of the trial, Mia’s parents asked several questions about our program, including one of the most common questions many parents have. How long will it take to learn the piano?
Now this question is not so easy to answer. Many piano teachers will quickly point out that learning the piano takes years (10 to 15 years). However, is this really the answer to this question?
When Mia’s parents arrived at her first piano lesson they were not thinking about Mia receiving a bachelor of music or even completing her AMUSA. Mia’s parents wanted to know how long Mia would take to learn to play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Being six, I estimated that Mia would take about 12 lessons if she practised regularly.
As a parent, your goals or your child’s goals for learning the piano will, most likely, be different from Mia’s. When we take away the non-measurable aspects of learning the piano, such as developing a love of music or finding a fun activity for your child, having a specific, measurable goal keeps all parties focused. Your goal may be as simple as your five-year-old learning to read simple music and being able to play Old MacDonald. It could be that you would like your child to be able to have the skills they need to play in a band or an orchestra. It could also be that you would like your child to complete all of the AMEB grades. Each of these goals will take different lengths of time. Some may require mini-goals to keep your child focused.
The key here is to think about what you want your child to achieve before starting piano lessons and communicating this information to the teacher. Doing this in your child’s first lesson allows the teacher to create a specific learning plan for your child. It also provides a way to measure your child’s progress and keep them motivated when practising. Once your child has achieved this, you can reassess to see if they would like to continue their piano journey and set new goals.
Are you looking for piano lessons for your child? Do you have a clear goal in mind, or would you like us to help your child discover the joy of learning to play some of their favourite songs? Fill in the contact form below, and one of our team will contact you to set up a complimentary first piano lesson.