Throughout my lifelong pursuit of musical excellence, I have dabbled in many instruments. My earliest musical experiences were on the recorder in grade school, along with choir classes. I was not in “band classes” as a kid, and would be considered a late starter in music by many standards, although my love for music began very early on. The first instrument I actually took it upon myself to learn was the guitar, and after many years of focusing solely on guitar, I began to branch out and learn many other instruments. Looking back, I can definitely say that I wish I would have had the desire to start my musical training on piano. There is a simplicity in the way that the piano is laid out that makes it incredibly easy to explore on, and to me, a big part of early growth in music relies on the freedom to explore. If you simply lay your hands on the keys of a piano, you are immediately making music. With some very basic direction, you can literally follow your ears, pressing different keys to hear what they have to say. Of course, learning complex songs takes hard work, motor skill development, and more, but simply making sounds on a piano or keyboard is as easy as can be. Music can often seem to many like an elusive art, made by masters and untouchable by others. But by simply pressing a key on the piano and hearing the hammer strike the string, releasing a glorious sound, you are instantly empowered. A light bulb goes off, “that was easy!” Try pushing two keys at once, one finger on each hand, and suddenly you are hearing the wondrous phenomenon of harmony! Okay – not everyone is so incredibly enthusiastic about music that they will feel anointed by fire by playing a single note, but the point is that it really is that easy to begin making music on a piano. That is why piano lessons for kids is such a good idea. With a single lesson, a child can easily play The Major Scale (Do, Re Mi), an building block essential to all music ever created. It is instantly familiar, and the barriers break down, the student suddenly has the sensation of playing music. Whether or not they will be “bitten by the bug” remains to be seen, but with the right instruction from a great musical mentor, a special relationship with music can be fostered in anyone. Originally published here: https://coolkidsgroove.com ...read more

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