When thinking about music instruction, one important consideration for the young student is: “What is the best age to begin piano lessons to be most successful?”

There are quite a few formal studies that could be compared, but the bottom line result is very similar: The younger, the better.

The recommendation offered by Dr. Robert A. Cutietta, Dean of the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, is that “musical experience at an early age is extremely important in a child’s developmental process. Like riding a bike or learning a language, these skills can be learned later in life, but they will never be ‘natural’ in the way that is so important for fluid musical performance.” https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/whats-the-right-age-to-begin-music-lessons

The Best Age to Begin: It Depends

The best age to begin piano lessons depends on the individual child. Short lessons could be given to a four-year-old before or after an older sibling’s lesson. The time would gradually increase, taking cues from how long the child stays focus on the tasks presented.

Piano Revolution for the Itty Bitty Student is designed for young students who are ages 4-5. However, in order to be most successful during the piano lesson, the child should be able to easily do the following:

• Sit attentively and follow directions for a short amount of time (one to two minutes). The length of the piano lesson will gradually increase over several months.

• Identify the right hand

• Understand the concepts of: before and after; up and down; to the right and to the left; next to (as in neighbor) and hop over; in front of; forward and backward

• Count to five easily and recognize the written numbers

• Easily recite at least the first seven letters of the alphabet

• Recognize letters A B C D E F G and a b c d e f g

There are benefits for a young student to begin piano lessons. By young, I mean four years old generally, but even students a few months younger will benefit. The first lessons are very short, less than a minute. Over time, the student gradually increases attention span and the ability to sit quietly and be engaged in the instruction. 

The introduction to the keyboard should be brief, fun, and include frequent praising. A reluctant three-year-old may desire to just watch a sibling or parent be taught the first lesson, so that he can see it would not be overwhelming.

This first lesson should be repeated for as many lessons as is needed until the student is very comfortable and confident. Keep doing the same lesson until the student is almost getting tired of it because he can do it so well – twice, four times, eight times – however many days it takes! The key is for the student to go at his/her individual pace and be successful (but not necessarily perfect) at the task for each lesson.

Watch the first lesson here

Check out Itty Bitty Lesson Book 1 for Sample Pages!

Itty Bitty Lesson Book 1 would be the first book to use for subsequent short lessons of less than just a few minutes. The lesson time gradually increases as the student’s attention span and capabilities increase. Four years is a great, even best, age to begin piano lessons!

Having said all that, let me continue next week about beginner lessons for the somewhat older student.

Why I Created Piano Revolution

Teaching Beginners to Read Music

Personal Reflection by Leslie M. Young, author of Piano Revolution
Leveled Piano Instruction Books in Four Series

Why It Matters

The writing and proving of the Piano Revolution books has been a decades-long journey for me. The longer I used the method as a teacher, the more frequently I saw the lasting benefits for students of various ages. This approach truly teaches learners—proven with ages 5 to 65—how to actually read and play written music from the very first lesson. It’s not just about pressing keys. It’s about unlocking literacy in music and having independence.

Backstory: The Power of Instructional Design

In 1982 I observed a course at the University of North Texas that was about how Instructional Design principles can be used to teach anyone anything in a way that should practically guarantee successful learning. That one experience reshaped how I thought about teaching. It showed me that learning doesn’t have to be rote copying tied to hand positions and finger numbers—it can be logical, clear, and empowering. That’s exactly how Piano Revolution is structured – now.

I realized in the 1980s that just marking out most of the printed finger numbers in songs would not solve the root problem. Those songs were purposefully written in “hand positions” so that only certain notes would be read and certain piano keys played. A student has 10 fingers. A piano has 88 keys. Instant problem.

To alleviate this problem in the beginner’s first book, I searched for recognizable songs in the public domain that would fit my new “thinking process” strategy. This also meant new songs would have to be written to provide enough sequential progress for the student. There were years spent writing and rewriting.

Then something fantastic was created . . . the Internet! . . . and with it the capability for self-publishing books! New notation software – print on demand – no inventory – the book in your hand three days from ordering – amazing! This new “thinking process” method could be in the hands of teachers, students, and parents – all over the world.

The Thinking Process: Step-by-Step

The beginner learns each hand’s staff separately. This makes sense because each staff represents different portions of the piano keyboard—so that the lines and spaces of each staff have different letter names. After the spaces are gradually learned (and the location of their piano keys), the spaces are used to name and locate the line letter names and key locations, in a gradual and logical sequence.

This “thinking process” that the student acquires within a short time of repeated practice is exciting for a teacher to see in action and self-motivating for the students because they can self-correct any errors. I’ve had a student say, “I can figure this out myself, so why do I need a teacher?” That was very satisfying for me to hear!

Though the process can be used by anyone and everyone, the only real hindrances are a low level of maturity in young children and a lack of sufficient practice time for most everyone. To overcome these issues, an uninterrupted nearly-daily session of about 10 minutes of practice (that follows the guidelines) is all that is required for substantial and continued progression. Any parent knows that an immature child can use up 10 minutes making excuses not to be involved. Close personal supervision usually prevents wasted time for young students.

In some cases it takes a bit of time to discover that piano is not the instrument of choice. Some instruments use the same clefs as the piano, and if so, then the “thinking process” of Piano Revolution would be essential in learning to actually read the music for a different instrument. Greatest satisfaction results from learning to play the most preferred instrument, and that may take some time to determine since there are many choices.

The Method that Empowers Students to Teach Themselves

The evolution of structured teaching to read written music and perform it has spanned about 150 years. The Bertini Pianoforte Method of the 1880s was more like an encyclopedia of everything piano rather than a graduated method for beginners to learn to read and play – but it was a start. In the years after Bertini’s book appeared, other method books were published, including Beginners’ Book of the Oxford Piano Course in 1928 and John Thompson’s Modern Course for the Piano in 1942.

There are certainly more that followed, but modern piano method books seem to be organized in the same general way as that of the 1880s: Systematically gathering beginner concepts together, leading to more difficult, and then the even more difficult – this IS the methodology.

It would take a determined effort for a professional teacher to make a thorough comparison of the books available today. To break away from the popular methods that are generally accepted – and instead consider the logical benefits of Piano Revolution – this may seem revolutionary! A “thinking process” instead of rote-copy hand positions . . .

Piano Revolution gives students independence. It teaches them not just to play by rote-copying, but to understand. Not just to perform, but to logically think.

What Would the First Lesson for a Young Student Look Like?

What Would the First Lesson for a 6 to Teen Look Like (video)?

View sample pages of all the books for students
ages 6 to teen:

View sample pages of all the books for students
4 to 5 years old:

View sample pages of all the books for older
teens and adults:

View the books on Amazon:

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This content will be of most interest to:

• Parents who homeschool
• Professional piano instructors
• Individuals desiring piano books for beginners
• Educators of Instructional Design for piano
• Adults desiring a self-teaching piano book
• Parents wondering the best age to start piano lessons for a child

About the Author, Composer,
Illustrator, Educator, and
Eternal Optimist

Leslie Young is the author, composer, and illustrator of the PIANO Revolution method books (originally titled as the Revolutionary Piano Method). She co-founded a K-12th grade charter school in Texas and has been a piano teacher for over 40 years. She has had experience teaching a variety of students tackling piano for the first time or as returning students.

Young believes that “learning to play the piano is more about diligence and perseverance” – but would add that just as critical to success is the method that is used, the pattern of critical thinking, and the instructional principles that promote immediate success.

She states: “In teaching piano to students of varying ages, what also varies is a commitment of time and the amount of dedication. Children of younger ages may do very well with a parent as teacher; others may need someone who is not family to instruct them. Some older children and adults prefer to make progress on their own, and this method is designed to act as a meticulous guide through new material. Some adults and teens insist on professional teachers, which also encourages continuity.

Because these books are self-explanatory, a novice or experienced professional teacher will have no trouble using the PIANO Revolution method with students. It’s an easy and effective way to learn piano.”