There are studies that learning to play and read music helps kids to learn math, and other logic skills. However, most parents are at a loss as to when and where to start, and there arent many resources out there.

On a trip to our local music store, I noticed tiny little guitars, perfect for the hands of kindergarteners. I asked the store owner how young he started the lessons for those guitars. He replied that he wouldnt start giving kids lessons until they were around 8 years old, he said those guitars were just to expose kids to guitars, because playing with them was the first step of learning. They were a little expensive for that, but I could get his logic.

A choir teacher told me that the important thing is to have music in your house, and help your children to appreciate it. She said she started by teaching her daughter to recognize instruments, classical songs, and composers. Once her daughter learned to read the written word, she helped her to learn to read music. I think that it is very helpful if a child can read before they start reading music. It will help with the comprehension. She said that a child should be ready to learn to play an instrument around 6 years old.

As far as the best instrument to start kids with, most people say to let the child choose, but if the child cant choose then piano is always a good bet. It is the backbone to music, accessible to little hands, and they dont have to build up mouth control like they would with wind and brass instruments.

As with most positive things that we want our children to learn, the first step is creating an atmosphere that fosters it. The second step is giving them the basic information, and the third step is letting them go out and explore it.

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