What is the best age to start flute lessons?

Written by Pam Murchison, flute teacher with Kathy's Music, LLC

When I was six years old, my best friend’s mother was a flute teacher and my mother was (and still is!) an excellent painter. Mrs. Booth was very interested in painting and proposed a trade with my mom: she would receive painting lessons and, in exchange, I would begin private flute lessons. I had just seen James Galway perform on Sesame Street and was already hooked on the beautiful sound of the flute. I couldn’t wait to begin! The rest, as they say, is history!

The question of the “right” age to begin flute lessons has long been up for debate, and, as with most aspects of child development, there is no hard and fast rule concerning the best time for your child to begin.  Many children begin wind instrument instruction in the 4^th or 5^th grade, when their school allows them to sign up for beginner band.  If a child begins music instruction before then, it is typically on the piano or violin or even guitar. While common wisdom is that it is easier to produce sound on those instruments because all sound production happens outside of the body with the hands and fingers, innovative teachers have expertly demonstrated that young children can successfully produce a beautiful sound on the flute and begin to learn how to play at age 4, 5, 6 years of age depending on the child's level of interest and ability to focus for short periods of time.

In addition, there are several options for flutes with curved head joints, which reduce the overall length of the instrument. This makes the keys easier to reach, and the weight is more evenly distributed so that the flute is easier to hold.  Tools such as the Pneumo Pro Wind Director are very effective tools to helping students of all ages understand air production, and are particularly useful for beginning students.  Watch this short video to see what a private flute lesson for a young child (4-7) might look like.  Kinderflute group classes provide an introduction to flute specifically designed for this age group (look for one coming to a Kathy’s Music near you in 2014!)

So, if your child:

•  Shows enthusiasm for the flute
• Is comfortable with one-on-one settings with an adult outside of the immediate family
• Is able to focus on an activity for 20-30 minutes at a time

the right time to start flute lessons may be now!