I recommend that all of my students (especially young children) study piano for a portion of their lesson. Even ten minutes can produce great results. Here is what I know: My students who study piano have better pitch, rhythm, and and general musical sense than those who do not. My students who study piano from a young age can actually hear things that other students cannot. They can hear chords changes, harmony notes, rhythmic changes that other children cannot comprehend. Studying piano increases their musical vocabulary and ability to speak the musical language. As I have said before, the younger the better. Five and six is a pivotal age, prior to ten is crucial, as soon as a child is a pre-teen or a teenage all is not lost, but their capacity to improve their musical potential has diminished greatly (better late than never.) There is something so important about actually having to maintain consistency rhythmically with their fingers, and recognize when they hit the wrong pitch. It gives young children greater pitch accuracy when they sing. My singers who have studied piano not only can match pitch, but they can hold pitch acapella and with accompaniment CD's from a young age. They can follow a consistent rhythm and hear if a note someone sings is sharp or flat. They can harmonize and follow live musicians.
I absolutely love teaching voice, and I love teaching voice to young children. I love that so many children are interested in singing. However, I use it as a gateway to teaching them an instrument. I use singing to capture their interest and try to encourage them to sing and play. I do not do this because I have a great love of piano. In fact, I am not a fabulous pianist, but I love singing. I teach what I wish I would have been taught. I am telling you what I would recommend for my own child. I teach piano because the results are undeniable. A student prior to ten years old can take a year or two of voice only, or six months of voice and piano and they are farther than the student who has studied only voice for twice as long.
I happen to prefer the piano as an easy instrument for children and for young fingers, however, I have also seen wonderful results with suzuki violin at a young age and even guitar. However, in my opinion piano is easier and more accessible. Piano is a gateway to learning the musical language that can be translated to any instrument later in life.
Do you have to have a full piano?
Absolutely not. Just start on something. Go to your local box store and get a keyboard for under $100. It doesn't have to have all the high notes and low notes, but it does have to have actual keys that are regular sized. Baby keyboards where the actual keys are miniature do not work. If you have the budget get a keyboard with the full 88 keys and get them weighted. It will feel more like a real piano and train their little finger muscles accordingly.
Does your young singer love Hannah Montana and High School Musical? Do they lock themselves in their room singing and performing? Do they dream of being the next big star? My advice: start lessons with a good teacher who knows how to capture their interest in singing and can help them develop their talent and potential with learning an instrument. Do NOT do only singing lessons. Do a combo.
How important is practice?
Paying for lessons without practicing is like paying for sessions with a personal trainer and never ever working out outside of the appointments. It becomes an expensive way to go, with less results. Want to double your money? Sit down with your student 5-10 minutes a day and help them play through their songs. Consistency is the important thing. It is better to practice for five minutes twice a day than to practice for an hour only once a week. I find that students who practice with a parent do much better than students who practice by themselves. Sit down with them and if you don't know how to play at all, have your student teach you! It is a great way for them to learn. Have them teach you how to play their song!
So here is my final word:
PIANO. Start early. Practice often, if not much, and become a better singer. Watch your child's potential (or "talent") soar.
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