Anonymous wrote:8 and 7 are fine for piano and guitar, but a little old for violin, viola, and cello.

Based on whose expert opinion? I started playing when I was 12 and still do. Imlearnedcto play because Inwanted to, not because my parents forced me.

Took my child to a piano teacher at 5 or 6 to see about doing lessons. After a short interview and then some one-on-one time with the child at the keyboard, the teacher said that my child wasn't ready for private lessons. It was a relief to hear that we hadn't missed the boat yet, and that, in fact, we were trying too early for my child.

We continued to play around with music at home in a casual way and later moved into more serious training.

Anonymous wrote:I'm 37 and learning to play the guitar. 7 isn't too late.

I'm 33 and been really thinking about starting to learn too as a new hobby!

I'm 37 and learning to play the guitar. 7 isn't too late.

8 and 7 are fine for piano and guitar, but a little old for violin, viola, and cello.

Oh, come on.

I started at 9 and got a college music scholarship.

I know I am in the minority, but I think you should have started them earlier with some kind of instrument. Every day that passes is a lost opportunity IMHO.

I started at 9 (because I wanted to, not because my parents pushed it) and still play professionally all the time, have a Master's in performance. For some instruments, you can start very young (piano, strings), for others, you need to be big enough to hold the instrument and to blow hard enough to play it if it is wind instrument. My advice? Expose your kids to lots of music, especially live music, and let them pick an instrument or style they really like. School concerts at local middle and high schools are usually free and often inspire younger kids to "see" themselves playing something or singing.

Some teachers want the kids to be able to read music and use that from the beginning. So, those start in first or second grade. Some teachers want children to use their ears in a manner akin to learning a language as a child. So those start around 3 or 4 and follow the Suzuki method or something similar. Tiger Mom's entire book was pretty much the expansion of the Suzuki method into all areas of her daughter's lives. Imho. Anyway, sure, decent playing possible at young ages, but not any reason to avoid starting whenever there's interest and support in your home.

I have heard from other uptight, seriously competitive parents that 1st grade/2nd grade is a better time to start the piano. Not earlier bc of physical limitations before that age.

2nd the recommendation for Suzuki for both piano and guitar (my kids have done both). Great way to learn an instrument and start playing songs fairly quickly.

Good Lord. It's not too old at all. These parents need to lighten up a little.

Not too late at all. I remember feeling as a kid that I wished I had started earlier (I started at 8). I never became a concert violinist, but I loved playing and was good at it in spite of my "late" start.

My 7th grade English teacher started playing cello in his 70s. He said he was inspired by his students, and performed with the beginning orchestra at the school concert.

Instrumental music starts in most schools at 4th or 5th grade, which I would assume is when most kids start to play instruments, since it's free. Obviously, at 7 and 8, your kids are far, far too old to learn to play. They should just give up now.