Learning the Cello - What age to start lessons?

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 Teaching the cello - Teaching Beginners - Suzuki method

For me, the ideal beginning cello student is a child who loves music, who is approximately 9 years old and who has had some choral training and physical (involving body awareness) activity. This is ideal but I'm a big believer that a highly motivated student can learn and make progress at any age. 

 I don't teach the cello to children under age 6. Read below to find out why. In this respect I differ from many Suzuki cello teachers.


No matter what the age, these are the ingredients for success:

  • a LOVE of music
  • an encouraging environment in which the student can practice
  • a devoted teacher

Whatever age you are, you will be able to progress on the cello if you are HIGHLY motivated. It really depends on how interested and patient you are and how much time and thought you are prepared to put into learning the cello.

There are other aspects that aid development such as opportunities to play in orchestras and ensembles and access to seeing and hearing live musicians. 

  

 Here are the reasons that I do not teach the cello to children under age 6: 


  • I haven't seen any advantages to starting the cello younger than age 9. Starting at age 6 or 7 is OK if the child is highly interested and has parents willing to embark on loving, daily adventures with them! I stress love because it's hard for parents to focus on the goals of the daily assignment which the child must accomplish but which can easily get in the way of what the child actually needs most from the parent. The younger the child, the more he/she needs emotional attunement with the parent. There are serious, lifelong consequences if this secure, loving connection is not made a priority over and above achieving daily goals.

  •  It is important for children to play! Imaginative play! Ask yourself, what else is the child doing each day, taking into consideration that a young child's needs are significantly different from an older child's needs. Signing up for regular lessons can often mean spending time in cars or public transport. It also may mean looking at a screen to watch lesson clips and music videos or there will be a screen interface if the lessons are occasionally online. 

  • It is important for children to move and play outdoors! You have to sit on a chair or stool to play the cello. This can be restrictive for the body. You need strong abdominal muscles to support the back muscles, which are vital to be able to play the cello.  A child who has developed the ability to sense his body and its different parts in motion will be well prepared to learn the cello.

  •  Singing and dancing, singing in a good children's choir, participating in group music/movement classes such as Dalcroze Eurhythmics is fantastic preparation for learning the cello. 

  •  It's OK for most children to start the violin at age 6 because the child can stand and sway and balance on their feet and the instrument need only fit the arm length. With the cello, you have to take into account the torso length, the arm length and the hip to knee length. Finding the right shape/size of cello that will allow for freedom of movement can be very difficult. The younger the student, the more important it is to have an excellent teacher who can spot potential problems. (Starting the violin and then switching to cello is not ideal though, since the slight differences in overall technique can be very difficult to shake off)

  • The left hand technique for starting the cello is not straight forward but can be learned intellectually and physically by the time a child is around 9 years old. Here's the reason: when starting the violin, your left thumb is not directly involved in the movement of the changing fingers but with cello, the thumb needs to move to a different place depending on which finger you are balancing to produce a pitch. This is complex and difficult for a young child's hand. It ultimately must be learned in order to play in tune, without tension in the hand and to play with vibrato. Teachers of very young children have to teach left hand technique with the tiniest of baby steps over many years. In my opinion, it is better to wait until the child is older. 
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