Are you wondering what is the best age to start your singing lessons? Well, you can start singing at any age as your voice continues to mature all through your life. Singing has many benefits even if you are a late beginner as it keeps your body and mind sharp. However, if you are considering singing lessons for your young child, there are some factors you need to consider.
Best Age for Children to Start Singing
While children with an interest and talent for singing can start as early as 3 or 4 years, the ideal age for formal vocal training is 8 years to 9 years. Unlike in the case of learning musical instruments where physical maturity is required; in singing, all that is needed is the child’s ability to be motivated, pay attention to detail and be able to focus. Additionally, the child must have time to practice. Singing students must simply be socially mature so that they are able to follow the lessons and instructions of the instructor.
Some trainers however differ from the above view. They believe that it is better to train students in singing only after they have attained puberty as this is when their voices become more grounded. This is around the age of 11 to 12 years when the voices of boys become lower, deeper and sound like a man’s voice, while a girl’s voice also sounds more mature and less child-like. Such experts state that while younger children might like to sing, it is very challenging to teach vocal techniques to young and undeveloped vocal chords.
How To Know That Your Child Is Ready For Singing Lessons
The decision ultimately is up to you! However, you can use some pointers to understand whether your child is ready to take singing lessons or not. You can gauge this by noticing if your child is inspired to sing as then your child will make progress at a quicker rate. You can find this out by seeing if your child enjoys singing alongside television or radio program or online music videos.
In addition, if you have noticed that your child can concentrate on an activity for 30 minutes, it is another indication that your kid is ready to handle singing lessons. Also, you need to make sure that your child has enough time to practice what he or she has learnt in the singing lessons throughout the week. It is necessary that as a parent you can assist your child in managing practice time, especially initially when your child is new to singing.
Guidelines That Help You Sing Better When You Begin Taking Lessons
Irrespective of your age, if you have started taking singing lessons you can benefit greatly from the tips given here. The first tip is to take excellent care of your voice because it is your vocal instrument and like you maintain any other instrument you will need to maintain your voice. Some ways of doing so are by staying hydrated by drinking a lot of water regularly and by avoiding straining your voice.
The second tip is to warm up before your singing lessons. You can do so by using vocal warm-up techniques that will be taught to you at the beginning of your singing lessons. Singing in a loud voice without vocal warm-ups can lead to damaging your voice.
The third tip is that you train your ears to differentiate between pitches. Interval training is a fantastic method to improve your pitch and become an even better singer with more practice.
The fourth tip is to practice your singing on a daily basis. Practising daily even if it be for only 30 minutes a day can bring you great improvements in singing. The fifth tip is to learn the song lyrics first and then focus on your singing technique. Once you have memorised the melody and lyrics you will be better able to pay attention to your technique of singing.
Finally, it is always advisable to sing with other students applying your knowledge and concepts practically. It has been found that students who sing in band settings improve at a quicker rate than those who just practice alone.
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