Age 3
Piano lessons for kids in Springfield, MO
Yes, we teach piano to children ages 3 to 9 in Springfield, and we teach it differently. At Children's Music Academy the keyboard is the center of a weekly music class you attend with your child. Every class comes back to it. Your child learns to play with both hands from the staff, and learns singing, rhythm, reading, ear training and composition in the same hour.
- Ages 3 to 9
- keyboard every week
- about an hour, once a week
- parent in the room
- 5335 S Campbell Ave
How CMA teaches piano
Middle C is on the little ledger line, Droopy D is bumping his head, and Mousey E is eating the cheese. That is how a 4 year old at CMA learns the first three notes on the staff, and it works because it is specific, physical and funny. From there the keyboard is where everything else becomes visible: a rhythm your child clapped becomes a rhythm they play, a note they sang becomes a key they press, a chord they heard becomes three fingers on the keys.
By graduation your child plays with both hands, reads from the staff, plays back a phrase by ear, and has written pieces of their own. A child who then wants years of piano starts private lessons already reading, already hearing, already playing.
Why a class beats a half hour piano lesson at this age
A 5 year old needs variety
Thirty minutes alone with an adult at a piano is a long time at 5. A CMA class moves through songs, games, rhythm, singing and keyboard in short turns, so the hour holds a young child's attention and still gets to the keys every week.
The ear before the fingers
Children who learn to hear music before they are asked to perform it play with more ease for the rest of their lives. Singing, rhythm and ear training are in every class for that reason.
You are there
You learn the keyboard beside your child. Practice at home is something you do together, and the question "what did the teacher say?" never comes up, because you were in the room.
Which class is your child's age?
Pre-K and kindergarten
Junior
See Junior1st and 2nd grade
Intermediate
See IntermediateHomeschool families
Homeschool music class
See the homeschool class“My daughter, Molly, recently graduated from the CMA program, and I can honestly say it was one of the most valuable investments that we have ever made. She was given excellent instruction in piano, music theory and ear training, and most importantly, a love for music! A wonderful bonus is that because it is parent/child, I too 're-learned' how to play piano.”
“All three of our boys have gone through the CMA program. While it was definitely a time commitment, all of my boys have a solid foundation in theory, reading/playing music and ear training.”
Questions about piano at CMA
Do you offer private piano lessons?
Every class at CMA is a group class with a parent in the room. Private one to one lessons, adult lessons and in home lessons are outside what we offer. For a child between 3 and 9, the class is the better start, and our graduates go on to private lessons with a real head start.
Do we need a piano at home?
A piano or an electric keyboard with at least four octaves. Your teacher can suggest brands and local stores.
How soon will my child play something?
In the first weeks. Children find notes by name from the start and play simple pieces early; reading from the staff with both hands comes over the course.
What age should a child start piano?
Children can start learning music at 3 in Pre-Junior, and the keyboard is part of it from the first class. Junior, for pre-K and kindergarten, is where most children's keyboard playing takes off.