If your children know their alphabet and how to identify numbers and count, theyre old enough to start learning music theory. In piano even young children can learn music theory concepts on the keyboard as they develop their musical ear.

Below are twelve Music Theory concepts children learn in their first year of piano lessons.

1. Finger Numbers

2. Circle of Seconds (or Steps) - Musical Alphabet Up and Down

3. Circle of Thirds (or Skips) Line Notes and Space notes

4. Chords Broken Chords and Blocked, in the Key of C, F and G

5. Half Steps and Whole Steps

6. Five-Finger Scales

7. Octaves

8. Intervals 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, and 5ths

9. Sharps

10. Flats

11. Treble Clef

12. Bass Clef

In just twelve months your child could know all these music theory concepts and a whole bunch more if you enroll them in piano lessons today. In addition to music theory first year piano students are trained in performance and artistry. Can you imagine your children playing the piano in your living room, or performing in their first piano recital? There is nothing that warms parents hearts more than seeing their children engaged in a creative activity that is challenging and beneficial.

Children are made to absorb language. So why not enroll your child in piano lessons while theyre young? You cant make a better investment in their future. The benefits or piano lessons are well documented increased math and reading scores, increased overall educational progress, and children in music lessons are less likely to engage in unproductive behaviors that are harmful to them as they grow. So dont wait to give your children the gift of music. Youll be glad you did.

Cynthia VanLandingham

Cynthia VanLandingham's Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources create an exciting musical adventure for children ages 5 to 11. Visit PianoAdventureBears.com for free samples of her Piano Adventure Story Books and piano resources for children. She is also the author of The Wonder Guide to Creativity.

Cynthia has been teaching piano in Tallahassee, Florida for 20 years and is the owner of TallyPiano & Keyboard Studios. She is a member of the American College of Musicians National Guild of Piano Teachers, the President of TallyPiano Enterprises, LLC, and a graduate of the Florida State University College of Education. Visit her website at TallyPiano.com to download her original, uplifting piano compositions, including "The Potter's Wheel." While you're there subscribe to her free internet newsletter, Piano Matters, and read the Wonder Guide to Creativity Online.

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