For parents, grandparents, and teachers
Classical music for kids, explained for the grown-ups
Plain guides to the music, the composers, the teaching methods, and the exams. Each guide comes with pages to print and simple tools to use with a child.
Start here
What do you need today?
Play music at home
Where to start, which pieces to play first, and how to keep a young child listening.
Follow one famous piece
Listening guides to Peter and the Wolf, The Nutcracker, Carnival of the Animals, and more.
Meet the composers
Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and the rest: who they were and which piece to play first.
Choose a way to learn
Suzuki, Kodály, Orff, Dalcroze, and traditional lessons, explained side by side.
Understand music exams
What the Royal Conservatory levels and the ABRSM grades are, and what each one asks for.
Teach music at home
A simple plan for composer study, with a page to print for every week.
Start music lessons
When to begin, how to pick an instrument and a teacher, and how to set up practice at home.
Follow the theory
The staff, note names, rhythm, and the Italian words on the page, for parents who do not read music.
Learn the instruments
Strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion: what each family is and how it sounds.
Printables
Pages to print and hand to a child
Listening pages, composer fact sheets, practice charts, and staff paper. Each one has short notes for the adult on how to use it.
Listening journal page
One page to fill in after any piece: what you heard, how fast it was, and a box to draw in.
Instrument families listening chart
The four families of the orchestra on one page, with a box to tick each time you hear one.
Orchestra seating chart
Where each group sits in the orchestra, with a blank copy to label.
Composer fact sheets
One page for each of 24 composers: quick facts, a short story, three pieces to hear, and room to write.
Composer study notebook page
A blank notebook page that works for any composer. Good for a homeschool music binder.
Composer timeline to print
24 composers on one page, from Vivaldi to Britten, grouped by era.
Tools
Small tools that do one job
Pick a piece for tonight. See which composers lived at the same time. Make a practice chart. Keep a steady beat.
Composer timeline
See who lived when. Slide to any year and find out which composers were alive.
Classical piece picker
Pick an age, a mood, and a length. Get a short list of pieces to play today.
Which music method fits your family?
Seven questions about your child and your week. See which methods match.
RCM certificate requirements by level
Choose a level and see which exams a student needs for that certificate.
Practice chart maker
Type a name and this week's tasks. Print a chart made for your child.
Metronome for kids
A big, simple metronome that also teaches the Italian words for slow and fast.
New on the site
The latest articles
1812 Overture for kids: what to listen for
A parent's listening guide to Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture: the story of the battle, the two tunes that fight, the cannons and bells, and games to play.
ABRSM Grade 5 theory: what parents need to know
Why ABRSM asks for Grade 5 theory before Grade 6, what the online exam covers, how it is marked, and when to start preparing.
ABRSM Practical vs Performance Grades: how to choose
The two kinds of ABRSM grade exam compared: what a child plays, how each is marked, how a Performance Grade video works, and which one fits.
American composers for kids: ten to know and a piece by each
Ten American composers for kids to know, from Sousa and Joplin to Copland and John Williams, with a short story and one piece to hear for each.
Amy Beach for kids: her life, her music, and what to play first
Amy Beach explained for parents and kids: the American pianist who taught herself to compose, the Gaelic Symphony, four pieces to play first, and things to do.
ARCT diploma explained: what it is and who takes it
What the RCM's ARCT diploma is, the performer and pedagogy kinds, what a piano student plays, the written exams, and what comes after it.
Who this site is for
This site is written for adults who want a child to know and love classical music. No music training is needed. Each page answers one question in plain words and names the next small step.
Kids Classical Music is independent. It is not part of any music school, method, or exam board. Read how the site works.