Music, music, music... whether you think of it as exciting, intimidating or expensive, there is such an amazing range of free channels, apps and resources to help your child learn music and inspire them to higher levels if they are already learning.
In our list this week we have channels that teach children to write music as well as to play, and some links for children who are already learning and need something more advanced.
Huge thanks to Cybersafe’s musical friends for their amazing recommendations - which our channel checkers have also looked over! As ever, we have tried to make sure our recommendations are interesting and not just generic – but please make sure they align with your family values.
TOP TIP: If you’re at a loose end this week you could pair one of the composing channel videos with a free app to start creating tunes for a family video or a coding project.
To get you started with influencing the algorithm, here are ten amazing channels that teach children about music:
Beginners:
The Online Piano & Violin Tutor: A channel dedicated to teaching piano and violin, offering lessons for all levels of players, including beginners. One of our checkers said “I thought she was informative and good for relative beginners. She covers a wide range of topics and is clear in explaining all of them.” (Any ages) Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/OnlinePianoTutor
The Ukulele Teacher: Perfect for kids interested in learning the ukulele, this channel provides easy-to-follow tutorials for beginners. Our channel checker (11) said “It’s extremely effective for younger people learning Ukelele for the first time, as well as giving tutorials for the more experienced player.” (Any ages) Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheUkuleleTeacher
Piano Lessons On The Web: This channel provides piano lessons for beginners and beyond, covering various playing styles and music genres. The videos are educational and helpful for piano players at a beginner level. Our channel checkers said: “This channel is educational and would be a definite help to beginner players. However, it would be best for those just starting out (or Grade 2 level or below).” Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/pianolessonsontheweb
Myleene's Music Klass: Very low production but homely channel with Myleen Klass and her children teaching different music ideas. Our channel checkers said “It’s more obviously educational and may not be a hit with every child but it is worth watching.” (Suitable for all ages but probably most engaging for ages 6-10) No videos have been added to the channel recently but there are still lots of videos. Link: https://www.youtube.com/@MyleenesMusicKlass
The Piano Guys: This channel features a group of musicians who combine classical music with modern pop and rock in creative and entertaining ways. Our Channel Checkers said “they are not really teaching music and they are not very interactive, but they do interesting and watchable covers of lots of famous songs.” Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/ThePianoGuys (All ages)
Intermediate and Advanced
Andrew Huang: A talented musician who shares music-making tutorials, challenges, and experiments, inspiring kids to explore music creatively. His videos showcase new and exciting instruments, chord progressions, and compositions. Our Channel Checkers said “he is an American content creator with a great knowledge of song writing and is a great tutor for those already into music, as well as a very effective communicator. However, his videos might not be best for those just starting to learn an instrument” Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/songstowearpantsto (Any ages, but musical know-how recommended)
Two Set Violin: Comedic-inspired friends producing mainly casual videos – such as reacting to music-based TikToks (predominantly fake, for the record) and making challenge videos on composing music. Their channel isn’t predominantly educational, but would amuse any children with a background in music. https://www.youtube.com/@twosetviolin
David Bruce Composer: David Bruce is an experienced orchestral composer who offers tips and tricks on how to overcome composing challenges, as well as attempting composition competitions with friends online. Our channel checkers said: “his videos are helpful and educational – and appropriate to his channel theme of music composition, but similar to other channels, might not be suitable for viewers new to music. However, his challenge videos always produce a laugh, and are fun to watch for any quality of musician.” Link: https://www.youtube.com/@DBruce (Age rating – musical know-how recommended, but content open for all ages)
Adam Neely: While not exclusively about composing, Adam Neely's channel covers a wide range of music-related topics, including composition techniques and theory. It’s another great example of what an interesting, family friendly and well thought out youtube channel looks like. Our channel checkers said “He’s very informative and covers a wide variety of styles of music. It isn’t specific to any one instrument. It would be most appropriate for more advanced musicians though as it’s quite technical.” Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/havic5
Nahre Sol: Nahre Sol's channel features a combination of classical and contemporary music content, including composition tutorials and creative challenges. Our channel checkers said “this is such a calming and creative channel! I loved the way she speaks and explains things. I think anyone could listen to this but it would be more interesting to people who are really keen to learn. It's a really quality channel though!” (All ages, but best for (+ because of the level of the content) Link: https://www.youtube.com/c/nahresol
We hope you enjoy these channels... if you or your children have any other favourites you can share with us, please post let us know so we can share them in the future. As with any online content, parents or guardians should supervise their child's activities to ensure a safe and enriching experience and review the content to ensure it aligns with your child’s interests and age appropriateness.
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