How Babies Learn to Love Music

Babies learn to appreciate and respond to music at different ages, with each following his own unique learning pattern. If you are interested in learning about how and when babies begin responding to music, here are some fascinating age-appropriate milestones, adapted from a comprehensive review by Christine Barton, M.M., MT-BC .

Newborns feel calm when they hear music. A newborn baby can't understand music as a concept, but she can find the sound of music comforting. Some newborns will turn toward a source of music, especially soft, gentle tunes sung by a mother, father or sibling. Singing to your newborn (no matter how well, or how badly, you sing) will help to instill a special bond early in life.

Babies begin responding actively to music between 3-6 months. In general, a baby between three and six months of age will babble in a way that sounds vaguely rhythmic or musical. He will turn or smile in response to music and will prefer high-pitched, feminine, or children's voices. Many babies will also begin "dancing" at this age by swinging their arms or moving their heads in approximate time with the music.

 Between 6 and 9 months, babies start "getting" music. At this stage, your baby is likely to try to sing along with a familiar tune by attempting to match the pitch or tone. He is starting to understand that some songs are heard more than once; a familiar lullaby will be more soothing than a newly introduced one. His "dance" moves are broader and more pronounced; he may kick and wiggle at the same time in response to the music.

Toddlers' musical appreciation kicks off between 9 and 18 months. Between the ninth and eighteenth month of life, a toddler will rapidly begin acquiring new understandings of music and rhythm. Soon after he starts walking, he'll begin dancing in better synch with a tune. He pays attention to lyrics, perhaps singing a few occasional words in a familiar lullaby. Toddlers may also "sing" spontaneously to comfort or entertain themselves.

 By age 2, toddlers can sing and dance like "big kids." By the time your baby reaches 24 months, she's likely to have the gross motor skills necessary for spinning, marching and other forms of play-dance. She's more likely to know the lyrics of a song than to actually memorize the melody, but her singing will sound distinctly big-kid like. Songs that she sings to herself will sound recognizable and rhythmic. By her second birthday, she's likely to appreciate a diverse array of tunes, instruments, lyrics and song styles.