BackgroundParental homes are of great importance when it comes to learning an instrument. This is particularly emphasized by biographical studies that have examined professional music careers (e.g., Bastian, 1989; Manturzewska, 1995). However, quantitative studies focusing on everyday instrumental lessons and the initial phase of instrumental playing at primary school age are scarce (e.g., Davidson et al., 1995; McPherson & Davidson, 2002). Against this background, this paper summarizes the key results of the ELEMUG research project and reflects on their relevance for teaching practice at music schools.AimELEMUG aimed at understanding relations between parental beliefs and musical skill acquisition in primary school children. We investigated whether parents’ beliefs can predict children’s achievement on the instrument, and whether they are related to parents’ behavior and children’s learning behavior.MethodsApplying a longitudinal design, 195 families with primary school children were followed during the first year of instrumental lessons. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, parents were segmented based on their beliefs. Following on from this, differences between the cluster groups were examined in terms of children’s learning outcomes, parents’ behavior, as well as children’s practice behavior after six months and after one year.ResultsFirst findings revealed four parent groups with distinct belief profiles that were associated with children’s learning outcomes. After one year, children of parents who felt responsible for their children’s musical education, assigned little self-responsibility to them, and were convinced that they must provide structural support during practice achieved the highest scores for development on the instrument, consistency of practicing, level of performance, and selected musical skills (p ≤ .05). Expanding on these results, it was found that this parent group provided highly responsive and controlling support but was not perceived as controlling by their children. The parents of this group practiced together with their children, especially in the beginning, but dissolved this during the first year, and were the least stressed by their children’s musical education. No group differences were found regarding parents’ sociodemographic background, their cultural interest, their experience in instrumental playing, and children’s practice quality and quantity.Conclusions and implicationsThe results indicate that children in the initial phase of instrumental playing make significant progress when parents' beliefs regarding optimal learning conditions and their understanding of their own responsibility and supportive role match children’s psychological needs for autonomy and competence. This might lead to personal support that creates a fruitful learning atmosphere at home (Creech, 2016).