heywood on 18/12/2018 at 23:42
I know there are a fair number of musicians here. What are your suggestions for a first musical instrument for a child, something to spark their interest?
I have a daughter about to turn 5 years old in a couple months. I'm trying to cultivate an interest in music in her and my younger son. She likes listening to my stereo, and puts up with a wide variety of music, although she naturally prefers stuff she can dance or sing along to. She will also watch some performances on YouTube. We've had a few toy instruments kicking around since she was a toddler: drum, tambourine, maracas, harmonica, toy keyboard. The kids occasionally noodle with them, but haven't shown much interest in trying to make anything musical come out of them. Lately, she's been asking when we're going to get a new instrument, so I'd like to get something for a family Christmas present.
We have relatives with pianos, and she seems to like playing with them a little bit when she visits. So I'm thinking maybe an entry level arranger keyboard? I don't want to spend a lot of money just yet until she or her brother shows more interest. Musical ability runs in the family, but I'm not trying to create a prodigy.
Any better ideas?
Pyrian on 19/12/2018 at 00:10
Keyboards are indeed good for kids. Xylophones are kind of traditional, too. Pennywhistles are nice because they're pretty easy to use and teach without being, well, pianos; some people just prefer wind instruments, y'know? So that's an option you might try putting in front of them.
icemann on 19/12/2018 at 10:44
Some like flutes.
I had one of those accordion's back in primary school.
heywood on 19/12/2018 at 12:03
I love the accordion, but never tried playing one. They look complicated, but fun.
Nicker on 19/12/2018 at 13:36
See if there is a child music education resource available nearby. Maybe, rather than investing in an instrument, invest in some interactive time with teachers and other students with a variety of available instruments. See what evolves from that. Music is going to be a social interaction (one hopes) and considering choices in that context might help.
In the mean time, continue to encourage the singing and dancing. The voice and the body are great instruments which are always available.
Judith on 19/12/2018 at 14:57
If I may suggest something, stay away from guitars. I loved playing it, but since you can play the same notes on several different strings, it makes things quite complicated and harder to grasp than e.g. piano, where one key is one exact note, period. I second Nicker's suggestion on developing confidence in singing. I wish I worked on that much much earlier, it's such a pleasure to do, even if you don't have great scale. Getting to like your singing voice and singing in key is enough to make it very satisfying activity.
heywood on 19/12/2018 at 15:56
Yeah, a guitar is a bit too big for her anyway. I thought about a ukulele though.
I've found it surprisingly hard to find a kids music education program nearby that is appropriate for her age. It's either toddler oriented stuff like singing along to nursery rhymes and dancing, which she has already been through and seems past now, or SERIOUS LESSONS.
Tomi on 19/12/2018 at 22:30
I was going to recommend ukulele actually. I haven't got any first-hand experience on the ukulele+kid combo (ask me again in a couple of years), but ukulele is such a simple instrument to start with that I could see it working. That's just the basics though - strumming the easy chords and singing along - but it's a good start. The smaller ukuleles are just the right size for kids too, and I think it's a fairly neighbour/parent-friendly instrument too. :D You can get a decent ukulele for less than 50 bucks, so it's not a huge investment, and there are plenty of good tutorials available online these days. Also, if she likes to play the ukulele, it'll be easier to pick up an acoustic guitar or something a bit later on.
Do you play any instrument(s)?
heywood on 20/12/2018 at 14:21
I don't play anything with any degree of competence :(
I took piano lessons as a kid, and I like the piano, but I never could get my two hands to play two voices independently, so I didn't stick with it and don't own one
I also had a ukulele when I was a kid, and I think it's a good suggestion because it's small and inexpensive
I wanted to be a drummer, but struggled even more for the same reason as the piano. So I don't have a drum kit, but do have a few percussion instruments and still like to bang around with drum sticks and improvise
I tried learning guitar when I was around 18-20, but didn't see progress and gave up on it pretty quickly
But my mother was a good home pianist, and my grandmother an excellent one. My father played a horn in marching band. My older brother plays guitar. My younger brother plays bass. My cousin plays guitar and bass and keys and has been playing in local bands since forever. So I think there is musical aptitude in our family, but I just didn't seem to inherit it. What I did get is an ear for music appreciation. I enjoy a lot of different kinds of music and I'm a bit of an audiophile.
McTaffer on 20/12/2018 at 19:25
I think that on the whole, keyboard instruments (especially the piano) provide the most solid foundation for music education: you learn both physical coordination with your hands (and sometimes feet), ear training, and how to read sheet music. Theory is also incredibly important, but isn't the most popular part with kids. I know I hated it when I started learning, but I'm so happy that I did because my education means that I can pretty much play whatever I want. Pianos are also good in terms of beginning because they're tuned in the key of C, which doesn't naturally have any sharps or flats, therefore no mental transposition is required when switching keys in pieces; it just is what it says it is on the page. I've been playing the piano (and other keyboards at times) for the past 15 years and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's a process best done in lessons, though. A good piano teacher will give you proper technique and stomp out bad habits early on. Here in Canada, we have Music for Young Children, which I did as a kid. I don't know if there are any equivalents to it in other countries, but it was a good starting point. Otherwise, jumping straight to private lessons isn't a bad move either. In terms of purchasing, you shouldn't start with too small a keyboard, since that can severely limit your kid's options if she takes a real interest. A small keyboard isn't bad for absolute beginner pieces that only revolve around 3 octaves, but intermediate songs often start using more keys and you don't want to put yourself in a position of having to buy another instrument right away if she ever gets to a higher level. Other than the real piano my family has, my personal keyboard is a Casio WK-240, which has served me well, my only complaint being the lack of keys when I want to play something complicated and the fact that the keys are unweighted, which makes going back and forth between it and a real piano alienating.
The only other instrument family I can speak to is percussion, which I've done in various capacities for around 10 years. I'd definitely advocate for a broad percussion education rather than a specific focus if possible. Learning more and different percussion instruments improved me across the board in terms of technique and pulse. Most people jump directly to kit drumming, which isn't the greatest thing to do- it can be overwhelming to begin with. It's better to build up coordination by starting small. Kits are popular with beginners because they're exciting, and fit the traditional "drummer" image. The reason so many end up ultimately abandoned, though, is that people seem to have the misconception that drumming is super easy and that anyone should be able to pick it up right away. It's a lot of real work to become any good at drums or percussion, as much or more as any other instrument. Probably the easiest way to see if your daughter is seriously interested is to get a real pair of drumsticks and a practice pad. Practice pads may not be the most exciting thing, but any dedicated percussionist/drummer spends a lot of time with one. They're also quiet, which is good too.
Anyway, that's my $0.02.
