PigLick on 21/12/2018 at 12:11
As a music teacher myself, piano, as others have also said, is the easiest instrument for someone of that age. That doesnt mean its the best one though, anything that is enjoyed will be played. A tip though, if you do start any lessons or such, really be firm on practice routine. I see so many young students who are just mediocre because of lack of practice, and most kids that age dont have the motivational skills to do it on their own.
Thirith on 21/12/2018 at 12:30
Two things I appreciate about the keyboard: 1) If you get an electronic keyboard rather than an actual piano, you can use headphones. That's good for family and neighbours, but it's also good for shy kids who feel embarrassed about making mistakes or generally sounding bad when they play. 2) Even if you're really bad at playing a keyboard instrument, and you will be at the beginning, you don't first have to learn to make the individual notes you play sound good. Take string, brass or wind instruments: it's not at all easy just to play a note that sounds okay. (It's one of the reasons why it's so painful to listen to a beginner on the violin.) Press a key, though, and the note sounds okay. It's a frustrating step in the process of learning to play an instrument that you can skip when you play the keys. Don't worry, there are still plenty of other potentially frustrating steps...
heywood on 21/12/2018 at 21:53
Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm going out now to check this out:
(
https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/keyboards/piaggero/np-32_12/index.html) https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/keyboards/piaggero/np-32_12/index.html
I'll also check out some of the beginner arranger keyboards as an alternative.
I think she is too young and small to start piano lessons, but they can follow if she takes a real interest. I did talk to a couple of piano instructors and frankly, they seem overly serious. Basically, the impression I got was that I would be wasting their time unless my daughter and I were ready to make a firm commitment to the instrument and years of education. Both told me that I should have already bought an acoustic piano long ago, and placed it prominently within the house, so she would be accustomed to having it be part of family life well before starting to play. Also, that once she starts to play, make sure we can stick to a schedule that includes dedicated practice time every day. They talked me through more dos and don'ts, the grades and exams. One talked about the expected rate of progress if she shows aptitude, and the dedication necessary to become a professional pianist. Very heavy stuff for a 5 year old, I thought.
Judith on 22/12/2018 at 08:52
Yeah, definitely. At this point it's supposed to be fun, not a declaration of future career.
Aja on 23/12/2018 at 16:51
I'm going to disagree a bit and say that I think it's important that there be a level of seriousness if you decide to put her in lessons. Unless she's one of those kids who immediately takes to it, she'll probably need you, like Piglick said, to be firm with the practice routine. I never loved taking piano lessons, but my parents made me practice and I'm really thankful for it now. It's not about declaring a career in music but laying the foundation for her to be musical throughout her life. Not that she can't do that without early piano lessons, but they certainly help if she's willing to go through with it. In my case the lessons involved a lot of singing, which helped me develop a good sense of pitch and melody at an early age.
Judith on 23/12/2018 at 19:27
I meant, she's 5. She can easily start taking piano lessons when she's 7 or 10.
SlyFoxx on 25/12/2018 at 03:26
At a young age guitars are still too big. Keys and encouraging to sing would be the way to go. Keys demand the whole package but it's the easiest instrument to start on. Pick any wind or stringed instrument and it takes much effort to even make one decent note. Push down a note on a "piano" and you get instant.."hey that sounds good". (bonus points go to electronic pianos as they don't require maintenance/new reeds, strings etc. and never go out of tune.)
TerryLewis on 27/12/2018 at 10:59
Quote Posted by McTaffer
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 (
http://yourhomeworkhelp.org/) homework help 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.
My musical education started with the piano lessons. And I never regretted the time spent on that. Though I did quit because had different priorities at that time. Now planning to buy a keyboard just to practice for pleasure (as I do have an eternity of time ahead (retired not so long ago)).
