I would love for my DS8 to start playing an instrument. As a former tenor sax player (grades 6-12) I realize the importance of music to a child.

I talked to our (I'm a 7th grade Math teacher) band director today and he suggested either the piano* (said learning the piano would be the most solid foundation you could have for learning any other instrument as well as singing) or possibly the violin (since the instrument could be customized to the size my the individual musician, and we have an awesome orchestra program locally).

He said it was usually suggested to stay away from instruments that took a lot of breath to play until the child was in the 5th grade or so.

So, what instrument(s) does your DS/DD play and what advice can you give as far as choosing an instrument?

Thanks for any and all input.

TripleB

I told my wife that I would never love our children enough to let them get a drum set.

I think the band director gave you some solid advice. In addition to providing a solid foundation for musicality and learning other instruments, I think piano is the most pleasant classical instrument to listen to when played without accompaniment, particularly when the musician isn't yet skilled. Violins take up very little space, are portable, and much cheaper than pianos (for equivalent instrument quality).

Unless you are planning on your child's instrument mastery being the hook that gets them into their preferred school and can accurately predict which instrument will be in demand on the marching band ten years from now, I wouldn't bother trying to micromanage their choice of instrument(s) beyond the introductory piano or violin choice.

My son wants to play sax next year.

DD9 is currently making this choice but she has to pick a first choice, second choice, etc. She is currently taking piano and I thought viola would make a good alternative to violin, but then realized it reads alto clef. I thought that would be way too confusing since she's trying to learn piano, which reads treble and bass. We put violin as first choice, cello as second (cello uses bass clef). The teacher told her that way too many people chose violin as first choice and there are not enough cellos so if she doesn't get violin in the lottery she will be stuck with cello. I think it can be sized down but not sure how this works. I'm not relishing the idea of dragging a cello around.

I played clarinet and later on, trumpet, in school (clarinet in college as well). Clarinet is a "squeaky" instrument and so many people make it sound horrible. I would stay away from it unless your child really wants to play it. I always wished I had played oboe instead. Trumpet was Ok but takes a lot of breath and really strong lips.

They allow 4th graders to play strings, but no wind instruments til 5th grade. The lottery instruments (meaning too many people chose them, at least this year) were flute, violin, viola and percussion.

Oh, cello is so beautiful, don't say "she'll be stuck with cello". Funny that viola is so popular, folks must have realized that there was a shortage for so long that if you played viola you had a better chance of being a first viola or getting into the higher group.

Our music teachers check your emboucheur and musicality and experience and make recommendations for you, but of course the final choice is the family's. My older son was recommended for...I don't remember, because he wanted to lay percussion. The teachers said they strongly prefer piano experience for percussion (different clefs and for mallet instruments) but he wanted percussion, so he did. My younger son was recommended for clarinet or oboe and I'm so glad he chose clari, I don't care for oboe. He's doing vey well, too. He took summer trumpet lessons a couple years ago because "Mom, the cool kids play trumpet", but it didn't suit his emboucheur or his braces. And cool kids are throughout the band in high school, so there.

At 8 or any age, piano gives experience in playing and hearing more than one thing at a time, and can take you everywhere since you also learn clefs, rhythms, etc.

Have you considered also guitar?

We have piano, drums, and voice. Experimented a little with guitar, but not seriously. Piano because everyone should play the piano . Drums because better you hit something that sounds nice than the furniture and walls. Voice because you can't stop them from singing.

I love the sound of the cello, too, though I couldn't persuade any of ours to take it up.

And personally, I think there is no sound worse than a bad oboist!

Introductory bagpipes. I once had a problem upstairs neighbour who made noise at ungodly hours, so I attached sub-woofers to my ceiling and blasted bagpipe tuning in the a.m, just after it was allowed by bylaw. The problem stopped after one application. Enough said.

TripleB, the recorder is a forgiving wind instrument for a novice, even one with limited breath capacity, so there's no need to shy away from all woodwinds.

That being said, my vote is for the instrument your child is most interested in and most likely to persist in playing. It sounds pithy, but enjoyment is vital to sticking with an instrument and enjoying music.

I'm truly appreciating all of your responses....they are incredibly helpful and even more so since you've been in my shoes!!!

One question to those who have mentioned voice...my son loves to sing (can't say I like all the Kidz Bop songs we've been listening to recently but.....) and seems to learn lyrics quiet quickly. I wouldn't say he's a great singer but he's 1000 times better than his old man! How do you go about improving your DS/DD voice?

Thanks again for all the help you've given so far...looking forward to more responses!

TripleB

Along with piano or another instrument for reading music, just sing. Folk songs, regional and storytelling songs, old songs, musicals, hymns, ballads. How about rounds? Excellent ear training! Leads to singing parts well. Do you play the piano? My dad used to play songs with us singing while dinner was cooking. I don't have a good voice, but I have a vast repertoire and I know all the verses lol! Voice lessons can wait...DS (my theater major) started in high school, though his "competition" started in middle school.

A church in our town has an amazing youth choir program, that spends a lot of time on development and theory. So at least half the choristers are not members of the church, they are there for the training (and it's free!) I wish I'd know about it when my kids were younger. The high school choir teacher can always tell who came out of that choir. But your child can also maybe do summer theater programs or a summer community musical. Our community theater does musicals with room for kids as well as adults, and the kids learn a lot just by exposure to the amazing talent.

At this age, mainly listen to great singers. Preferably those with light, pure voices, so he doesn't try to force immature vocal chords into creating mature sounds. Formal voice lessons are not really essential until puberty (unless you're contemplating the VBC, or something). (Hm. Listening to the VBC might be good, though.) Especially for boys, who will have to re-learn just about everything except for breath control at that point. Actually, learning diaphragmatic breathing would have value, even for a young child. It improves tone and control very quickly, for both singing and speaking. Also has handy beneficial side-effects for asthmatics.

My DS plays clarinet in the High School Band. He started this in 5th grade, and played Viola the year before in 4th. They gave us the same line that many 4th graders aren't ready yet for a wind instrument.

I say let him choose. What every instrument he needs to want to do it or else it will be a chore.

Piano for our DS8- it's been wonderful for him and helps with the fidgets- he plays scales when he needs a homework break or needs to calm down.

cammom, music has the same effect on DD4 too.

Another vote for piano unless your DS is asking to learn a string instrument.

I definitely echo the sentiments about learning the piano for a really solid foundation. As someone who went to school for music, all of the piano majors found music theory to be a breeze. String majors had it second best, followed by wind majors. Almost all vocal majors I knew were in remedial theory.

Piano is a very good instrument to start with. The theory is good for a strong musical foundation. I know a few kids who dropped out of piano around age 10 and later breezed through their AP Music theory course in high school - they told me that their time spent learning piano was well worth it for them.
With piano, your child can begin playing a piece that sounds "reasonably" OK within a short period of time. And your child can stick with it lifelong if he so prefers or use the musical background to move on to another instrument later. It is easier to pick up another instrument later because of the strong musical foundation laid by piano.

Do you have room for a piano? if not choose the violin.

My son is very musical and chose (with a lot of urging from me, bc I love it) cello in his 4th/5th grade classes and then euphonium for 6th grade band. He is very small and somewhat uncoordinated--and we had huge issues (pun intended) with his being able to bring home these bulky instruments. We started thinking it would have been a better choice to play the piccolo...but then he'd probably lose it. He loves the deep sounds, and so do I, easier on the ear when they are beginners. But the size of those instruments has been a challenge, logistically.

Other things we considered were the types of music available in the community- if the band director is telling you the orchestra is strong, I think that is important, and might look more closely at orchestral instruments if you think your DS will want to play in school.

We also considered the versatility of various instruments- the string bass is great because one can play jazz as well as classical; the kids who play bass here have tons of opportunities and flexibility. To be honest, the competitiveness of violinists here can be quite off putting- many begin when they are toddlers and I think it would be hard to catch up; perhaps not an issue if one is happy being part of a large section.

Just a thought on winds- our school also "waits" to begin winds in fifth grade (funny, we started in third grade back in the day...). Both my kids began earlier on strings, learned a good foundation and very basic proficiency, and moved to winds when they got to fifth grade. They chose instruments they liked- hopefully your school gives some sort of presentation/tryout the instruments period? Our kids' choices ended up suiting them well. I will add, though, that if your kids get really into music, they are not wedded to any one choice. It is common here for the horn players to take up trumpet so they can more easily play in jazz ensembles, pep band, marching, etc.; bassoonists generally learn sax very easily for the same reasons. And as noted above, many if not most music kids play at least some piano. I do think the piano has a really different focus, though; while a few kids do play in jazz or other ensembles, it is generally a much more solitary instrument. So I think it really depends on your/your child's goals for learning an instrument.

And yes to singing- if your kids enjoys it, it's fun, versatile, and there are so many ways to take part. I would think your school has a chorus? If not, there are community choirs, and many churches with choir are welcoming.

Quick note: digital pianos are surprisingly good these days, and Costco frequently has seriously good deals on them.

Yes, piano is a solitary instrument, so something else to consider. My kids have played the piano since they were 6 and really enjoy it. However, for them it is not a substitute for playing with other children in a band or orchestra. So you may find yourself paying for two instruments (piano and a second instrument). However, it is a great instrument to start with as others have said.

My kids did 3-4 years of piano and then switched to a string instrument later for the school strings program. I've been told by music teachers that it is best to get basic musical training and musical theory on the piano, then to move on to another instrument

My DD10 took up guitar at 6, flute at 9, and goofed around with keyboards and drums in between. She has already announced a plan to add violin once she masters flute, which she believes will be just another year or so (LOL).

I would highly advise you to seek your DS' input. There's too much practice involved in learning an instrument, and you want it to be a pleasure for him, not a chore. In our case, DD spoke up for the ones she took up for lessons.

She'd be a rocking guitarist by now if we hadn't screwed up and bought her a cheap model that played bad (not that we had any inkling of how to evaluate one at that point), with the idea that she'd have to earn a more expensive one by showing some dedication. It turned out to have the opposite effect... she came in with a keen interest, which was partially extinguished by the bad instrument. Don't make that mistake.

I have a different take on the piano as a "solitary" instrument. Yes, it's solitary when learning for the most part, because you practice at home typically rather than in a group. However, for kids who really get into piano, there can be group opportunities down the road - accompanying concert or jazz band, playing in a small group, etc. More important though, of all the instruments you can learn (with the possible exception of guitar), a piano can be an extremely "social" instrument once you've learned enough to be able to just sit down and play - when you're hanging out with friends, etc - you can play. Most other people can't! When people want to sing, you can accompany them. I'm not explaining this well lol... but for example, playing clarinet in band is truly a group experience. Most kids don't continue with concert band in college. Some do. Very few adults continue playing with a concert band throughout their lives - and rarely, if ever, when hanging out with friends or just hanging out at home with family, do adults just whip out a clarinet and play. But if there's a piano around and you want to play, you can play. Other people usually enjoy listening or singing along. You don't have to haul your instrument everywhere with you, but keyboards and pianos just tend to "be" places.

Re what to actually choose for a starter instrument, I'd recommend the piano also (but not because it's a social instrument lol)... because it offers the opportunity to build a solid foundation in music understanding, which will benefit a child no matter what instrument they choose to play later on.

And... from what I've seen (having seen quite a few kids start instruments early)... many kids who start playing a brass or woodwind early on change their minds about which instrument they really want to play when they get into middle school and band/orchestra starts in school.

polarbear

Just to amplify polarbear's solid point about piano and solitude... when it comes right down to it, a lot of musical practice is solitary, anyway. And when it comes to band rehearsals, children with aptitude find themselves bored because they're not learning fast enough (my DD10 complains about this... she also complains that the brass and drums are too loud/obnoxious, and she can't hear herself play).

There's something to be said for playing by yourself, and learning one-on-one.

There's often a piano role in the orchestra for the school musical, and vocal music teachers love having an accompanist in the group, so they don't have to try to direct and play at the same time. My group's accompanist had 30 kids at her house the night before tryouts, so solitary she was not.

Piano doesn't necessary have to be s solitary instrument. The pit for our H.S. Marching Band has kids who play the keyboard and vibraphone. The students who play these instruments usually started and still play the piano.

Piano is never a bad choice. It's a good instruments for understanding music theory. I took lessons for 8 years as a kid and don't regret it. But I never did manage to get either kid to take lessons although we do have a keyboard they fool around with.

Talked to my son and right now he just wants to learn how to play the recorder because that's what the music teacher is going to teach them how to play in 4th grade.

So I ordered two like the ones they will be using and he and I are going to be learning how to play the recorder over the Summer.

Still holding out hope he will want to try something else as well....piano, violin, guitar tenor saxophone (ok, a little too early for that but since it's what I played......).

I appreciate everyone's help and advice!!!

TripleB

After hearing the cello, now that's what DD wants to play rather than violin! It is a beautiful instrument, too bad it's so large. We went to the orchestra concert at her school and one of the orchestra groups had about 15 violins/violas and one cello. The younger group had probably 20-25 violins/violas and 3 cellos. So I can see why they are holding a lottery.

Daughters both started on trumpet because it was what they wanted to play. One started in 6th grade the other in 3rd grade. It really comes down to what the kid wants to play... If they have no interest in piano or violin then making them start with either of those will cause them to hate it and possibly hate music. At that age having them play something they want to play will make everything much easier. The notion that a 8 year old doesn't have enough air to play is BS... If a kid can blow up a balloon they can play a wind instrument.