Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Cello or Violin?

No way he doesn't read any clef anything!! He is a strong guy, I think he will be ok (I hope!!)

thanks again, all!

As someone raising an 11 year old boy whose chosen instrument is a flute, I hope I'm reading your first post wrong. GS11 fell in love with the flute when an older cousin(in-law) played her flute at church. He started private lessons a year ago and joined the band at school this year, band starts in 6th grade. He's constantly getting razzed about playing a 'girl' instrument, and I'm constantly countering with getting him CD's of famous male flautists.
A larger instrument may fit your son's fingers more easily, but there are lots of "mans men" who play violin.

eta: GS11 has several friends who have taken private violin lessons for a year or more. Now that they're in 6th grade they could join the orchestra but have chosen to continue private violin lessons and join the band to learn a different instrument. These younger ages are a great time for exploration.

Hi, OhG, not sure how you read my original post, but I was intending to imply at least that OTHERS see some instruments (including voice) as 'girly' .... boys can't even join the chorus around here without being commented on!
It sucks, and I am sure the flute is just another example. My son also dances, so he is pretty shy about signing up for another 'girly' thing, and frankly I don't blame him even though LOGICALLY none of the instruments are either girly or masculine.

It is a sad state of affairs, but I did not intend to offend!

I did read a great book called 'When Men Dance', if I am remembering the title correctly. It has several excellent essays about the sort of boy or man who is not afraid (for the most part) of pursuing something like Dance or the Flute when others will undoubtedly end up pointing out to them that the discipline is 'for girls'.
In addition to being someone who is dedicated to making ART (some people have not apparently heard of this!) these guys are often extremely smart and what one would call rebellious, which I think is a pretty good self-image to promote, fairly healthy, imo. But yes, rarely understood, at least initially.

Anyway, hope your gs is enjoying his musical education, sounds like an excellent exploration!!

Well both the cellos and the violins should come in different sizes like 1/2, 3/4, 4/4. If your school is not having a sizing try the instruments out day, then I would find out who is renting out the instruments. You could always go directly to the strings shop and try out both and violin and a cello and get sized on both.

Our local strings shop is really friendly and has an awesome rent to own program that I would imagine is pretty universal. The monthly rental fee goes 100% towards owning the instrument. When the instrument gets too small, you can trade it in for a bigger one. Bigger and better instruments cost more, but you don't lose any money to swap up. My point is, you child should have an instrument that fits, whether it is a violin or a cello.

We are a violin family, but dd is curious about cello because then she could practice sitting down all the time. (At school she can sit with her violin, but at home and in private lessons she has to stand up. Life is hard...)

Long arms and fingers are good for violins too.

Bigger violins cost more than little violins, so I would guess that cellos cost more than violins. But that is only a guess.

At our school, there are more violin players than cellos, basses or violas. So picking something other than violin might highlight your child more. But then again, if you are ever looking for a private teacher, there are tons more violin teachers out there.

Best.

It's sad this problem has to exist. There are only 3 male flutes (out of 50/60) in my daughter's band. 1 of them (gifted) is perceived as "gay" because of this and gets made fun of a lot. DD doesn't really know any of the other ones, but they likely have a similar problem.
Unfortunately, it can also go the other way. At DD's "instrument try out day", she was told she wouldn't be able to play trumpet because of her braces, so she tried other ones. I think the conversation went about like this... (DD)" I like this euphonium, it seems like my mouth fits it good, and I like the sound. " (Director) "Okay, do you want to do that?" (DD, thinks, and then asks) "Would I be the only girl?" (Director) "yes, you would be the only girl, but we have had plenty of girls in the past." (DD) "I guess I'll try something else". There went tuba, euphonium, and trombone. Saxophone ended up being a good fit for her, but still, I don't like the fact that she felt constricted to choosing a woodwind/high brass instrument for sake of not being one of the few girls.