Choosing A Musical Instrument For Your Child

If you have a budding musician in the house, choosing the right musical instrument for your child is a big decision. Your family will be listening to that instrument daily for as long as they keep up lessons.

Learning to play a musical instrument not only makes contributes to your child’s academic progress, it teaches your child discipline and a sense of achievement. Playing music is also a great stress reliever and lots of fun.

It’s important to do your research before deciding on an instrument that best suits both your child and your family as a whole.

Here are some great tips to get you started, so your future star can get rehearsing!

How old is your budding rock star?

Wind instruments, with the exception of the blessed recorder, can’t be started until the child has a mouthful of adult teeth (usually about 7 or 8) in order to position their lips and teeth correctly to play them. String instruments can be made in sizes suitable for kids as young as three. Drums and piano can be started from about 3 years of age too.

Have you got a big enough boot or spot in the house?

So you probably won’t rush out and buy a baby grand piano at the first sign of a musical gift in your child, even upright pianos take up a fair bit of space. Oh, and they are super heavy! If you’re renting, it’s a large specialty item to have moved around. But there are keyboards to consider, or a smaller instrument. Drum sets also take up a lot of room, but digital kits or pads take up a lot less space and are cheaper to start with, and quieter. If you’re considering a cello, bass or tuba for your child to learn, think about how you will transport it around, and if it will fit in the boot of your car.

Costs

Consider your budget when choosing a musical instrument for your child. Take into account the cost of lessons and if you can reasonably afford to rent or purchase that instrument. You can often rent to buy to start with, which covers you in case it was just a passing fad. You could also try Gumtree or eBay for a second hand instrument to start with and invest in a better quality item over time.

Consider the music you like

Listen to music to help narrow the field as to which instrument your child would like to choose. Some kids already know which cool instrument they want to play while others will need more guidance. Start with instruments that you think best match their personalities. An extroverted child might enjoy a trumpet or drum kit, while a quieter child may prefer a flute or violin.

Whichever instrument you ultimately choose, make sure you can all stand to hear the instrument played badly. This is what you will be hearing to start with, daily. Your child will need your encouragement to keep up practice, especially in the beginning. Start with 10 minutes of practice once a day and increase the time in 5 minute increments until they are practicing for half an hour each day. As they improve the motivation to practice should come from a growing sense of achievement and you can finally stop nagging about that subject. For now.

Do your children play instruments? How did you help them choose the right instrument?