Kids' musical instruments

October 7, 2009 10:24 AM

Musical instruments for kids.

At Xmas this year my son will be exactly 7 1/2 years old. He is very interested in music, by that I mean that he listens to the radio intently and frequently asks for specific tracks/cds to be added to his MP3 player. He sings along in tune and tends to remember large amounts of the lyrics.

What would be the best way to take this interest to the next level and introduce an element of learning an instrument? And what instrument?

We live in the country so noise really isn't a factor but we don't have space for a piano.

posted by cameronfromedinburgh to media & arts (22 comments total)

Electronic keyboard?
posted by molybdenumblue at 10:26 AM on October 7

well if you don't have space for a piano, you definitely don't have space for a drumset, so how about a guitar? versatile, portable, fun, used in the majority of popular music. electric or acoustic is your choice (but electric is way more rad).
posted by Mach5 at 10:33 AM on October 7

At his age, I got a keyboard for Christmas along with lessons. It was the beginning of a longterm love affair with learning music. It helps provide a good base for sight-reading and music theory that might otherwise be a little harder for a child to interpret with other instruments.
posted by sunshinesky at 10:33 AM on October 7

I started with violin and piano concurrently at about that age, then moved to trumpet, then guitar, and then a whole bunch of other stuff in my teens, with piano lessons continuing until I was about 16, as I recall. Violin and piano were both very good for that age.
posted by The World Famous at 10:33 AM on October 7

(btw, there are lots of decent keyboards and stands that can easily find space in a closet while not in use)
posted by sunshinesky at 10:34 AM on October 7

Is there not an instrument he has mentioned any interest in? That would be the one to start with. If he's not sure, there is probably a way he can try out different ones briefly to see what he enjoys most.
posted by jeather at 10:34 AM on October 7

What about software like Groovy, or FlexiMusic Kids Composer?
posted by Flipping_Hades_Terwilliger at 10:35 AM on October 7

Ukulele. It isn't hard on your fingers like guitar and it is easy to sing to. Don't buy a really cheap one though, they don't stay in tune well.
posted by useyourmachinegunarm at 10:36 AM on October 7

2nding ukulele. I got one when I was about 5 or 6. Also played a recorder & learned autoharp at an early age.
posted by torquemaniac at 10:59 AM on October 7

I took piano lessons for years, but it wasn't until middle school that I started playing the viola and found the instrument I really love. My best suggestion is to get piano or guitar lessons, because they're harmonic instruments (they play their own harmonies) and will give him a better "general sense" of music. (I know you said you don't have room for a piano, but electric keyboards work just fine and they're smaller.) Then, when he wants to try something else, let him try something else. A broad approach is really key to having a great understanding for music, and sometimes it takes a while to find the instrument you're really passionate about. Maybe it'll be the drums, maybe cello, maybe trumpet. But if he starts now on any instrument, really, it will only benefit him.
posted by eleyna at 11:03 AM on October 7

I played flute in junior high. It wasn't difficult to learn, I rented one cheaply until my parents were sure that it was worth buying me one, and it was a heck of a lot easier to lug around than my neighbour's tuba.

But I really wish I'd gotten a guitar instead. I might actually still be playing it.
posted by futureisunwritten at 11:05 AM on October 7

A Strumstick:

The Strumstick was designed by Bob McNally. The Strumstick uses a diatonic scale fretting (the notes of a major scale). We call that "No Wrong Notes", because they all sound good together. The strings are tuned in a drone relationship (octaves and fifth). The mountain dulcimer, bagpipes, and Indian sitar are other instruments from around the world that use a drone tuning. The combination of diatonic scale and drone tuning make the strumstick immediately fun, and very easy to play, even for beginners...

Children find the Strumstick fascinating and easy. The small size of the Strumstick makes it easy for the hands of small children, and a child can make a lot of fun music on the Strumstick with a little adult guidance. Kids as young as three have started the Strumstick, mostly strumming (again, with some adult supervision). By the time kids are 5 or 6, they can play melodies and strum and play songs. Many Strumstick players started as children and then contimued on to guitar, or other instruments. The Strumstick is a wonderful introduction to music for people of all ages.

. I have one, and I love it.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 11:21 AM on October 7

This really depends on whether he'd like the "play chords, sing along" type instrument, or if he's looking to play melodies on an instrument.

For the first, I'd recommend ukelele, which would be right up his alley, or a guitar if he's a little bigger. Electronic keyboard is also good, but the main issue with that is that it's going to be a bit daunting.

If he wants to play melodies, the intro instrument is the recorder. It doesn't create it's own harmonies, but can give him a sense of pitch and other such things, especially if his interests go towards wind instruments later on.

Any of the suggestions upthread are good, but I'd like to say that I'm glad you're encouraging your child's musical nature!
posted by SNWidget at 11:25 AM on October 7

Additional: One of the reasons McNally designed the Strumstick was as sort of training wheels for guitar. Most guitar students who give up do so early on because the early months are not about making music, but doing guitar drills and getting your hands in shape. You're not really making much in the way of music for the first 6-9 months. And that's when lots of people quit in frustration.

With a strumstick, you're making music right out of the package. Literally. And as one develops technique, stepping up to the guitar is a slightly more complex set of skills added onto to ones you've already mastered.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 11:25 AM on October 7

Instruments that are a good start for younger kiddos but that don't likely require lessons from a specialist (you could get a book and learn at the same time! just enough to stay ahead of him) and are available in appropriate sizes: guitar, uke, recorder.

Instruments that are available in small sizes, but that you'd want to have a teacher for: violin, cello. Many kids start at 7 or 8 (my favorite age to start kids is 3rd or 4th grade- old enough to be coordinated, organized and get off the ground quickly, young enough to be super-excited about it, but younger is fine).

Instruments that are mentioned above that are way, way too big for a 7 year-old to play: flute.
posted by charmedimsure at 12:07 PM on October 7

I'm going to plug the melodica. Reasonably cheap (100-200), similar to a piano in a lot of ways, and easy for a kid to pick up. They were specifically created as teaching instruments, I believe.
posted by Lemurrhea at 12:16 PM on October 7

Please consider getting your son a recorder. They're much easier to learn than guitar/uke because the motions each hand uses is largely identical whereas the stringed instruments are like rubbing your tummy and patting your head. Tuning them presents a whole 'nother challenge... unless you play guitar yourself, you'll just create a frustrated kid who can't understand why his efforts don't match what he hears on the radio.

Recorders offer quick rewards. From fingering diagrams, or just by noodling around, he can quickly learn simple pieces (e.g., Mary had a Little Lamb) that will give him a sense of accomplishment. Recorder lessons will also teach him to read music (well, G-clef anyway), which will serve him well throughout life, e.g., when singing unfamiliar hymns at friends' weddings. He will also be able to play chamber music in small groups, which is also fun and a great learning experience. A soprano recorder will fit his hands and is among the most versatle. Plastic recorders are inexpensive and require little special care.
posted by carmicha at 4:21 PM on October 7

I think guitar is a skill-for-your-whole-lifetime kind of thing - play to yourself, with your friends, very informally. You can get one inexpensively and there are plenty of resources out there to learn - using tabs, he can play a variety of popular music in less than a week (and there are tons of youtube tutorials, etc. if he's not going to have a formal teacher.
posted by R a c h e l at 4:39 PM on October 7

There are several books written about this:
The Right Instrument for your Child
Musical Instruments for Children: Choosing What's Right for Your Child
Which Musical Instrument?

Good luck!
posted by cbrody at 5:10 PM on October 7

I also think that a recorder is a good beginner instrument. Get the reading music thing under his belt, no big barriers to learning how to play it properly (flute can give you some frustration with improper embouchure and blowing so hard you think you're going to pass out). It's relatively cheap, and there is actually some skill involved in make it sound really good.

Recorder seems like it would have the best ratio of effort:music. I think that melodies are better for comprehending at a young age than the harmonies involved in guitar playing, and the skills from reading real sheet music are more transferable than those from learning to play tabs.

The thing I think that makes playing music the most awesome is playing with someone else. So get two recorders (two sopranos or a soprano to fit his hands and an alto to fit yours), a book of duets, and learn to play with him!
posted by that girl at 6:53 PM on October 7

Kids should play ukulele.
posted by ludwig_van at 8:37 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

I learned how to play piano on a 1988 Casio keyboard -- it wasn't quite full-sized, but it did the trick until my parents got a real piano several years down the road. Piano is awesome because you learn two clefs (base and treble), which is invaluable when you try to play new instruments down the road. Learning to read music is also a huge skill in general.

I resurrected the Casio from my parents' basement to play it in a band, which is awesome (and hilarious).
posted by Maarika at 9:12 AM on October 8