It’s something that’s all around us these days and something that your kids will doubtless spend a lot of time with. Yep, that’s right. Music.

Learning To Play Music From A Young Age

Something you may want to consider for your child is organising musical lessons for them. There are several things to consider such as, is your child the right age to begin learning? What instrument should you choose?

Generally, any age is good to start at, if the child can sit attentively and learn by following the example of a tutor. Children as young as 4 or 5 can pick up the skills required, and a great knowledge of music will give them great opportunities in the years ahead

The Piano

If you’re lucky enough to have a piano in the home, then this is a perfect opportunity for your child to start out on the path to proficiency by organising some home-based lessons for them. Not only will they have the chance to learn in comfortable, familiar surroundings, but they will also have access to the piano every day for that all important practice.

One of the main drawbacks about learning the piano at a young age is that small hands would not be able to stretch fully to reach as far as may be required for some music. Also, use of the piano pedals, to control the tone of the music, will be beyond the reach of a child’s legs to begin with and this may limit the rate of learning but that shouldn’t really make a great deal of difference, as the basic skills required - reading music, learning the notes, scales and musical theories can easily be picked up and these are, arguably, the most important part of learning any style of instrument.

Learning from an early age also helps develop great hand-eye co-ordination skills and since the ability to read music is something that can be used for any instrument, the piano is a good choice for younger children, if you have access to one, or pay for private lessons

Wind instruments for kids

If you’re thinking of purchasing an instrument for your child to learn, you may want to consider wind instruments. These are great for kids because they come in such a wide range of styles and types and you can start off with something small such as a simple children’s recorder or harmonica which are available at very affordable prices, so that you can get a feel for your child’s enthusiasm levels.

The next step up from that, once your child has shown some proficiency and seems to be enjoying playing the instrument, is to go for an instrument that can lead to a higher level of professionalism. Now, I don’t mean that your child will become a maestro overnight! No, simply that to get the most enjoyment out of playing an instrument, you shouldn’t skimp on quality. Relatively small instruments such as saxophones and clarinets are ideal as they can produce a great sound and are easily obtainable in varying sizes to suit the grip, hand size etc. of your child.

There are two kinds of wind instruments available, Woodwind and Brass. These terms don’t refer to the material the instruments are made from, but are used to classify the way in which a sound is made using them. A Woodwind instrument creates sound by blowing across a reed, a thin strip of material which vibrates to produce a sound (in the case of a clarinet), by blowing across an edge (in the case of a recorder) or by blowing across an opening (like a flute. Or the open top of a bottle!)

Brass instruments create their sound by the vibration of the lips of the player. This can be more demanding on the player as the constant vibration of the lips can be tiring, especiall for a small child.

For children under the age of 8-9, heavier, more cumbersome instruments such as the clarinet, saxophone oboe etc. may not be suitable for these reasons

String Instruments for children

String instruments are another option you can consider, but for very young children this may not be the best option. Popular examples include the guitar and violin, both of which are good solid instruments for slightly older children, around the age of 8 or 9 to learn.

Playing guitar or violin involves a great deal of hand dexterity and the constant pressure on the fingertips can cause blistering, but this fades after a while, once the fingers get used to it.

A violin may be the best choice to begin with as, due to their small size, violins are ideal for children and they will be able to keep the same size as they grow older. With guitars, you would need to purchase a child’s size instrument, as an adult guitar is too large for them.

When choosing a guitar, you can choose between steel and nylon strings and an important consideration is that steel strings will be rougher on the fingertips, making the learning process slightly more wearing. Nylon strings are a good choice for children starting out learning the guitar.

Electric guitars are also an option as the child grows older. You may think this would be a noisier option, but electric guitars, when not plugged in are much quieter than their acoustic opposites and headphones can be attached for that extra privacy. Also, sound effect pedals can be added into the loop to produce some amazing sounds, and add into that your child’s inevitable enthusiasm for loud rock music, and an investment in an electric guitar when they’re older, perhaps 13 or 14 would seem like an excellent option. They are more expensive than acoustic guitars though, but a good quality one (don’t go for the cheapest, or even second cheapest you find. With electric guitars, you will notice a great deal of difference in the sound) will last for years.

Building up enthusiasm for your child’s musical learning

Now, learning music isn’t easy. If it was, we’d all be doing it! Your child will frequently show signs of dropping enthusiasm levels but you must encourage them. Even if you can’t tell a C sharp from an A flat yourself, and see music as nothing but dots on a page, sit down with your child now and again and listen to them practice. Even ask questions to test their knowledge, and they can feel proud to have learned something that you’re asking their advice on.

There are many aids and learning devices which can be used to help the learning process. Like stabilisers on a bike, there are things that can guide the way, such as a keyboard map which is placed behind the keys on a keyboard to show which keys are where, or audio tapes and cds with books which will provide an audio example of what needs to be played.

Computer programmes are also available which will allow your child to make their own music and to see exactly how notes and sounds change as the type of note, the position of the note etc. change on the page. The most effective way of learning is by experimentation.

Enjoy!

Whatever instrument you choose for your child, remember that music is an extremely important part of life. It’s all around us and by giving your child the gift of musical ability, they’ll feel that bit more capable of taking part in all the things life has to offer