First Time Instrument

My son when he was 9 started on the violia, and moved up to the sax 2 years later, when he was 15 he started the drums. Today he is 22 and still can play all three. I would have him stick with one instrument for at least 1-2 years before changing to another.

I would let him pick which one to play with him also maoking a committment, my daughter played the flute in Jr high school for two yrs, plus we had a private tuter come over to the house, she did lose interest in it, but heres the thing, when ever we look back into lifes reflections there is no regrets, only memories and stories to tell. There is no regrets with him playing something.

Clarinet is a great beginning band instrument. My daughter started on violin b/c her school starts them in 4th grade on strings...then offers band in 5th and 6th grade. Unfortunately due to budget cuts, they cut out the 4th grade program for now :(

Piano is also a great instrument, but is usually taught privately. Best wishes. Band is an excellent outlet for kids...for their brains and they usually are so busy with band, they stay out of trouble :)

J.
www.AisForAutism.net

I would really caution you to not overschedule your nine year old. I would limit him to one or two activities outside of school. That way he can focus on school and also on spending time with you and the family. Good luck.

There's always something to be said for letting the person try what appeals to him or her. I have a long history with music. My sister and I started with the violin (her) and piano (me) at age 6, and we still, in our seventies, play together. But that is because we had good training and good supervision from our parents. My mother sat with us to practice when we were little.

With my own children, (seven), two became accomplished musicians, three professional dancers, two professional visual artists. Everyone wondered how we could possibly have so much talent in one family. The secret is getting your children to actually stick with something long enough to become somewhat proficient. The activity then becomes self-rewarding. My children loved what they did.

Practicing was always done for a half hour before school. That way, it didn't interfere with after school play or sports. If lessons were involved, we didn't cancel to go to the beach or because "but I want to play with my friend today." If we could see that the "fit" for a particular instrument or activity wasn't right for that child, we allowed them to stop after an agreed-upon period of time. That went for dance lessons, ceramics lessons, etc. You had to agree to practice where that was appropriate, go to lessons and pay attention and try your best, and stick with it during the period of instrument rental, or until dance shoes were too small, or art materials were used up -- whatever applied.

In my opinion, most kids drop out because they never receive the training or supervision with practice that allows them to really enjoy what they are doing. No one enjoys doing something badly, and very few people do something well without attention and practice. So your commitment needs to be, whatever the instrument, to supervise practice and pay attention to what is being learned. Usually school instrument practice isnt all that difficult, at least at the beginning. Look over the instructions on how the instrument should be held, what mouth position is correct or hand position is correct, etc. Have the child go over each assignment three times correctly. Then practice is over! The teacher will be grateful, your child will do well, and if the instrument is a good fit, you may have a budding musician on your hands.

I hope this is helpful in some way.
S. Toji

Many schools have instruments the kids can borrow, and there are music stores that rent instruments, so you don't have to make a finacial investment in what might be a passing fancy. I believe the saxaphone has similar fingerings to the flute, so you may be able to help him a bit. Heck, maybe his cousins would be willing to help him learn, too! I think the sax might be easier to learn, and might (MIGHT) be easier on your ears when he practices. Since he already likes jazz, it might help keep him interested to hear what he might be able to play with practice.

Band and orchestra were the most fun part of school for my husband and I (we met in junior high band!). I hope you continue to encourage his interest in music, whatever form that might take.

Hi K.,

Personally I would go for the Sax. Both his cousins play, and this probably will give him incentive to keep up with them and show them a thing or two. Also the older he gets the girls think the sax is really cool!. I know this might not matter now, but believe me it will matter in a couple of years.
You have to keep on him to practice. My 11 year old has taken piano for a few years, and she goes through these weird little periods of saying she's bored with it and doesn't want to do it anymore, but we keep on her and each time she's happy she's still playing. All the adults I know that played some kind of instrument when they were younger kick themselves now for quitting. So if he plays, just keep him on a schedule, listen to him play when he's learned something and make sure you give him lots of koodos.

Good luck.

A.

I'm a working mum, although get off in time to pick up my 11 year old from school. :) have a 21 year old in design school (very proud parent of both)

Hello K.. I think all kids are different, as are levels of difficulty with each one, but my daughter played flute in school for a while and loved it. It was easy for her to learn, and also to practice on. Good luck to you :)

K.,
That is so great that your son wants to play an instrument. My son started playing the trumpet at 9 and played it through 8th grade, then moved to the Drum Line in the H.S. marching band. It was so great because he made amazing friends and stayed out of trouble. He just left for UMASS and is now on their drum line. Really encourage your son to play whatever he wants and help him to stick with it. It will also help him with Math and Science... It makes kids smarted when they play music....So they say! Good luck.....

Go with the saxophone. It's relatively easy, so he'll make progress quickly. He'll sound pretty good right from the start. Violin, I think, has a much steeper learning curve.

Encourage your son to try the violin. Yes, it is a difficult instrument but kids are so eager to learn and with your encouragement, he can overcome the difficulty and have a real sense of pride over his accomplishment. My son started playing violin in the 4th grade, using the violin offered by the school district. The following year he was allowed to have his own violin and that in of itself encouraged him to continue with his practice because he really wanted his own violin. He has been playing ever since and now at age 15, he is in the advanced chamber orchestra at his high school and he plays beautifully. He advanced from student violin to an adult size violin and even purchased an inexpensive electric violin. As he's gotten older, we've encouranged him to listen to other violinists such as Joshua Bell and the all female group, Bond, and it has kept him inspired. It sounds like your son has a very full schedule but music is wonderful and important; tests show that children who participate in music study continually test higher in math and science than children who do not and culturally, music offers a wholly different world to explore. I know the study of music benefitted my son tremendouslly and he has continued to do exceptionally well in all his other school work. Good luck to you and your son!

Wow!! It is so awesome that your son is interested in music!! I would try to educate him in both instruments, talk to others who play them, play the type of music that each instrument normally will play (usually with violin, its classical in the early years - will this turn him off?) Then require him to choose one. In my view, music builds a great foundation for academics and builds the brain. BUT it also requires daily practice. My 5 year old tried piano because she could take a class with friends, but the practice was too much for her and she dropped out after 3 months. It is the daily practice that will make it or break it. I say make sure he knows all of the conditions (daily practice, one year commitment, performances required) and let him try the instrument he chooses.

All instruments are difficult in their own way. I would base his choice on what he is most interested in. Many kids find early success with the saxophone AND the violin. Some of the harder starting instruments include flute, bassoon, and oboe. Brass instruments are easy to get a sound out but are complicated to understand.

A saxophone may be a good choice, but it will be loud! I'm personally amazed that a school is offering instrument choices as a 9 year old. Good luck with his decision.

You can always rent the instrument until you are sure he's going to stick with it. That's what most junior high kids do. Then you're not stuck with an instrument that no one plays.

If you can afford to have your son participate in orchestra, it would be good to allow him to succeed or fail on his own. Our best lessons are because we failed. The second best lessons are when we succeed by overcoming obstacles. Selecting an instrument because it is easy is not honoring his wish to play sax. He is motivated to play a specific instrument by both family and a talented musician. If he fails, it is okay so long as he fails with dignity.

Awesome!! I have 4 in high school band ( 1 senior, 1 jounior, and 2 freshman)this year and they have all been playing since 5th grade. The older 2 play trumpet and flute and the younger 2 both started on clarinet and last year in Jr high they both added other instruments. One now plays bass clarinet and played tenor sax in jazz band and the other still plays clarinet in band but played bari sax in jazz band. Clarinet is a great instrument to start off with and is an easy jump off to the other low reed instruments. A little helpful hint we found is that ebay is a great place to buy reeds. Now that they are in high school my two are required to use eithe Vandoren or Mitchell Lurie and there are several places on ebay that sell them for a lot less than the local music stores.

Is trumpet an option? If so, I think that is a great instrument, especially for boys. It's very Jazzy, too. There are only three keys, it is easy to carry around and if he ever joins band, trumpet is the most often heard instrument. Also, just fyi-if your son goes into band in high school and enjoys it, he could apply for a marching band scholarship in college-they are out there and are usually quite good.

Hi K.:
Because your son has so much on his plate,as far as extra activities,and because the Orchestra demands an entire year commitment,rather than waste hundreds on an instrument,and take the chance of him burning out after a few weeks,I'd get ahold of a music school or teacher, use their instrument,and a few lessons,to see how he takes to it.You may save yourself a bundle,and save your son the embarrassment of wanting to quit a commitment he talked you into. I wish you and your musically inclined son the best

As I am typing my 13 yr old is playing her Bari Sax. She played my alto saxophone that I played all through school including college. I started on flute and had a tough time playing it so the next year I switched to saxophone. My daughter's Junior High music teacher suggests that a student learns a instrument prior to learning drums so they learn how to read music. Her school has a tough time finding brass players so she ended up playing tuba last year since there were so many woodwinds. I personally prefer a woodwind instrument or a brass instrument but you don't hear the squawking sound from a brass player when they first start as you do from a clarinet or saxophone player.

Good luck with your decision.

L. K

I started clarinet at that age before I learned some other instruments. What a great activity! and I know that playing an instrument has been linked to doing well with other academic activity. The sax is a great instrument to start with especially if you aren't sure how long he will stick to it because they are easy to find and rent, if you want to go the renting route. They are also inexpensive to keep up since the reeds are a common size. Something like the violin will probably be more expensive (especially if something happens to the bow) and for private lessons too if he needs them.
Also playing will likely prompt your 3 year old to want to play an instrument eventually too!

Hi K.,

Any instrument your child is interested in is the right one. Any instrument will be hard at first, whehter it's a wind or a string or even the drums. Also, not every kid is going to play well; what counts is enjoying the music and learning something new, in my opinion. Any parent who has sat through an elementry or junior high band concert knows this! <g>

Happy playing!

Hi K.,
I think it's easy to get wooed into the 'more is better' idea regarding giving your child everything. But, more is more for kids and it really dilutes their childhood to have too much going on. It is exciting to want to do everything, but where is the quality time with family if there are so many activities? Where is the down time? Bored time? Boredom is actually a blessing for children and it engages them into an open space, instead of a closed box of 'this is what you're doing' that they're usually in throught the day. Perhaps you and your child could pick 2 or 3 activities--the ones that really speak to your child--and drop the rest. My daughter goes to a private school and I work there and I can't tell you the number of 'fried' kids we get...too much going on. Focus on doing a few things well. Best of luck!
K.

The important thing is he wants to play. That's great. Let him choose an instrument and try it out. Don't lose anything by trying, right? About the drums, you can always get him private lessons, if that's what he really wants.

Music can be very rewarding! it's wonderful that you are encouraging.

My Mother-in-law (65 years old) is fullfilling her dream. She is taking violin lessons.
After 4 months, she is playing nicely.

I would let your child play the Sax. Seek advice from the band teacher. Maybe he/she can help your son make a decision based on skills and desires from his heart.

Best of luck,
M.

If you've played an instrument then you know that all will require practice. If you feel he's in overload just say no, or ask him if he wants to give something else up. Good luck.

Hi K.,
We have a 13 year old who also wanted to play an instrument. After considering what the school had to offer, we chose the violin. It turned out to be a good choice as our son has now transitioned to taking guitar lessons after 3 years of violin. Guitar has come rather easy for him given his violin background. Just be diligent about his practice time no matter what you choose. Our son is also busy with martial arts and we have to schedule very carefully as they really do need to practice everyday to make it worthwhile and rewarding. You won't regret your decision or invested time once you see your little one at his first recital!

Best of luck!
M.

Hi K.,

JMO but it should not matter what instrument either you or your hubby played, this is about your son and what interests him....and no matter what instrument HE chooses it will be HIS choice.... I think both the Sax and the Violin are equal in the level of difficulty (yes they are different types of instruments both will have their own challenges but both are equally good choices)... you can rent instruments and this is at most one semester maybe two through school and if he does not like this instrument he is only committed at most 40 weeks (2 semesters) and then can try the other instrument. I would discuss this with his teacher and get his imput as well. I would also explain to your son that this is a "big" commitment and that it may be difficult at times, but he is part of a team/group and his participation is important. That if after the end of this class he decides he does not like this he can choose something else and again it will be a commitment... (i did this with my son for sports while he was in HS..he chose football- he was 5'1 and 95 lbs as a frosh player, he played all 4 yrs and was invited to coach for 4 additional years after he graduated, all because he proved to be a great team player supporting the team).

hope that helps..

Hi K., My daughter was in the Orchestra, in Middle school. she started on the Violin, so we bought her a Violin from Sears for Christmas while she was in 7th grade, she played it for 2 years, and now it sits in her room in case, she is 19 now, and has not picked up that violinj for years. we paid a coule hundred dollares for it, that was for the violin, case, sheet music, and the chalk stuff, I feel it was worth it, becasue she performed at colleges, and Band reviews, and a few other compitions. The Violin is light weight, easy maintance, so I would go with that, if he would like to play that. J. L.

Hi, K.,

My husband is a professional musician who plays tenor sax, clarinet, bass guitar, and keyboards occasionally. He says that sax and clarinet are quite similar. I started with piano and think that that instrument is an easy instrument to start with as it's laid out in a straightforward way and one can play a song reasonably well very soon after starting. People tell me that the violin and other strings require more time to create something that sounds good or sounds like a song. Each person thinks differently, and different instruments require different skills, so it's possible that instrument A is difficult for Jack but easy for Jake and instrument B is easy for Jack but difficult for Jake. I will probably let my sons choose their instruments based on their interests as interest is a significant factor in longevity of practice.

Good luck,
Lynne E

Something "quirky" to think about...think about out of the ordinary instruments and try to get him interested in one, like say...viola...or French Horn, or Bass Clarinet, because if he is REALLY good, he can get a kick-butt music scholarship to college VERY easily if he plays a "hard to find" instrument well.

I speak from experience on this...

Also, piano is a wonderful instrument to begin with...

Hi K.!
I started in band when I was in 6th grade. I wanted to play flute, but the band teacher made me play the clairenet, as both my sisters did with the same band teacher. When I was in high school, he switched me to the sax and I loved it. It is very simple to play. I wish I still new how to play it. I love the saxaphone and think it would be a great choice for your child. The saxaphone has such a distinctive sound and is a much better choice than the clarinet. The saxaphone has so many more solo parts than a clarinet becuase of its distinctive sound. Good luck to you! Also, I forgot to mention, my daughter played the violin and hated it.
Good Luck!
Sharon

Hi K.,

As a former saxaphone player,it is one of the easier instruments to play; violin is a little tougher. One thing to consider is if he wants to be in orchestra or band (including pep and/or marching band). Violin is strictly orchestra, while sax is more commonly seen in band. My son tried trumpet and quit after the first concert. My daughter started on clarinet for a year then switched to violin, but after a year of that decided that music was not her forte. There isn't anything wrong with trying it and then dropping it, and the one year commitment insures they aren't trying it on a whim and gives them long enough to see if they are truly suited for it or not. Another thing to consider is how many other activities they are scheduled for. It is very easy to get them over-involved in too many activities. After all, we want to expose them to a variety of things, but kids need down time too and time just to be kids. We tried to limit our kids extra activities to two per season (ie: gymnastics and basketball), and it seemed to work pretty well. Whatever you decide, it's also a great opportunity to sit down and have a good discussion about it, talk about the pros and cons, and teach him about the decision making process; together you can make a decision that's right for the whole family. Good luck.
D. G