Musical Instruments

I would let her pick, but just remember that since she is so young her fingers are still small and things on some instruments might be hard for her to reach just yet.
Good luck!

Piano is a good one to start on. She can learn all the music basics and go on to another instrument later if she wants. She's a little young for lessons though.

How about the most portable, her own voice. singing lessons build confidence and speaking skills.

Piano or violin.
There should be a music store that the high schools and middle schools use for their instrument rentals. You can rent a 1/32 size violin for a while and as she grows you can exchange them for larger sizes. This will only teach her the treble clef.
Starting her on piano will teach both treble and bass clefs.

When praticing I have had mine do all their songs three times,
first they name the notes, E-D-C-D-E-E-E-D-D-D-E-G-G
then they count their fingers, 3-2-1-2-3-3-3-2-2-2-3-5-5
then they play the song

After a while, when they get used to praticing and used to the notes they can drop saying the notes and counting fingers and move to counting rhythms, 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4 all the time.

My daughter sits and plays her piano songs about 5 times a day, my son will play through his once now. You will have to sit and help your daughter through each song while she is learning.

You will have to help her resin her bow if you start violin. Plus you will have to wipe the violin down with a soft lintfree cloth once a week or so. This keeps the resin off the vioin itself. PUt a soft cloth, washcloth or somthing on her shoulder when she first starts. Be patient, violins can be squeaky and painful to your ears for a while until she gets the hang of it.

Let her grow a bit before you introduce woodwinds and brass instruments. My two youngest are in a homeschool band and the youngest band child is in 3rd grade or 8 years old. The string students start as young as 3 and 4, they do not play in the orchestra untl they are 8 or in 3rd grade.

INtroduce different types of music to her, play classical, Christian, country, 50's and 60's and big band. She will get a feel for the different genres. Do this througout her life.

Piano. It's the best way to learn music theory, and she won't have to struggle with holding down strings like a guitar. I started my daughter at 4. The teacher was reluctant because she wasn't reading yet and wasn't sure if she could translate notes on paper to keyboard, but we gave it a try. She learned all the counting and symbols first and then exercises on black notes, so by the time she had the whole foundation she was well primed for notes. Now at 5 she is playing songs and giving us a little concert next week.

You will have to commit to practicing with her every day at this age, she will not be able to just practice on her own. If she doesn't practice in between lessons, it's not much use, and maybe better to wait until she's a bit older. Mine wants to start violin as well, and we thought it was unaffordable, but a teacher told us about a place the rents children's violins for about $100/year, so we're thinking of letting her do that too.

It's a bit of a struggle at times, "liking music" and actually committing to learning an instrument naturally don't jibe in 4 year olds "automatically". We were blessed to have been given a piano by my dad. I figured having a real teacher was a great dynamic for her, and I have had to just make the commitment to be firm, which is good for starting study habits as well as keeping it fun and positive so she doesn't hate from an early age. Our practices are "our special time together" while her younger sister and brother have to "leave us alone". There were times she would have given up on it for sure, but she has always been happy to press through, finish a practice (about 20-30 minutes a day, now 40 preparing for "concert"). I've been very proud to see her do so well.

I took lessons when I was older, and not for long because as a teen I hated it. I love to play now though, so thank goodness I did it. I figure, get' em while they're young and eager, so at least they've accomplished more when they quit... :)

My 11 y/o son and 9 y/o daughter both showed an intense interest in music....I took them to all the free concerts I could find (check your local library and arts groups!) and just let there be instruments lying around the house, if they were interested in it. I play piano so we had one of them.

My son gravitated towards the piano, whereas my daughter liked "blowy" instruments (lol). She plays flute, recorder and harmonica. My son plays piano and now guitar and bass. My oldest son, 13, decided to get in on the action last year and learned guitar.

DD picked up harmonica first, she started that when she was five. DS started plinking around on the piano around age four.

I never got them lessons. I just let them figure it out.

If you're interested, there's an amazing singer/songwriter named Cathasaigh (she's based in Pittsburgh, PA). She was homeschooled (just like my kids :) and she never had any music lessons. She's won awards and plays over 40 instruments and she never had a music lesson, either. Our kids LOVE her music (she has a really soothing voice!). She's also a great role model to show kids that you don't HAVE to take lessons to learn how to play an instrument. Her music can be heard at www.myspace.com/cathasaighmusic or www.cathasaigh.com.

Friends of ours from Pittsburgh introduced us to her music. We've got her CDs now...I really recommend her Christmas CD! She writes her own music, does her own recording...basically, she does everything herself. Kids usually love her music, so you might want to let your daughter listen?? Her music is very "clean"!

Just something to check into. :)

ALSO, just thought of this...Never give a child under fourteen voice lessons! The voice hasn't matured enough yet and it can really mess with the vocal chords. My sister was a music major. :)

If she learns the piano, it will be very easy for her to transfer to whatever instrument she wants. (also the instrument is pre-tuned, so it's easier on the ears if you know what I mean) :o)

I'm a piano teacher in the Williamstown, NJ area... probably a little far for you. I took up the violin in high school and played throughout college... It was very easy for me to take up other instruments knowing the piano...

I'm not sure what is around your area. If you are anywhere near the Princeton, NJ area, there is a wonderful school called the New School for Music Study that has a group piano class called Time to Begin. The kids really learn so fast since it's a social activity. 4.5 may be a little young... but some kids are ready. (especially girls... I've found that they are ready a bit earlier...)

If she's not ready for an instrument yet, there are lots of group music activities like Kindermusik, Music Together, or Musikgarten.

Good luck!
M. Slawsky
www.slawskypianostudio.com

We started out daughter out on piano. But she was older (longer finger reach). I think she was 7. I know plenty of people who started sooner, and we would have too, if we'd been able to find a good teacher that fit our schedule then. I also know many who have opted for stringed instruments like violin.

IF you decide to go with the piano, it is a fantastic way to open the door to just about any other instrument she might ever have an interest in, because you learn both treble and bass clef.

violin, piano and recorder are good first instruments. It will help teach her to read music and for violin they make miniature ones you can rent. I have gotten out my flute (I was a music major in college and play flute, clarinet, piccolo, alto sax, piano and trumpet) and can tell you that at almost 4, my daughter can make a sound on it but there is NO WAY her hands would reach properly to play -- even in another 1/2 a year. Most schools with good music programs will start kids on the recorder at around 8 and regular instruments around age 10. Good luck and hope she keeps up the interest :)

Hi, L.:
Do you have a kindermusic at one of the music places in your area?
I would think a long time before I invest in an expensive musical
instrument.
Just a thought.
D.

My 16 yr old loves her violin. She is quite good at it and will figure out a song she loves on the radio and be playing it on her violin. She has a keyboard she uses a lot as well.

She loves music and has written a couple of songs too! I think it is great if your little one shows interest.

I loved the flute, played it for 8 years. Also the baritone sax (which is too big for her) for 7 years, the E (flat) Bass Clarinet (also too big) for another 2 years. Love music. Love that you want to get your daughter involved in it.
Maybe recorder? They can start reading music that way. Drums to understand "beat". Flute or clarinet (clarinet can lead to all of the saxophones). I was never able to figure out brass...unfortunately. Also, string instruments...maybe violin? (But, I think violin is screechy when kids are learning that....buy earplugs!)
Good luck to your daughter.
L.

Piano. You can buy her a cheap keyboard that plays music and see if she likes it. Other than that I can't think of one that would be easy for a four year old, other than drums. But drums, yikes.

It is never too early or too late to start playing. I started playing flute at age 29 and less than 2 years later played in my brothers wedding and went back to college as a music major. I love music. I started my daughter in Piano when she was 5 and a half. My son is 3 and a half and has taken an interest and her teacher now gives him a quick lesson as well. It is so different when they are younger. My daughter was very ready and is playing very well now, reading music, etc. She will be 6 in June. My son is still learning how to press the keys, recognize the keys etc. So she is progressing much faster and was very ready, but he is not and is hopefully just having some fun. My daughter wanted to start with violin, but I felt piano would be a better basic instrument and they can pick later what they want to play. Anyway, I took both kids to music together first for a few years before starting the lessons. So you can start with an instrument now or try something like music together first. Either way let her have fun. Music should be fun and exciting.

Wow - what a lot of good answers you have! Is there a particular instrument she's interested in? Could you take her to a concert or two, and/or play some CDs for her, and find out what instruments she likes to listen to the best? Some of them, like strings, come in small sizes for small hands.

Loving music (which is fun) isn't the same as learning an instrument (which is work!). Just keep that in the back of your mind. When it comes to lessons, ask around of your friends who have children in music lessons to get the name of a teacher who is especially good with little ones.

Piano is a terrific instrument for learning about music as well as playing. But some children like another instrument better, and add piano later. And singing is always great (and you don't have to rent anything)!

Both of my daughters started playing the piano at age 5. They are now 8 and 13 and both still have weekly lessons. What a wonderful gift you are giving to your daughter!q