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Musical Instruments Children Will Always Want to Play
Choosing the right musical instrument children will enjoy can be a taxing subject. There have been many pages written on the subject but still it can be a minefield. Where should you begin? First of all let's not fall into the trap of picking the easiest instrument for your child. There are no easy instruments. All instruments have their own complexities and you have to examine all the pros and cons before making your choice (or should I say until the child makes their choice!). In fact it's all very well pushing a child onto a particular instrument (maybe because you missed out on playing it when you were a child?). But it really does have to be THE CHILD'S CHOICE. They are the one who is going to have to put in the countless hours of practice, not you.
BUT to be truly great musician you have to practice. There are NO short cuts. Do you want to know why? Because Music is actually two disciplines; 1. The mechanical learning of patterns for your fingers to follow in order for your instrument to play a tune. 2. The emotional enactment of bringing the musical symbols on the page to life and communicating your musical ideas to the world around you. Now you can't fully achieve #2 until you have mastered #1. Why? because #1 will always trip you up and take your attention away from the fact you're trying to communicate. So Practice, Practice, Practice.
Here are some points to bear in mind when thinking about what instrument your child would like to play: 1. The cost of the instrument 2. The size of your child (hand size etc.) 3. How loud the instrument is and do you have a room where they can practice without disturbing the whole house?(not always practical) 4. Is there a good teacher nearby to instruct your child? 5. Do you have room to store and play the instrument. Will you need to get a bigger car!? 6. What kind of music interests your child? I'm pretty sure my brother and sister gave up because the type of music they were taught didn't interest them. 7. I do believe there is a right instrument for most people. There may even be more than one. Try a few different ones if your child can't decide. 8. If you don't find the right instrument at the beginning don't be put off, try something else. 9. It needs to be fun! There is no reason why it has to be a slog! So much teaching out there is dull, dull, dull! 10. Your little cherub won't ever practice if they hate their teacher and hate the music they're playing. 11. I was forced to practice for many years. I can't say I enjoyed it (that came much later) but you have to practice to improve. A certain amount of pushing is needed, just don't forget to praise! 12. Do you want to be one of the crowd or to stick out! Some instruments are meant to be played in large groups others are not. But playing any instrument does wonders for a child's confidence. 13. Music is about playing with other people, so what kind of group does your child want to play in? this may colour your choice of instrument. 14. Start on an simpler or smaller instrument if you need to. Any experience will help later on. 15. Do you know the MOST IMPORTANT aspect to consider when choosing an instrument?.... It's the sound of the instrument!!! Everyone seems to miss this point. I mean music is about making sound and if you love a particular kind of sound made by a particular kind of instrument then you're much more likely to enjoy the experience. I played the clarinet for 5 years and didn't really enjoy it at all. Looking back I know I had an idea of how it should sound but I was constantly frustrated by not achieving that sound.
Click Here for How to Choose a Guitar
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