Music lessons

[TB9]

DD1 has decided that she wants to take music lessons.  She is almost 3yo and has no idea what sort of instrument she would like to play.  I've shown her different instruments on you tube, and her faves far are drums, saxophone, and trumpet.  But I'm sure she's open to anything...I just don't know a good instrument for her to start on.

I'm sure we can rent pretty much any instrument from the music shop in our city, and I could care less if she decides next year that she wants to play something different.  I just need an idea of what will be good to start on this age

[deb]

At 3YO, very few kids will have the physical stature to hold, let alone play, most traditional instruments except for piano or stringed instruments (string instruments come in different sizes, so in Japan there are 2YO's who learn violin!).

It's also going to depend on being able to find a teacher who will work with such a young child; as most 3YOs aren't reading yet and many teachers insist on kids learning to read notes while learning to play, unless you find a Suzuki teacher (can be violin or piano, and I think there is also Suzuki flute) where they learn to play before reading music, the way people learn to speak before reading words, it might not be the best match.

Does she have access to a piano or keyboard for her own experimentation? Does she sing in key yet? At this age I would definitely look around and see if there are classes available; Suzuki is often taught in group/class settings. The caveat with Suzuki, though, is that the name itself isn't copyrighted, so anyone can call themselves a Suzuki teacher without being one (like Montessori). In true Suzuki, a parent learns along with the child so as to be a model/teacher in between formal lessons.

Meanwhile, you can also look for more general music classes like Music Together (which I teach), KinderMusik, and Music Garden, where kids get more general musical experiences to help them develop musicality, a sense of pitch, and a sense of rhythm/beat; once kids get to a certain level of proficiency in beat and pitch, they're more likely to be successful when they do get to formal lessons.

[TB9]

Lol, yes the size would be an issue.  I would happily buy a keyboard if we went the piano route, she would actually have a piano at home right?  She does think the violin is pretty cool, do they have small guitars?

[aisling]

DS started with Music for Young children (originally a Canadian music company but now international as well) when DS was 3 yrs. It is AMAZING! Click on locations for a teacher near you. They usually teach it out of their home in a converted studio.  I love, love this programme and the parent goes with them, there are usually only 2 or 3 other students in the class and the teacher has 3 to 4 piano and keyboards in the room.  I loved that DS was learning along with me (and man I learned a lot!) and I find it is really beneficial learning with your peers.

Not only is your child introduced to piano/keyboard and music theory, they also participate in rhythm ensembles and a lot of the theory work is done with fine motor skills, like work sheets and colouring, cutting and pasting etc...all taught in a very child friendly, age appropriate way, fun characters/puppets etc...

DS has been reading music since he was 4 yrs.  He now composes his own music and interprets fave songs.  MYC (Music for Young children) is in conjunction with The Royal Conservatory of Music, so this is my last season going with DS and he is in his pre-conservatory year this year, so in September he will be going alone with the teacher and preparing for his Piano Practical and Theory GRADE 1 exams!

Sari, M&N's Mum on here children also go to MYC, she will also testify how amazing this programme is.

DS attended a Ukelele camp past summer and can play it well (6 yrs old) as it is only 4 strings so easier to manipulate with his hands than a guitar.  He can read music and play simple chord songs on it like, Somewhere over the Rainbow, No woman, no cry-bob marley (dh taught him that one lol) and other typical campfire songs.

Playing ukelele is all the rage here in our school systems as it is like how we used to learn the recorder when we were young as an intro to music, but it keeps the children's attention as they can play easy recognizable song straight away once they learn the chords. It is a nice small instrument too and INEXPENSIVE. Going from ukelele to guitar will be easy now for my DS, and he is looking forward to jamming with Daddy and me!

I feel music has helped challenge my child in so many ways and also allows his passion and love for music come through with empowering him to play. He does very well in school and has been reading since 4 yrs, I have to wonder how much of it has to do with music. He sits and concentrates very well and MYC really helps the children love music and even practicing is not like the old days of the parent standing over him while he plays boring old scales over and over and wishes he was out playing football, iykwim?  MYC has great incentives and ideas for practicing and it is part of our daily life with out it being a chore or boring. Which is what you want, a love of music.

http://www.myc.com/

[Buttonbobs]

I come from a family of music teachers and we are all passionate about music. My dad used to sing and play nursery rhymes with me at the piano from babyhood & I've been doing the same with E. I hope she expresses interest like your DD.

I started learning the piano at about 3yrs and also the recorder. If she's interested in saxophone a recorder could be a good starting instrument. I went from it to the clarinet and still love playing the recorder occasionally. It's also inexpensive to get a starter one in case she's not keen. The downside is they can be a bit squeaky.

If she's really keen on playing an instrument rather than singing or doing a music group, perhaps keyboard or recorder would be a good start? But I do agree with aisling that something like ukulele could be interesting as it's a good way of producing a whole piece of music fairly easily, with the recorder you can only ever play the melody.

Singing generally is so good for musicality and also wellbeing. I feel if I haven't sung properly for a while I need to have a good sing to help improve my mood

I hope you find something she enjoys!

[creations]

My DS has a ukelele. However, it is there for him to strum on and show interest, not for formal lessons.  He wouldn't have a hope of holding it correctly or forming any chords on the strings because it takes a good amount of strength.  As example I started learning to play it (so I can play to and with him) and my arms ached after just one day, after less than an hour practice I can feel the skin on my fingers beginning to tingle and wear - much more playing and I would have blisters on each finger tip (DP gets those when he hasn't played guitar a while and then plays again.  And when he plays regularly the skin toughens on the finger tips to the point of loosing his sense of touch. I've also lost some sensitivity in my finger tips even though I've hardly played at all.).
Do you have any cheap musical instruments at home in the toy collection?  DS loves his music basket, we have various bits and pieces of widely varying quality (about 20 items in all), tambourine, harmonica, several different whistles and recorders, maracas, xylophone etc and some home made shakers (pasta or rice in plastic tubs) all of which he thoroughly enjoys.  We have jamming sessions or toddler marching band (stomping to the kitchen and back) several times per week playing all the instruments.  Sense of rhythm etc is developing and I hear him repeating certain lines of nursery rhymes trying to hit the right key, he has a good ear for the key but his voice just can't do it yet.  We used to go to a musical minis play group but sadly they stopped it, they had lovely instruments just right for toddlers.
I think I would get her a recorder and a drum at least if she doesn’t have those yet as they are light enough for a LO.  DS has full access to his music basket only the uke is kept where he must ask for it and have adult supervision.  He likes to strum and sing the alphabet song

posted same time as aisling

[creations]

I feel if I haven't sung properly for a while I need to have a good sing to help improve my mood

Oh I'm like this too!  I am so happy DS sings all day long

[Buttonbobs]

So glad to find it's not just me!

[TB9]

Thanks for that link Aisling!  There are 4 MYC teachers within 10km of my house!  It sounds like that will be the way to go with DD   Did you have your pick of teachers?  Not sure how I'm going to decide which one to go with...I will probably start by emailing them all...do you think they will let me come see their studio/class space before I decide?

Yes we do have some little instruments at home, shakers, bells, tambourine, and some things we call clackers, lol.  I might get her a recorder, I remember learning recorder

There is a little music playgroup through the city, but I don't like the teacher

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

We are doing MYC too. Masyn has been in it for 4 years and is doing private piano lessons next year (same teacher).  Spencer has done the 3 intro sessions twice each as she wasn't ready to move up but next year she will be (has done 2 years now).  Only one person in our area does it so no choice for us but we love her. I would for sure ask to visit each place and teacher before committing as it is a lot of money!  I never took any music as a kid so I have even learned to read music too! 

[aisling]

We had the choice of two teachers both only about 10-15 min from me.  I went with the one that had the better website, including nice pics of her home studio, her schedule posted on line, her pic and qualifications. She also returned my call promptly and arranged an audition with ds in the time the other lady finally returned my phone call!  After the audition, I knew instantly I clicked and obviously ds, but at that age it didn't matter, but I knew I liked her and that was important because I would be attending the class with ds for 3 years with her.  She was a school teacher that left her career to be a stay at home mum and started her MYC classes once they were older, i liked that too. Her dh is a music prof here at the uni and is Cambridged trained.  Her children are accomplished musicians too and their dd plays viola in her uni orchestra.  Lovely family, gorgeous home. He will go on to do privates with her after next year. I also love that MYC teaches such advanced theory when they are so young in a fun way when they are like sponges sopping up a new language. I can't praise it enough.

[grace annes mommy]

Just wanted to pop in and say I'm a Suzuki Violin teacher.  If you want to check out teachers in you area, you can use this website.  Also, let me know if you want to know more about the method or opinions about finding a teacher.

http://suzukiassociation.org/teachers/teacherloc/

Music for Young Children sounds really interesting!! I just perused the website. Very cool!

[Hedgehog17]

My DS wants to play the oboe!

I have explained to him that it's as tall as he is, so he'll have to wait until he's bigger 

I'm giving him a toddler sized wooden recorder for his 3rd birthday so we'll see how he gets on with that 

We haven't done any formal music sessions, but DS has played various pianos (and got his own toddler keyboard for his 2nd birthday), toddler percussion, some of the orchestral percussion 2 months ago (he loved the tymps  ) and my boss's harmonica, so he's had plenty of opportunities lucky boy!

It may be worth seeing if there are any family concerts and / or workshops in your area where she can see and even try out instruments?

[aisling]

The nice thing about MYC with it's early learning programme, it teaches the basic foundations of music, rhythm patterns etc using a variety of hand percussion instruments and then adding in the keyboard part.  Once your child has a good base, you are free to move on to another musical instrument or programme, but they got a really good start that was fun. 

[Skadiver13]

I would say piano or recorder?