For most parents, their kids will start an instrument for one of two reasons: either you’ve encouraged them to try it out or they’ve expressed an interest in music on their own. Regardless of how you’ve all come to this decision, if your child’s ready to start learning a musical instrument, the first thing you’ve got to do is pick the right one for him or her to try. So if you’re both feeling lost about where to begin, here are three tips for helping your child pick a musical instrument to try.
Consider Their Age First
When your child is young, the instruments that they might be best suited for will likely be limited. Some instruments might be too big while some might be too complicated. To start off easy, Dr. Robert A. Cutietta, a contributor to PBS.org, you might want to steer your child toward piano or violin. Even if your child doesn’t end up wanting to play the piano or violin for the rest of their musical career, the skills they will learn starting off with these instruments will help them jump to other, more complex instruments in the future. And because violins and pianos are easy to rent or buy, it should be relatively easy for you to acquire one of these instruments for your child to learn with and practice on.
Expose Them To Various Instruments
Sometimes, it takes seeing or hearing all types of instruments for you and your child to find one that really speaks to him or her. So if your child isn’t sure exactly what instrument to play yet, Anastasia Tsioulcas, a contributor to NPR.org, suggests that you take your child to a musical “petting zoo”. This experience will allow your child to see, touch, and hear all types of instruments in an exploratory way. This type of experience might be just what your child needs to find something that piques their interest.
How An Instrument Will Match Your Child’s Personality
In some situations, you might want to help your child pick an instrument that will match his or her personality. While some instruments stand out from the others, create a lot of noise, or can easily be played on their own, other instruments are more suited to working with others and blending together to create something beautiful. Because of this, Kelly Wallace, a contributor to CNN, suggests picking something like the flute, saxophone, or trumpet if your child is more outgoing and likes the limelight. If your child is wanting to learn to play an instrument but hasn’t yet decided which one, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find the right fit for your musical kid.
