Beginning Music lessons?

[MrsJewelsRae]

I'm planning on starting our older children in music lessons soon, we meant to start earlier, but it just didn't work out. Ds will be 9 next week and dd just turned 7. I don't play anything, can't read music, etc. Dh took some lessons as a child and can play piano by ear quite nicely, he also taught himself to play guitar- we own both a piano and guitar, btw. Anyhow, is it better to start out with piano to learn keys and notes, etc at first before branching to a different instrument- say, a mandolin, banjo, violin, etc? Or can they just start out with whichever instrument they like? I'd really like dd to be able to play a more unique instrument, I wish I could play something myself! Any tips? Also, I don't want to push my kids to compete, unless they ask to enter competitions, the purpose of this is to bring a love and appreciation of music, an escape, release (my dh always turns to playing music when he is stressed or has a headache), and to bring glory to God- anyone at church who plays an instrument brings it along to our hymn sings at each other's houses and we have such a great time- but we've already got several piano/guitar players! ;) Thanks!

[Scuff]

I played a variety of woodwind instruments and halfheartedly tried to teach myself guitar, took theory in college, ect. I decided to start the kids on piano. We're going through the Alfred books right now. I want them to be familiar with both clefs. Also, a basic piano knowledge will serve them well whatever music they continue with. That's my amaturish opinion, anyway. :)

[RanchGirl]

I had both kids learn piano first, then they get to choose an instrument to add. One picked guitar, the other wants drums. (heaven help us) I am no expert, but i think piano knowledge will serve any child very well. We started with Yamaha Children's Music School and it was fabulous.

 

I would not choose an instrument based on the worship group's need for variety; that might change over time. Or it could be a plus to have several people to follow/learn from! I would either start with piano and then let the child choose something, or I would let the child choose something now. They will learn much better if they *want* to play it!

 

I believe in Suzuki schools the children start with violin right away without piano, but I don't know much about Suzuki.

[WishboneDawn]

I've a friend who's very musical (directs choirs, writes music for psalms, plays piano and the huge pipe organs, etc.) that I once asked about whether my daughter should go to piano first or right to the instrument she loved, the violin.

 

His response was to send her right to violin. It's a little fuzzy now but he pointed out the two were quite different. With the piano the notes are there at your fingertips while with violin you have to construct them yourself with fingers on the strings. He seemed to think that the approaches are different enough that if the violin was going to be her first love then she should be getting a good grounding in that to begin with. He thought that if she eventually wanted to also play piano I should actually wait a few years.

 

Catherine started violin at age 9 (hasn't tried piano yet except on the keyboard at home) and has been joyfully playing ever since. She'll be taking her first Royal Conservatory of Music Theory exam this summer on Basic Rudiments and has far surpassed my little bit of theory knowledge ("Mom, don't you know what a dominant triad is? D'uh.")

 

One more interesting thing is that this friend, primarily a keyboard player, talks about how differently he and his daughter, the violin player, visualize music. For him it's a horizontal thing, 2 dimensions, mimicking his playing on the keyboard. For his daughter it's more in 3 dimensions, following the score but also the movement of the bow and her fingers up and down the strings.

 

Really, kids will learn regardless of approach. I'd simply give them the avenue to music that most interests them and let them go.

[laurad1125]

I would let them start with whichever instrument appealed to them. They are all so different and need different skills. Does knowledge of piano help with violin? Yes, but knowledge of the violin helps with piano, too. Plus, some kids may decide they don't like music because they really don't like piano but would love something else.

[MeganW]

I took violin lessons in elementary, and clarinet in middle & high school. I did some practicing at home, plus daily at school in middle & high, and I was more than adequate, but was certainly never an accomplished musician. In college, we had to have 2 fine arts credits, and I took piano to avoid the art history & music history I had heard horror stories about.

 

I finally GOT it!!! I so so so wish I had had piano before all those years of clarinet. The music theory just made so much more sense. It was no longer all these random facts that you were supposed to remember - it was all tied together. Piano just really connected the dots for me. Dumb things, like why did a "concert B flat" mean that I was supposed to play a C and other instruments played different notes? If a baritone asked what note he was supposed to play, how did I figure that out? I can't remember a lot more, but I know there were a LOT of a-ha moments during piano lessons!

[MrsJewelsRae]

Thanks! Lots to think about... I'm not going to choose the instrument for them, unless I decide they should learn some piano first, I will let them choose, so we watched all kinds of youtube videos today of what the different instruments were, dd is starting to become a little more open to the idea.

 

Also, I am so not comfortable with dropping my kids off at someone's house - a virtual stranger- for a lesson and then picking them up later...not going to happen, but I'm also not comfortable inviting myself and the other children to come in and stay for an hour, kwim? I've found a music store in town that is advertising lessons in all sorts of instruments and for some reason it appeals more to me, in a store setting. I feel more like a customer and we can look at all the instruments or sit and read a book while waiting. What do I need to look for in music lessons, remember, I have absolutely no experience with this so... :bigear:

[Donna]

I let each of my kids chose the instrument they wanted to play. My oldest chose drums, middle guitar (and has been teaching himself mandolin and banjo), and youngest violin.

 

My parents made me take piano lessons and I took for 10 years. I hated to practice, learned very little theory so am unable to improvise or play chords along with anyone, and am more unmusical than any of my kids. I think having a desire to play an instrument makes a child more likely to want to practice and learn.

[Donna]

I finally GOT it!!! I so so so wish I had had piano before all those years of clarinet. The music theory just made so much more sense. It was no longer all these random facts that you were supposed to remember - it was all tied together. Piano just really connected the dots for me. Dumb things, like why did a "concert B flat" mean that I was supposed to play a C and other instruments played different notes? If a baritone asked what note he was supposed to play, how did I figure that out? I can't remember a lot more, but I know there were a LOT of a-ha moments during piano lessons!

 

Funny but I took piano for 10 years with a teacher who basically just taught me pieces and not so much in the way of theory. Now with dd learning violin and me listening in on lessons, watching her learn scales, arpeggios, etc... I finally am "getting" it. I have had numerous ah-ha moments. :001_smile:

[Dmmetler]

You might want to check for a community music school through a university or college-they serve both as training programs for college students and as a way to give the community access to good music programs, and they usually have a student lounge that would be accessible. Some churches around here do, too.

 

I would never send my DD to a person's house for lessons unless I knew that person, nor would I, as a teacher, ever teach another person's child in my home.

[tarahillmom]

I agree with the local CC or university. My mother is a professional musician and also teaches(she plays professionally on violin, but knows how to play just about every standard orchestra/band instrument). My BIL was a music major. So here is what advise they have given me.

 

Let them pick, if they decide to make music a career then piano will have to be learned. However, as long as they have an instrument it doesn't matter. My oldest daughter is taking guitar, and my son is taking piano.

 

As far as teacher goes, get recommendations from friends, university, etc... I would make sure that you can sit in on DC lessons. I would also do a background check on someone just because you can never be safe enough.