Musical Instrument Question

[Sue in WI]

My middle ds has been taking violin lessons since 1st grade, and is now about 2/3 through the first Suzuki book. One of the reasons he started with that instrument was to help him with his fine motor skills, which are poor due to Sensory Processing disorder. He has outgrown his current violin, which we own, and we need to get him a bigger one. His music teacher has been teaching the theory part of his lessons on the piano, for a few months now, and he really enjoys it. His fingers are pretty stiff and awkward on the keys, but I am sure that will improve with practice.

 

We are trying to decide whether to get him the next violin, (either rent or purchace), or switch him to piano. Which instrument would help improve his fine motor skills? I would like to keep him on the violin, but both dh, and ds have mixed feelings about it. His music teacher teaches both piano and vioin.

 

TIA

 

[maize]

I would go with whichever instrument your son is more interested in. As far as developing fine motor skills goes, piano may be preferable because the fingers of the right hand move independently.

[gardenmom5]

violin would only use fine motor on the left hand for fingering.  the right hand would be bowing, which doesn't require as much finger skill.  (though if he's right handed, drawing/tracing/dot-to-dots would help.  my son got into drawing ships.  hard to remember his motor skills were as awkward as they were.)

 

you can always put him in piano now - if that is what he wants, and add violin back in later if he's interested.  that will work both hands - and still require good posture and position.

 

my niece is a professional violist - her comment is, do viola because there is less competition compared to how many do violin.  (even just with school/youth orchestras)  ;)

[Arcadia]

Since you already have the piano and he has already done music theory using the piano, I'll say give it a shot for a year or two and see which he prefers.  Hubby finds the piano harder to co-ordinate both hands than to play the violin

My 8 year old still have sensory (hyper) issues with the chin rest and shoulder rest of the violin. He had asked for a cello originally and we couldn't find a student cello which was why he ended up with violin.  He has no problem tuning his violin though.  His problem is with gross motor skills rather than fine motor skills.  He can play piano pieces with both hands.