Mom-ninja. Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 What are some instruments a 5 yr old could learn to play? Besides piano and violin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Recorder (soprano) Orff type instruments (xylophones with mallets - not the small toys that toddlers play with) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maplinmum Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Cello, harp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Trumpet, actually! But, I learned trumpet before piano and wished I'd learned piano first so I could have learned both clefs at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 At 5yo, I'd check into getting him into a Kindermusik for the Young Child class. It's a two year course, and it's a wonderful transition from childhood music exploration into traditional music study. They learn the major concepts of musicality as a whole body experience, incorporating movement into everything from crescendo/decrescendo to note reading. For instance, they use five black cords on the floor to make a staff, then jump from one note to the other. In the course of the two years, they learn to play a glockenspiel (finely tuned xylophone), a two string strummed dulcimer, and a recorder. They learn to play as an ensemble. They learn lots of fun songs that they can take with them through their lives. Children who go through this program jump right into traditional instrument lessons at age 7, and they're way ahead of the game because they can already read the treble clef, they understand concepts such as piano/forte, crescendo/decrescendo, legato/staccato, and many more. Besides all they learn, it's a thoroughly fun program! Definitely look for a program in your area. You can learn about the Kindermusik program in general, and the Young Child class in particular at the Kindermusik website: http://www.kindermusik.com Click on Classes, then Young Child. Oh, and I'm a licensed Kindermusik educator. I'd be happy to answer any questions, if you have any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicmom Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I'll second the suggestions for cello, harp and recorder, and add to that Suzuki flute. Actually, for any of these instruments, you might want to look into the Suzuki method. I highly recommend it, and 5 yrs old is the perfect age to start. Both of my children did Suzuki violin (starting at 4) and Suzuki piano (starting at 7). Now, at ages 16 and 14, they play spectacularly well, have incredible muscial sense and adore music. And it's done great things for them academically as well. Anyway, if you are interested in the Suzuki method, there are most likely books at your library (that's where I started) and you can probably find Suzuki programs/teachers in your area by googling Suzuki Association of the Americas, or even just Suzuki and your city. Programs like the Kindermusik mentioned above are great as well--our local Suzuki organization frequently incorporates similar kinds of workshops. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 :iagree: with Suzanne. My hsers are finishing up their first year of Kindermusik Young Child and both have really loved it. It's been a very good experience and it's nowhere near as expensive as piano lessons or Suzuki would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 I've looked into Suzuki. The suzuki piano teacher in my area was not someone I would want instructing my child. I have a good rec for a suzuki violin teacher. My older ds takes piano and we are happy with the teacher. However, my 5 yr old says he doesn't want piano or violin. He wants to play guitar. I'm not sure if that would be possible. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 There are small child-size guitars. (Not toys). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 We get our piano lessons from a company that is in several states, "Piano Lessons in Your Home." I like them. They start Guitar lessons at age 6 and piano at age 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 In the course of the two years, they learn to play a glockenspiel (finely tuned xylophone), a two string strummed dulcimer, and a recorder. They learn to play as an ensemble. They learn lots of fun songs that they can take with them through their lives. That sounds wonderful! Our Kindermusik experience involved none of those things! It was just a bunch of kids running in circles around a hassled teacher who occasionally manipulated the CD player. How does the licensing process work? Is such a variation from the standard uncommon? There are a couple of other Kindermusik schools in the area, but I didn't want anything to do with them after that first session. Perhaps I judged too quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Try out a harmonica. You can get a 4 hole one to start out with (cheap and includes a songbook) at Rainbow Resource. It's also harder to play one really obnoxiously (can't say the same for those plastic recorders...). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 That sounds wonderful! There are a couple of other Kindermusik schools in the area, but I didn't want anything to do with them after that first session. Perhaps I judged too quickly. It is wonderful! We love Kindermusik! I trained as a licensed educator because we moved to a city that didn't have it. I'm sure that some teachers are more gifted than others. If it was that chaotic, it may have just been "one of those days" when energy levels were high, or it may have been that the moms were more interested in visiting than in participating, or it may have been a teacher who didn't engage the children. I don't know. Did you only go to one class, or was the class chaotic for an entire semester? How does the licensing process work? All instructors must go through about 40 hours of training (which includes some child development education with respect to how to run the classes, what to expect from children at different stages in their development, being flexible with the curriculum to meet the needs of those in the class, etc). All Kindermusik educators should be using the same curriculum, teaching generally the same activities in the same lessons, but the dynamic of the class will vary greatly depending on the children (and the parents) present at the time. I can give you more specifics about this, if you're interested. Is such a variation from the standard uncommon? The difference you describe may have more to do with the age of the children than varying standards. There are four "levels" of Kindermusik classes, geared toward the changing needs of children at different stages of development: Village classes are for babies, from newborn to 18 months. The class time includes lots of color, and moving the baby in prescribed motions to stimulate their vestibular, optical, hearing, and other sensory systems. Our Time is for children age 18 months to 3 years. The class you describe sounds like it was probably an Our Time class. It is chaotic at times, but the children are gently directed in activities that help them develop their spatial and motor skills, as well as begin to develop things like pitch matching, steady beat, and other musical concepts. Moms stay with their kids throughout the class time, ideally helping to direct their child in a process called "scaffolding", which involves taking the child's lead in an activity, then directing them to something more challenging. For instance, if your child has figured out how to tap his sticks like a hammer and nail, you (as the parent) could imitate him, then show him how he could place the bottom stick on his toe, while tapping gently with the other stick on top! Of course, you as the parent wouldn't know to do this scaffolding without the teacher telling you about the concept. (Unless, of course, you're a homeschooler, and you're in the habit of doing that all the time! ;) ) Imagine That is for 3 to 5 year olds. It's different from Our Time in that Mom/Dad is gone from the class for the first half hour, then they join the class for the last 15 minutes (actual class times may vary, depending on your teacher). In general, it isn't as chaotic as the Our Time class, simply because the kids are older. The concepts taught are more advanced, and the kids are more focused on learning them. Kindermusik for the Young Child, contrary to the name, is for the older children, aged 5 to 7. It is taught in 4 consecutive semesters, each term building on the knowledge and skills gained in the previous term. You can't jump into the middle like you can with Village, Our Time, or Imagine That. The first semester is very gentle, but each semester becomes a little more demanding, easing the child into more structured music study. I described some of the concepts and instrument study in my previous post. Class sizes are smaller, and instruction is more intensive. I'd be happy to describe it in more detail, if you'd like. There is a new Kindermusik curriculum (introduced about 3 years ago) called Family Time. I have used it for the past two years in our homeschool co-op. It is designed with all ages in mind, from birth to age 7 (or older). Mom, Dad, and all the kids enjoy it together, and there is a little bit of something for everyone. The older children help their older siblings, parents have special cuddle time with the kids, and (hopefully) everyone has a great time. This is a wonderful class if you just want to enjoy music with your kids, or you want to share a music experience with more than one child at a time (of different ages). The learning is definitely not as intensive as in the Young Child class. I hope this helps. I need to stop and get dinner on the table, so I don't have time to edit very well. Let me know if you have any other questions. Suzanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 I've looked into Suzuki. The suzuki piano teacher in my area was not someone I would want instructing my child. I have a good rec for a suzuki violin teacher. My older ds takes piano and we are happy with the teacher. However, my 5 yr old says he doesn't want piano or violin. He wants to play guitar. I'm not sure if that would be possible. :confused: I am a classical guitarist. I started at this age on a baritone ukelele. However, they also have half-size and even quarter-size guitars. The advantage of the baritone ukelele was only having to deal with four strings instead of six. I think I moved up to a half-size guitar after about a year or so. I suggest nylon strings and finger picking (probably b/c this is what I did, and I have a bias! :D) Seriously, though, nylon strings are MUCH easier on the fingers than steel strings (this only applies to the top three strings, btw). I had a guitar teacher who had previously been a kindergarten teacher. shop around for the right teacher. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skaterbabs Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Handbells are also easy for kids to learn, and are good for learning to read music. I think Rainbow has a kids set with 8 bells (one octave) which a child can learn to play quite successfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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