Flute for 6 year old

[NannyPhlegm]

Just wanted to pick the brains of the more experienced musicians on this topic.

DD2, age 6, is very keen to start learning the flute. We are a musical family and there are several instruments knocking about at home to try out, but they're mostly all string instruments. DD2 has never been interested in any of these, but when we visited a friend's house, she was completely taken with the flute. With the help of my friend, she blew into the head and produced a sound (which is hard enough, I am told!)

To cut a long story short, she has been begging for lessons ever since. But everything I read on the internet says that wind instruments are best taken up after the front teeth have come in. Is that true for flutes as well?

By the way, that wasn't just a one-time try with the flute. We visit my friend every other week, and dd2 makes a beeline for the flute every time

[NannyR]

The girls I look after both play the flute (they are 8 and 10) but they both started off on the fife for a year before progressing to the flute. Their teacher said it's easier for younger children, gets them used to blowing the correct way and reading music.

[Wafflenose]

I let my daughter start at 6. She had her two top front adult teeth - those are the only ones that matter, although I know of an astonishing American teenager who started at 3 (yes, 3!) and could play all sorts of complicated music without hers! I would capitalise on her interest and start now - in a musical family, I know you'll keep a close eye on things, make sure she practises and so on - but please do start with a curved head flute. This will make things so much more manageable for her until she's 8 or 9, no matter how tall she is.

I am a teacher of woodwind - not a flute specialist, although I do play and teach it - and find the fife next to impossible to play! I think it's easier to get a sound out of the flute, although of course the fife is light, portable and cheap.

My DD who started at 6 is now coming up for 11, and has started work on her Grade 7 exam :) So it was right for her. Good luck!

[NannyPhlegm]

Thank you both! That is very useful.