Any musical people out there, Dd2 wants to learn to play the drums, whats the best thing to start her on?

[Marne]

I posted a while ago as we wanted dd2 to learn an instrument, most disagreed about starting her on drums but its what she wants to play.

Dd2 is 5.5 and has Autism, she has great rhythum and can play 2 beats (one with each hand) whilst singing, she has a cheep childrens drum kit which she has now broken and she now uses verious small drums and other objects to make up her own kit. She loves music and druming also helps her sensory issues (she will drum before she goes to sleep and drum to calm herself), she can copy a beat/rhythum from watching a song on TV. She has verious other instruments which she can play but drums is her favorite.

Can someone reccomend an electric drum like this , would something like this be ok to start with?

[Marne]

bump for the evening croud

[wheresthepimms]

my DD has a similar type but we don't think it is that good as you can hear the stick hitting the plastic more than the drum sound unless it is on full volume. Do you have a teacher? I would think they would be able to offer some help. If she just likes the rhythm have you thought of African Djembe drums, there are many different you tube videos on learning to play them and you can pick them up second hand cheaply, but do consider that they can break
Have a look here

[Marne]

Thank you, we don't have a teacher (yet), i am looking but its hard to find anyone willing to teach her, she's almost non verbal and struggles to follow instructions, she would however watch and learn from you-tube. She starts a new school in september and they have a drum teacher but are refussing to teach her until she's 7, was thinking if i could prove she has some kind of rhythm then they might change their minds .

[wheresthepimms]

I would think a Djembe might be easier, my mother has just started learning she has Parkinsons and the rhythm is good and stopping her body stuttering. She plays when she feels she is getting wobbly . She found her instructor in the free ads, it was a local group and they offered her individual lessons if she couldn't cope with being with the rest of the group. Maybe if you found a teacher then they could suggest some you tube videos, this is how my mum learns when she can't make her lessons. The instructor uploads the video to you tube and emails the music to her

Hope you find someone and don't give up we had to fight to get our DS clarinet lessons when he was 5, everyone said he wouldn't be able to do it, well he made the local paper about it as he preformed in a talent show and won aged 5 because I finally found someone who would teach him. Now 2 years on he plays as well as most 11 year olds. He doesn't have SEN issues just every teacher said he was too young and immature to learn, wouldn't put in the practice time etc etc. Just made him determined to prove them wrong.

Good luck :)

[Michaelahpurple]

Wherethepimms - did your little one play a full sized clarinet? I thought their fingers weren't large enough until 8/9? Or can one get little ones?

[wheresthepimms]

My DS plays a Kinder Clari one of these its an Eb but when we moved back from the US I couldn't find him a teacher so got myself an Eb calrinet so I could teach him (bit blind leading blind ). He is off to prep school in September and they said that as he plays Eb they are happy that he continues with that as his fingers are still not big enough for a Bb (full size). You also have to watch they have correct mouth position as it can make their teeth come forward but his US teacher said that this only happens in rare cases. We have had a few periods where his baby teeth have fallen out and he can't play for a little while

[teacherwith2kids]

Michaelah,

My DCs (8 and 10 now) both play the clarinet, both started at the beginning of Year 3 when they were 7.

Their peripatetic teacher is from the local schools music service and has been fabulous - anyone who can teach 2-4 kids at once in 30 x 30 minutes per year what she has taught my kids has my total respect! She, however, would not take any child who does not have their first 4 adult teeth fully in - she conducts 'teeth inspections' at the end of Year 2 to check out prospective pupils.

Both have been plenty big enough at 7 to play full size clarinets.

[wheresthepimms]

Teacher, my DS struggles as he is skinny and his fingers not fat enough to cover the holes properly on a Bb.The tooth inspection may be due to the fact that when you lose one of those first 4 teeth and have a gap for a few weeks/months you cannot play as you can't blow correctly. However the kinder clari is designed for 4-8 year olds who have this tooth problem