Can anyone suggest an instrument for mildly dypraxic DS?

I'm dyspraxia, dyslexic and dysgraphic. I took the violin up at the age of 14. I was told I'd never be able to play the violin because it requires good coordination. 16 years later I have a music degree and I am not a violin and viola teacher working in a private music school. See what instrument your child is draw too. I was obsessed with the violin and that obsession has got me where I am today.

Clarinet is a good one to start with and a lot cheaper than the bassoon!

Maybe that's why the bassoon is so great then for my son!

I and my 2 DDs are all severely dyspraxic. We all play wind instruments - I toyed with the idea of going to music college, didn't, but did quite a lot of professional (ie paid) playing while at uni and in the early years of my career. DD1 seems set for music college. The trick is to not be able to see your fingers. If you can see your fingers it all goes horribly wrong.

I think you have to try him on a few, but I have had good success teaching recorder and piano to dyspraxic kids. It depends on what he fancies playing, as well.

Not all schools use the local music service, though.

Ours has pretty much a monopoly run by a local granny who teaches piano, violin and woodwind (possibly not very well), plus a shy bloke with a guitar. They used to use the county music service but found them unreliable.

Mine didn't get on with mega-granny so defected to the local brass band for lessons.

Contact your local music service. Their teachers will be the music providers in your DS's school and will probably run taster days where your DS can try every instrument they teach. He will then get advice on which he seems to be more suited to as well whether he can get lessons at his school! Better than spending terms on different instruments to rule them in or out.

Indigo - trombone?

Lancelottie - thanks - but no thanks :)

DS1 is dyspraxic and plays the drums.

However, drum kits are huge, expensive and bloody loud. (DH has 2 of the bloody things and an electronic one, hence DS1 learning drums).

Indigo -- drums??

First thing I'd check is - can he move his fingers independently?

My dyspraxic son can't just move one finger - therefore pretty much all musical instruments are out :)

And this thread just goes to show how different people can be, even with similar sounding difficulties.

A wind instrument, where breathing and fingers are coordinated rather than whole arms and hands doing entirely different things would possibly be easiest. I'm mildly dyspraxic and learnt to play the flute and recorder to a fairly high standard (yes, it is possible to make a recorder do more than just squeak and it's often a good place to start). I never got anywhere with guitar or keyboards, though (heck, I rely heavily on spellcheck to make my posts legible and relatively coherent on t'Internet!)

My son is dyspraxic and learning the piano was a disaster.

He now learns the tenor horn (switched from the trumpet for some reason I don't really understand) and has singing lessons. He particularly enjoys the latter

Hmm. Cornet and trumpet are actually more of a problem, then, as you do need a strongish arm to hold them up, whereas the euphonium, tuba and tenor horn sit in your lap (at least when you're little).

There is also a mini version which would be lighter and more manageable.

My son has undiagnosed LD which seem similar to dyspraxia. He plays the bassoon and although it is big he has a spike on it so most of the weight is taken by the floor. He can also sit and play. He too has quite poor upper body strength.

Heavy could be a problem as his upper body strength is poor. Lower body is fine and he's a great little skier and quite fast on his feet too - trying to get him to kick a ball is a whole other problem though!

Euphonium is loud, all right...

Also very heavy, but as DS's teacher said when he was little, at least it pins him to his seat!

I'm really pleased with the parents of dyspraxic parents saying that it can be done!

I need to do some more research and find out what is available locally, the school do provide lessons at a cost, but it might be best to find somewhere away from school.

We are still waiting for him to lose his front teeth which is very frustrating.

And loud would be good (for DS, not me!).

Another dyspraxic brass-playing son here! (In fact, I'm looking at the whole brass band in a new light... maybe they all have coordination problems?) I've since been told that music was the best thing we could have done for his motor and brain development all round.

We went for euphonium, which sounds very mellow and was initially cheap as the local band lent it to us for free and did starter lessons for £20 a term, as it's a 'rare breed' instrument. Five years on we've had to buy one (it's about 50 years old but still cost £600 -- ouch) and cough up for proper lessons (also ouch).

Not-at-all dyspraxic DD also plays brass but finds it a bit loud for her tastes.

My dyspraxic son plays the piano it's helped his fine motor skills and his concentration levels - with a piano you can get a tune out of it fairly quickly so it helps keep their interest. My DS will never be brilliant but he takes a lot of pleasure from his piano lessons and enjoys playing.

I really must appologise to all of you, after posting I got caught up in the whole Christmas madness and forgot all about the thread I'd started, it was only when DS started to talk about instruments again last night that I remembered.

Anyway thank you for all the suggestions, I am waivering towards a cornet or brass instrument as I think he'll find it easier. Although interestingly DH has suggested a keyboard as it might help him in the long term - unfortunately DS is very much a give up if he can't do it straight away type of child and I am reluctant to invest in a keyboard if he's not going to use it.

The folk instruments sound interesting and I will have a look at those.

Cornet might be doable for him. I would maybe start with singing. In this way he can learn notation, rhythm, etc before the manual manipulations.

Guitar is not as difficult as violin. You can see where you are putting your fingers for instance and you need not place the left hand quite as accurately, also the frets help. You do need to be able to place fingers with the left hand, whilst doing "running fingers" - alternate index and middle finger on the strings and other methods to pluck so it is not easy either.

You can get small harps by the way to get started on or even just to stick with as a folk music instrument. Have you seen those?

If it is a choice between piano or violin only, I would go for piano, because the notes are set out there in front of him which makes the theory easier to understand. If as you say, he is only mildly dyspraxic, it may need a bit of time with things but he will get there IMO