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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

how many instruments are too many.

55 replies

morethanpotatoprints · 23/04/2013 23:21

Ok, so if money, time, school, work, sanity and other restrictions don't apply how many musical instruments would be too many?

My dd wants to play 6, she plays 4 at present. I don't have a reasonable answer as to why she shouldn't but I'm sure there must be one.

Obviously I know about getting good on one etc, but this doesn't seem to be a problem either.
I am not trying to "blow own trumpet" here but she can get to about grade 3 standard in about a month or two.

Can anybody think of a reason why not? Or knows other dc who have been like this, she is 9

OP posts:
flowery · 23/04/2013 23:37

Just seen that you are asking on the assumption that time money and other restrictions don't apply, in which case I've got nothing to offer you, but I think those are good enough reasons anyway.

flowery · 23/04/2013 23:35

Because there are not enough hours in the day to practice sufficiently to get properly good at 6 instruments. Getting to grade 3 quickly is one thing, getting to grade 8 is something else entirely.

Gruntfuttocks · 23/04/2013 23:31

PS If she is determined to be a multi-instrumentalist, I would insist on piano being one of them - decent keyboard skills are an asset to any musician. Perhaps think about singing as an alternative to buying yet another instrument as well - there are lots of opportunities for music-making in choirs. I would look to broaden her experiences of music - go to concerts, look for holiday courses and so on, join a local band or orchestra, rather than learning more instruments.

ZZZenagain · 23/04/2013 23:31

might depend a bit which 6 instruments. If she wants to compose or conduct, might be to her advantage so long as she gets very advanced in her principal instrument. Where does she want to go with her music?

Gruntfuttocks · 23/04/2013 23:28

What would be the point in playing so many instruments? You can only play one at a time, and ultimately wouldn't she be better off playing one or two to a really high standard, rather than being a 'jack of all trades'? Once you understand how music works, it isn't so hard to pick up another instrument because you already know all that stuff and only have to learn the technicalities of the instrument rather than all the reading and so on. Not unlike learning multiple languages - it gets easier the more you do. I would stick at 4 and make sure she does a decent amount of practice on each of them before adding any more. Which 4 is she playing?