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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

Which instrument for school music lesson: guitar or clarinet?

32 replies

Fayrazzled · 15/06/2013 19:39

My daughter has just started private piano lessons at home and has the opportunity to start peripatetic music lessons at school next year (y4). I think the clarinet would be a good choice for her and would give her the opportunity to play in a group (band or orchestra) a bit further down the line should she wish to. She wants to do the guitar (because her mates are doing it). I think the guitar is a) difficult to do well, especially if she's only receiving 20 minutes lesson a week in a group and b) is another solitary instrument when she also does the piano. What do you think?

OP posts:
valiumredhead · 15/06/2013 20:24

She needs to decide for herself if she is going to play it-I speak as a mother who tried to get her ds to play guitar when actually all he wanted to do was play the drums, and he does now really well. Incidently 3 years on he has now picked up the guitar again and is having some lessons. I have to say the guitar is a nice instrument just to pick up and put down,I often find ds sitting on the sofa watching Telly but strumming the guitar too. Plus he loves teaching himself songs from you tube as there's loads of tutorials on there.

Soooooooo long winded way of saying let her chooseGrin

Original poster
Fayrazzled · 15/06/2013 20:16

She has heard the clarinet and I think would be interested in it if it weren't for the fact her friends were choosing to guitar.

I don't want to push her into an instrument she doesn't want to do, but neither do I want to fork out for an instrument and lessons that she isn't necessarily suited to simply because she wants lessons with her friends.

Having said that, perhaps I should just et her see how she gets on with the guitar, since she has the option of adding the clarinet at a later date via her piano teacher. Thanks for your thoughts.

OP posts:
BackforGood · 15/06/2013 20:05

I think if she were undecided, then she'd be better going for the clarinet. But I agree with others that she'll do better on an instrument she wants to play, rather than one her Mum is making her do.

ZZZenagain · 15/06/2013 20:04

has she heard/tried the clarinet? I would let her play guitar with her friends. There will be some possibilities to play guitar in a group later on, will depend what her secondary school offers. She could maybe have a go on clarinet with her piano teacher though, she might really take to it.

curlew · 15/06/2013 19:55

I think she should choose. Noting worse than doing an instrument you would rather not be doing.

DrGoogleWillSeeYouNow · 15/06/2013 19:46

I think at Y4 age she's old enough to pick for herself what she wants to do.

My DS plays guitar and drums (his choice), has private lessons and he's doing really well and practices lots.

At school he had to choose a brass instrument for lessons, and he barely picks up his trumpet to practice it from one week to the next - he couldn't be less interested in it, so we don't push him on it.

Original poster
Fayrazzled · 15/06/2013 19:41

Oh yes, her current piano teacher is also qualified to teach clarinet so could help her with that in the future if necessary.

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