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Extra-curricular activities

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

Original poster

Singing or Piano with Violin

33 replies

JellybeansInTheSky · 23/02/2015 23:05

DD aged 7 is about to do grade 2 violin. She has been learning for 18 months. She seems pretty keen on music. She is doing a children's orchestra on Saturdays and a choir and another orchestra (if you can call it that....) at school. Assuming she passes the exam as her teacher expects I thought it might be a good time to start piano. She is however keen on singing lessons which would be through the school. She sings well and in tune.

I guess i just feel it takes years to learn to play the piano well so it isn't something that is easy to pick up later on. I think she is quite keen on playing the piano but isn't so keen on the idea of practising two instruments.

She has non musical hobbies too and time and money aren't limitless.

OP posts:
Fleurdelise · 24/02/2015 08:30

Dd (7yo) is doing piano and singing. Initially we wanted to introduce violin however it requires practice like any other instrument and we can't see it happening as she already has moments when she is practising piano for an hour every day (generally is more like 30 min but she has moments when she likes to spend more at the piano).

Of course singing requires practice also but it is more done for fun (group lessons rather than individual) so I don't mind if she doesn't doesn't practice at all.

Once she'll be around grade 3 piano we may think about violin lessons again only if she believes she can offer a similar commitment to it as with the piano as it is more expensive than singing.

If time would be no issue then we would probably prefer two instruments as she is already in the school choir.

Original poster
JellybeansInTheSky · 24/02/2015 08:23

I can definitely see how singing is useful with the violin. Handy for aurals and also I imagine it must help with intonation.

But actually she can sing quite well already with no lessons but the piano is quite different.

I can also imagine it is possible to have singing lessons as a teenager to improve technique but learning to play the piano well if you don't start until then would be harder.

OP posts:
Shedding · 24/02/2015 07:39

This reply has been deleted

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LineRunner · 24/02/2015 07:25

My DD is now 18, and did all three throughout the primary school years, plus guitar and drums (!). The only one she has kept up in latter years is singing, but being able to read music is a huge bonus.

I know what you mean about there being a limit on time and money. In secondary school especially she had to focus on Eng and Maths (and had extra tuition) as well as working at all the other subjects, and she was in a drama and singing group, so the instruments fell by the wayside. Great experience, though.

Eastpoint · 24/02/2015 07:13

Definitely piano as it will help with theory & composition.

Noteventhebestdrummer · 24/02/2015 07:10

I teach violin and singing and I think she should do piano!

Original poster
JellybeansInTheSky · 24/02/2015 06:29

Shedding, that sounds somewhat similar to our situation with the singing lessons. They would start as a group lesson and be cheap but if she did well they would eventually become individual and expensive. I haven't even thought about theory yet. Does your daughter's singing require a lot of practice?

OP posts:
Shedding · 23/02/2015 23:31

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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