Piano or violin

Some thoughts- piano is much easier
That is very much a matter of personal taste. I always found piano much harder. The two hands going in different directions thing. Maybe easier to tap out a tune, but even by grade 1 there's so much going on on piano, on violin it's still a simple tune.

Schools like students who play instruments and can be in the orchestra but if you learn piano you can always play on your own if you keep it up. Whatever they choose , practice is the key and if you have to force them to practice then they might as well give up.

I agree. I learned piano and I was sad that I never got to play in an orchestra or with others - I was never good enough to accompany or do a duet. I encouraged DS to take up an instrument he could play in groups, and he is learning the flute.

I played both as a child. Much preferred the piano. Some thoughts- piano is much easier- but also easier to pick up later down the line. Violin is harder, but the younger you start the quicker you pick it up. Violin has the advantage of being orchestral so more social however, I personally hated orchestras so this wasn’t an advantage for me!

I'd start her on the violin. Since the piano is there in your home it will be easier for her to have a little play around on it from time to time, and for you /her to gauge when she's ready to add it.

DD is in year 5, and does recorder (grade 2) and piano (grade 1). I can play both, and taught her recorder for a year before she switched to a 'proper' teacher. We started lessons a little later due to lockdown - DD would not have enjoyed lessons on Zoom.

Doing recorder first meant that DD had some music reading skills when she came to piano, which definitely helped. She's progressed faster on recorder (there was a break between me teaching her for a year and finding a teacher). However I strongly suspect that recorder is easier to start than violin. We have a detached house, so don't have to think about what the neighbours can hear!

Re practice, we do 10 - 30 minutes practice a day, in total. We always try to do some, however busy we otherwise are. On more relaxed days we do more. I supervise the practice, and both teachers have commented positively on her progress - while she doesn't do loads of practice, I do make her do bar 3 again and again until it's right, which most primary kids won't do.

I admit I haven't encouraged DD when she's suggested the violin (I would struggle with the sound); she's currently thinking of doing another orchestral wind instrument which I would be more enthusiastic about. However if your DD can switch to viola, she'll always have a place in an orchestra. I think most viola players start on the violin, but worth asking..

We started my daughter on the piano in y1 and would potentially consider a second instrument in y3/4. It took us quite a while to get into a consistent routine for practice but she’s progressing really nicely now and gaining a lot of confidence. With her other activities, I think a second study would be too much at the moment for us.

From the other end, i started out playing the flute and then took up piano quite late but I found it significantly harder than my instrument. I then got a bit demotivated because I found reading both clefs in parallel really hard and I don’t think I was expecting that at all.

Violin, so she can play in an orchestra. Piano playing is a lonely business.

My son took up violin at 7.5 yrs (he had been asking for about 6mos, but we held off until we were sure he would stick with it). After just over a year he is playing Bach (the Minuets in Suzuki 1) and has joined a beginner orchestra. If I had realized quite how much parent input was required, I might not have signed him up, but I am so glad I did! It is really enjoyable to see how much he has progressed. I did clarinet in school and had no idea about strings, but it is just a case of taking notes during the lessons and supporting during practice and any musical knowledge helps. I got away without much practice on the clarinet and got good enough to play in ensembles which I enjoyed, but I really don’t think that is possible on the violin. He has a wonderful teacher and is progressing well, but daily practice is essential and I really think private lessons are probably pretty necessary too, his teacher packs a generous 1/2 hour each week and I can’t see how he could get that input in a group, whereas 20 minutes group lesson on the clarinet seemed fine.

Also.... for primary school aged children with 2 instruments, do they practice both every day and for how long each day..?

We say if they want lessons they should play every day - within reason, sometimes we're just out or something. Apart from anything else, every day is easier to get to happen routine wise, it's just built into the day.

At the beginner stages it doesn't require a lot of time, say 10 minutes a day. My last remaining primary schooler DD is year 6 and approx grade 6 on her instruments, she does maybe half an hour on each instrument on average. Usually the ones that practice more progress faster (and some do a lot more than DD, but most don't).

I have a violin and piano I'm going to pass to my LO to try. I find it depends on individual. When I was young I dabbled with a few instruments, I really took to the piano, I loved strings but I was not a natural at all and struggled immensely with my fingering on notes, just naturally couldn't grasp it. Whereas other family members were the other way around, great with strings but couldn't manage piano with the multi tasking of left/right hand. My brother ended up taking to the saxophone as he has great pair of lungs haha. So I always think it's best to try a few and see what you naturally take to :)

Violins are more portable but you are more likely to find pianos in other peoples houses / country homes and random rail stations where you can treat guests and passing commuters to a rousing emotionally wrought piano piece with everyone moved by your talent.*

• possibly just my piano playing fantasy.

My son learned both and did well. He’s extremely musical, which helps much more with a violin as you have to play the notes by ear. He also has very long fingers, which means he can stretch an octave plus four. These things are important when learning an instrument.

If it was me, I'd start violin first and add piano later if there was enough interest. I play both and the violin is much more rewarding. I feel a deep emotional connection to my violin, to the sound of it and to listening to violin music. Piano is nice but meh. Maybe ask your child which they prefer?

Google a Suzuki teacher for the violin. Start now. The focus is all on technique and they learn by ear. DD can play whole concertos without the music and if she hears a tune, she can play it.

Agree to aim for grade 3 piano before moving on. By then DD also have a much better idea about it all

I think a good teacher and a reasonable quality violin can stop it sounding awful. DD's teacher went nice and slowly and got her to listen to tuning right from the start, it's when they play out of tune it sounds awful.

In terms of how long between instruments - really up to you and the child. Get the first instrument established with good practice habits and see when child wants to and convinces you they're going to practice both regularly. Grade 3 is absolutely well enough established if he wants a second. Mine both had about two years between. Ds found piano hard going and went faster on his second instrument so ended up taking two grade 2s in the same sitting.

The violin is terrible for neighbours to endure when first learning! Unlike the piano it can take a long time before it sounds even ok. Please be kind to your neighbours......

Still not so sure after how many years of piano alone or after what grade it's best to add the violin. But maybe I will know more once she starts? DS is on grade 3 on the piano now but I feel that it's not quite good enough to have a second instrument added?

A year or so of piano should give her the basics to be able to read the notes fluently and understand a little bit about how music “works”. I wouldn’t target a particular grade; people can make different progress on different instruments anyway. I’d say the best time to start her on a second study is when she keeps asking to learn it!

Violins sound beautiful when played well....

The piano never sounds too bad (apart from little kids crashing about , but that shouldbt be the case if they are having lessons.

I learnt both, piano first though
the obvious question, do you have a piano? Obv they are large.

personally I think much easier to start with piano, you can learn some fundamentals of music much more easily and without having to worry about balancing a thing on your shoulder - being coordinated with a violin is key whilst they can make progress with piano earlier.

violin sounds bloody awful for the first few years. However if you stick at it I can’t recommend it enough. There is no better instrument to get into a orchestra, more violin places than any other. At about 16 I made the switch to viola and I have been in demand as an adult!

I’d say piano for a year or two first but no specific grade to aim for. I started the piano at 6ish and violin at 9- much younger and violin will be too difficult I think.

If you consider space in your home and portability, then violin is more practical. Pianos are big and you can’t carry them with you anywhere.

As I said earlier we did exactly this. Started piano beg Yr 2, started stings beg Yr 3. By which time they could read the relevant clef and understand rhythm etc
One violin, one cello.
Never had a problem getting into groups.
Ds2 (17) playing the piano in Rachmaninovs 2nd piano concerto with shcool orchestra in April and is also G8 violinist. He has just accompanied many friends at open mic night on piano and has played in show bands for shcool productions on both instruments he also plays keyboard in a band and has played at various evets. Piano can be v sociable!!!
And it's great at Xmas!!!

I don’t think there’s a specific grade but if she’s going to start on the piano it would make sense to wait for the second study until she has at least a basic grasp of music theory and can read the notes. Piano and strings are very different in terms of playing (obviously) so I’m not sure a specific grade is necessarily something to aim for. (I may be biased with this as I was a high-level string player who never learnt piano formally)

Violin is popular but there are also a lot more opportunities for violinists, and can easily switch to viola at a later point.

Think most people I know who ended up in higher level study started violin at between 6 and 8 years old.