Is this usual for two-year-olds? Sorry, it's PFB!

[lurcherlover]

Should add its my mum being PFB on my behalf, not me!

My DH has a musical family - his dad, brother and himself are all professional classical musicians. I am not musical at all! My mum is convinced DS (2.5) is a musical genius. I think he's probably just a regular kid but I don't know really. So here's some of the things he does - can you tell me if other children his age can do them so I can shut her up?

He beats time perfectly to songs (as in he'll pat his leg or stamp his foot in time to the rhythm).
He sings in tune (sounds like anyone else singing to me but I'm tone deaf really - DH assures me he's in tune though)
He recognises music - not just lyrics, or music he naturally hears a lot like nursery rhymes. Baby dd has a playmat that we got out recently and it plays Blue Danube - he said straight away "meg and Mog music!" because on our DVD that's the music that plays when meg lands on the moon. He's right, too.

What do you think? Normal or signs he's going to be musically gifted?

Mine does those things and is definately musically gifted, so yours is too!

I think it's partly the exposure he's had and partly that he has a natural ability.

DS is 24mo and on his way to being as you describe your DS. We're a very musical family (not professional by any means but I play the violin, DH studied classical music and we listen to a lot of music, do a lot of clapping along to music in time and dancing in the living room ).

Just keep encouraging. I love seeing DS's joy in music.

My ds is the same but to be honest I don't consider him gifted.

I don't think any of mine can/could do this (one is 2 next month, others are older). We are a particularly ungifted family musically though.

Mine does items two and three and I thought nothing in particular of it, I have to admit. She doesn't naturally beat time, though, and to me that kind of response to music does sound quite "musical". At three now she'll have a go if I'm doing it.

DS1 beats time very well and recognises the music but he is an appalling singer and very very out of tune, thats when he doesn't just drone on one note. He's 2.8

interesting. My side of the family are musical and DH's not so much. DH struggles to hold a tune tbh.

DS1 can sing perfectly in tune and understands key changes etc and really always has done. DS2 is 3 loves music but it's hit and miss whether he can sing in tune or not. So I do think there is a genetic element and yes OP it sounds like your son has musical ability.

My sister is a very gifted musician and my mum swears that even as a tiny baby she used to be able to sing in tune! Mum would sing to her and she would sing back

We're a musical family. DS is 18 mths and he claps in time, sings nursery rhymes slap bang in tune (to dah dah, he can't say the words) and recognises tunes and picks them up v quickly.

He just loves music and dancing. He will sit and watch you play guitar or piano for ages.

I do think he's a musical kid.

Agree with others it's perfectly in line with what you expect from a child who grows up in a musical family. I always sings songs for and with my children and we experiment singing the song really fast then really slowly, or really loudly and then whispering. And as a result dd1 can do the same things. All babies are highly musical when born (bc it's a prerequisite for language learning) but in our modern culture they lose it.

If you're interested in musical "giftedness" I highly recommend the book "talent is overrated".

DD (2) can recognise tunes and name them, she knows lots of the words and sings along but her musical talents are at the if it gives her pleasure it makes me smile end of the spectrum, rather than at the she holds a tune well and keeps in time end.

I suspect it's partually your family not being particularly musical. Sorry. Dh is very musical, and I'm okay, but I notice that dm raves much more about dc's music than mil, who takes it as more "Normal".
Dd1 and ds are very obviously musical, could hold a tune recognisably from about a year old. Both loved classical music and would recognise long pieces like Vltava even if coming in the middle of it, from 18 months.
Dd2 is less obviously musical. She's now got a nice voice, but she didn't hold a tune well until she was 4 or 5, and wasn't interested in listening to music.

However I don't think ultimately she is less musical, just different. She has different strengths in music from the other two. So I don't think you can necessarily tell how they will turn out.

We are a musical family (well, my side are, my siblings are professional musicians, as are 2 of my aunts- DH's family are tone deaf!).

DS1 is 4, and can just about tap the beat and sing in tune, but this is fairly recent (and he has little interest in music beyond as part of a game, e.g. musical statues).

DS2 has just turned 2. He has been able to beat time for about 6 months, absolutely accurately. He can sign in tune (the tune is far, far clearer than the words!), and recongnises lots of music. He spends hours messing about with my piano, but in a structured, exploring type of way rather than just bashing it.

My 2 have had the same upbringing, so I don't think it's necessarily just exposure. I'd like to think that DS2 is musical (but having read this thread I'm wondering if maybe he's just normal, and DS1 is dreadful!!).