Choosing an instrument for your child

[Bramshott]

I'm undoubtedly overthinking this, but feeling the pressure of choosing an instrument and steering DD in the best direction. She is 7, in Yr 2, and will have the opportunity to learn an instrument at school next year.

DD is very keen to start clarinet, although the teacher has suggested that she waits a year, which is fine. There are various practical reasons against choosing violin or cello in any case, and the only other thing on offer seems to be cornet, which has always struck me as a bit of a limited repertoire.

I suppose the thing I'm struggling with, is how do you decide (or steer your child to decide) what instrument is right for them? I was a woodwind player and struggled slightly with not being fantastic at it, and therefore getting less opportunities to play. I also feel that I chose the wrong instrument - I was a flute player, and much too late decided that I should actually have been a bassoonist (!), which I think would have suited me better.

I am very aware that I categorise people by what instrument they play (I work in the arts), so it feels like a big deal!

Am rambling now!

Will she have a chance at school to try out various instruments before committing herself? I think that is really important - you can't tell what you might be physically suited to until you try it. And whether they like the sound is so important - at my son's school they all did strings for a while and he just could not bear the noise he made on a violin.

My observation with my own children is that it can take a while to settle on the right thing, and that piano in the meantime is not a bad idea as it give such good grounding in theory.

In the end I have let my own children choose completely for themselves (all I want is for them to enjoy it) and now have one double bass/voice and one piano/voice/trombone! Bass instruments r us ... The benefits of that have been (a) no squeaky noises when practising (b) quick progress on orchestral instrument as they had both done piano for a while and could read bass clef, and also singing lessons really improve aural skills and (c) they are both getting lots of playing opportunities because they are more unusual instruments.

Wow - so many replies! I was worried that this was a dull subject!

She has just started private piano lessons, and will do recorder in class next year, so that is a firm basis I think. The problem is over the choice of "orchestral" instrument.

She went on a course last summer where they had a chance to try lots of instruments, and came back very keen on the clarinet, but having struggled as an average flute player for years, part of me doesn't want to steer her down the woodwind route. Although I had thought that she can always start on the clarinet and change to something like bassoon later.

Gerontius - the problem with violin (and cello come to that) is that the lessons happen at the local secondary school. This means you have to be available to collect your child in the middle of the day and take them for the lesson and then bring them back to school again, so it's quite a committment.

I think I might order that "Right instrument for your child" book, as you can get it second hand for only a couple of quid.

SEA - I will let her choose, of course, but I think she needs "steering", because I can see some of the pitfalls ahead better than she can at age 7, and because she doesn't know very much about instruments yet.

Bramshott, I'd let her try the clarinet, if she is keen. She can switch to something else later, or maybe be brilliant! My experience has been that being enthusiastic has to be the first step for them at such a young age.

I very sadly did not have the opportunity to learn an instrument as a child, and all my life I have felt that I missed out terribly on a great experience. I am determined that my children will have that opportunity (and indeed, have ended up with that in spades - they are both super keen and seem quite good at it!) but I try very hard not to let my own feelings affect the decisions we make for then. If they both said they wanted to give up tomorrow I would be privately devastated, but I hope would let them make their own choice.

Riven - she does want to, and is very musical. Music is also a big part of our life - many family members and friends are professional musicians and its a big deal for us, so it's important that she at least tries it out, although obviously I wouldn't push her on if she really didn't like it.

If you do go for clarinet talk to her dentist first.

Also if she's likely to need braces at any point woodwind and brass aren't the best choices - you have to be quite committed to work through the pain!

ImSoNotTelling and snorkie

lol at drums, animal from the muppets springs to mind!

if she's keen to play clarinet, why not wait a year as advised? She's young

Thanks for all of this. I think we will plan to go for clarinet in Yr 4, with piano, recorder and singing in the meantime.

Waiting a year isn't an issue, it was more that I was wondering how you know what instrument is the right choice for your child, and whether you should really encourage your child to be a woodwind player given the greater level of opportunities they will get as a string or brass player.

But keenness is important, and I have to remember that she is still young, and that kids can make good progress even if they don't start on what turns out to be "their" instrument until they are older.

"whether you should really encourage your child to be a woodwind player given the greater level of opportunities they will get as a string or brass player"

There's always wind bands! Seriously though there are very good wind bands/orchestras. The best music camps of my life were the National Youth Wind Orchestra ones and you get a completely different kind of repetoire. If you are worried she can always move to a less competitive woodwind instrument (oboe? bassoon?) later.

I think far too many people go for violin as a default option so there actually end up being more mediocre violinists who don't get to play!

Don't Brass players develop a funny muscle in their upper lip, that always put me off and isn't something I'd want for my daughter.

I've never been aware of brass players looking odd around the chops!

This woman plays trumpet all the time and is v glam!

Thanks Frakkinaround, that's great to hear! I think I am projecting my own issues onto this!

Ah, but Frankin - if you are a reasonable violinist, you can play in whichever orchestras you want. If you are a reasonable oboe/flute/clarinet/bassoon etc you probably won't get the choice as the few woodwind slots will be taken up by the 'good' players...