can someone musical tell me what to think about with regard to selecting instrument for dds

[hatwoman]

we have a piano and I have always thought of it as the instrument to play. It's always seemed to me to be the one that underlies all music. don;t ask me to justify that - I'm not musical enough. dd has started a few lessons and is doing well butit has occured to me that if she is a bit musical she might get more enjoyment from a smaller instrument - something she's more likely to be able to play in an orchestra. could she take that up at a later stage? but on the other hand pianos are so beautiful and you can make amazing solo music - even if only for your own enjoyment.

I am not musical either but have alwasy wanted to play the piano.I think it would be a great idea for your dd to play two instruments.My dd enjoys playing the flute in school groups and orchestra,she started on recorder,then fife.

I reckon a guitar is up there with the piano.

I think you're right, I see a piano as being a good sort of 'grounding' in music, but it's also nice to play an instrument with others i.e. in a band / orchestra.

hatwoman I have strong views about this....
how old is dd? what is her personality like?
imo and ime the piano can be a wonderful instrument but it can also be an apparatus of pure torture and is the single instument responsible for putting so many people off the idea of playing music for life .
what you need is this book the right instrument for your child which is very helpful at helping you decide what is the right instrument for each particular individual.

honestly hatwoman GET THAT BOOK I think you will findit really helpful

Agree with more than one instrument - Ive gotten through quite a few, and often at the same time. I started with piano, keeping that up, and trying other instruments.

I'm not musical either, but I have thought along with emmatom that a guitar is a good bet because even a not-terribly-musical-just-vaguely-competent child will be able to put guitar-playing ability to use in everyday life.

Have made a note of harpsi's book now to look into when the time comes...

I've read that book - it's great. You MUST read it.

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The piano is essential for anyone wanting to take music to an advanced level. However you don't know yet that your child will. What is most important is to find an instrument that suits her and that will encourage her to want to continue. Keyboard skills can be started later on if she becomes serious or is thinking about music college entry.

Agree with the others, get that book, iyt is great.

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I always loved the piano. My education minded parents thought it was a flirt rather than a serious thing, and bought me a keyboard with far less than 88 keys. When they saw me playing outside the keyboard when I needed to hit a higher/lower note, and reassured by my piano teacher, they bought me a real piano. My cousin got immediately a piano and then hardly played it. Listen to your child. Does she enjoy the piano/keyboard? Bring her to concerts, band performances, music shops. She can understand what she likes. In Italian conservatories, piano is compulsory for all musicians, regardless of the instruments they play. But beware, it is sad when parents impose their choices on children, killing their love for instrumental music.

thanks everyone - these are really helpful thoughtful responses - never thought I'd get so many. i think I have made a basic tactical error - we've got teh piano in the house and I said to her would you like to have lessons, and she said yes. I didn't think about the bigger picture and the possibility of other instruments. until now. I'm a bit cross with myself for not doing my research properly. having said that she does like playing her own bits - chopsticks etc, she will tootle of her own accord (not always what she's meant to practice though) - and she's very good at maths and - consequently imo - reading music. But I think it is sometimes a chore - she's a perfectionist and hates getting stuff wrong. I think back-tracking now would be wrong - and she's defintely too young to take on a second instrument at the moment but I'll definitely get taht book. thanks everyone

Hatwoman - I started playing the piano when I was three, and never looked back. If DD likes to 'tootle' then it's a good sign she's enjoying it.

I now play for a living! I tend to prefer solitary activities, though; never much of a team player. (I played with an orchestra a few times and hated it).

That book sounds great. Will keep it in mind for when foetus is older.

This is probably in the book, but please make sure you choose an instrument that she feels an affinity with.
Don't do what my parents did with me and make her play the clarinet because it's cheap

Ooh, yes, and re the guitar...

When you first start learning it makes your fingers very sore. In fact, they often bleed if you practice for any length of time (even with a nylon-stringed guitar).

I would have thought that would be enough to put a very young child off for life.

Maybe best left until DD is about seven or eight for that one?

well I chose trumpet as a child cos i wanted to be different!! (I was crap but did enjoy it)BUT I had to walk 2 miles to school lugging the heavy, bulky thing so often wished I'd opted for piccolo
And ds has chosen guitar (classical) cos he wants to be a rock star (and I was happy to agree as we love in a very small semi and it is not all all objectionable to hear him practise.) These things have to be taken into consideration too IME.

I love this thread, very interesting opinions, as I can't wait to foist a musical instrument on my poor unsuspecting DS!

Personally, my son is going to learn the trumpet and / or cornet (I understand it's quite easy to switch between the two) and this gives lot of different types of ensembles to play in - orchestra, wind band, brass band, jazz, etc etc. Whereas the violin, for example, is so limiting!! And since up north is the home of the brass band, he'll be able to take part in stuff outside the school and with people of all different ages (so not reliant on the quality of teaching at school.) Furthermore, he can experiment with different brass instruments as time progresses, and as the interest takes him. A cheap model can be picked up fairly, well, errm, cheaply and there's a good second hand market for them. They're also not too large to carry to school and there's some quite good gig bags around these days that I've seen youngsters carrying (a far cry to my youth when you had to lug a heavy case on the end of your arm...) SO my plan is to wait until he's slightly older, as brass teachers advise to wait until their front teeth have settled down. In the meantime, we listen to lots of different kinds of music and we play with lots of toy percussion instruments, for the sheer fun of it. And the poor child gets to listen to me practising in the house...

And yes, I do have it all planned, thank you very much. And yes, I know he'll be more interested in football.... oh well, I can dream!!!

californiafrau - despite your experience I have to (cordially, of course!) disagree. being good at maths undoubtedly helps some people (inc. dd) with the logic of music. that does not, for one second imply that it's necessary to be good at maths to read music well, or that not being good at maths impedes music-reading. but it does mean you can say there's a correlation!

DS1 does violin, coz that's given for free at his school at this atge . It was that or cello and I am not lugging a cello over there once a week.

hence, decision simple.

Always the best way.