Should you put a limit on the number of musical instruments a child learns?

[noiamnot]

ds1 is gaga over music. He started off with keyboard and in 2 years is now on grade 3. A year later he started violin and just had his grade 2 exam last week. He got a guitar earlier in the year and as I'm out of money has been teaching himself how to play from a book his father got him and doing quite well at it.

NOW he wants a harmonica as well. And he's making noises about a bass (guitar) and drums.

I mean number one, I can't afford any more lessons. number two isn't all that a bit much?

But he's one of those that can basically pick something up and play it and within a very short period of time play it very well. All his keyboard exams were distinction and one merit and one distinction in violin.

does anyone else have a child like this? what do you do?

DD (8y) is similar, she is grade 3 standard on 2 instruments after 18m on one and 12m on the other; we've just agreed to let her start a third. I've got my doubts about starting instrument 3 but have been won round by DH and DD.

We have explained that we are our limit with instruments as we both work f/t so there simply isn't enough time in the day to fit all the practice in, especially as she is involved with music groups and other non-musical activities outside school. I'm also not convinced DD is "musical", I think she might just be quite bright and finds the initial stages of learning an instrument straight forward.

You should never limit the number of instruments a child learns - what if they want to start a one man band when they are older?

I guess you just have to set your financial limit on lessons and ensure that he has time to practice.

3 instruments with formal tuition is enough ime (music teacher)

I learnt the oboe, recorder and piano at school and sang in church choir (i taught my self violin and flute)

My DS1 learns trumpet and ercorder (aged 9)

Be care ful of doing two different wind/brass instruments tho as the requirements of embouchure could mean that at the higher levels your DS or DD may not be able to achieve the required sound for real proficiency on said instrument

Well this is it pl - I actually thought of that. He is now taking a keen interest in rock music and thinks it's great that the White Stripes only have 2 band members. So he figures his brother can play drums and he can do everything else

stillenacht - thanks for that. I didn't want to limit him but at the same time how much can a 10 year old really handle? With school work and everything else? If he's doing all this can he really be proficient on any of them?

He can pick up Guitar himself and the harmonica, if he wants to learn them. At present I think at 10 get him to stay with his others and work hard on them as the more proficient he gets on those the easier it will be to pick up other stuff.

(mother of musicians here)

Musician here and I would say...

Continue with tuition on the chosen instruments. If he wants to pick up guitar or bass guitar by himself then it's not that hard as he seems to be finding out - there are very good teach it yourself books. All it will set you back is the cost of buying one and he can "help" with that. I taught myself bass and it only took a couple of weeks (please note this was because a boy I was desperately trying to impress had a band and needed a bassist and that was most definitely going to be me...)

Make it clear to him that piano and violin are his priorities and that he must practice those BEFORE he does the others. Drill into him how useful piano is for the other things he wants to learn! If in a few months he still has a burning desire to diversify into percussion or kit then it's worth getting the lessons for it. It gives an excellent foundation in rhythm and if he goes onto study music in any depth will be really helpful to him.

I agree with stillenacht about mixing the embouchures if he wants to go for wind or brass - I play clarinet, flute, oboe and saxophone (confirmed woodwind generalist!) and not mixing the embouchures is really tough. I would have probably been much better if I'd stuck to one, but I wanted to play for musicals etc where having at least 3 woodwind instruments was a massive advantage. However strings don't present the same problem and he seems to have pretty complementary tastes at the moment. Smart lad!

I'd say encourage him to go as far as he can by himself and if he wants formal tuition on a third steer him towards percussion.

Am also intrested in multi intument learning, can I ask those that know, our DS is six, been playing piano for a year about to take first exam. Also does recorder but is fed up with it as he finds it easy Plays piano of his own accord for about an hour a day and works other music out that he has heard, with chords etc (Mamma Mia floated out at me the other day)
Now wants to do violin having seen the national childrens orchestra last night (god they were amazing!) I think its too much but is it? He is also musically obsessed, excellent ear and really loves it so I don't know what to do next,.
Sorry for the hijack! But am not musical at all and he is like an alien to me with it all!

My dd plays the clarinet nad sings - and after begging for 3 years she's getting a soprano saxophone for her birthday on Saturday. That'll learn her! A case of be careful what you wish for......

Noiamnot - because we practice directed autonomous education, we constantly find ourselves testing and trying new things at the request of our DS. But family budgets, actual behavior track records and discussion about motivation for subjects always cuts short any whimsy.

What does that mean? DS began violin age at 3. Now, at age 5, he is not as "focused" as we believe he ought to be. Fortunately, the violin teacher "rewards" him with piano lessons when he can perform appropriately during his lessons.

In short - tuning in to your child is valuable. Explaining reality is a life lesson. I agree with Beetroot and Franniken - pick and choose where to spend your money. Exposure to a classical education is priceless. So, I invest in my wonderful, yet, deviant Suzuki teacher.

My DS gets drumming from the West African and Capoeira classes I haul him to. And as a person of African descent, I have to say I have always viewed "European classical music" with skepticism. There are so many ancient, relevant, cultural traditions to which we are just awakening. Balance is critical.

And learning balance is so important because we are living in a musical world informed by so much more than we learned as children. Some instruments are worthy of tuition - such as piano, violin, cello, and flute. Other instruments lend themselves to self directed learning - bass guitar, drum kits and harmonicas. The key is to research, evaluate, pick and choose what suits your family.

For us, there are lessons to which we will joyfully invest. For us - the five instruments associated with capoeira, West African drumming, (Euro)classical violin, and piano are worth our financial support. Many other instruments we believe can be self-taught or have familial resources upon which we can rely.

Essentially, you are the only one who can plot the advantages or disadvantages for your particular child. Only you can plan for the distinct educational outcomes you desire. Every family is different.

My only hope is that you will make a choice which best reflects your family's values and ability to support any self-directed learning your DC has identified.

wow - thanks for all the great advice. esp. poetmum. ds2 is very interested in learning drums btw. He is deaf in one ear and someone here I believe actually pointed me in the direction of percussion about the same time he started showing an interest. (he's getting a small, beginner's digital drum kit for xmas to see if he takes to it) but that's a round about way of showing great interest in the West African drumming lessons you mentioned. I'm in a smallish, Irish town though so doubt such things would be available to him here.

He slacked off considerably on violin at the beginning of this term. I'm usually one for letting him set his practise pace as he usually does fine but violin teacher warned me about a month before exam that he was doing terribly and not prepared so I put my foot down and viola, once he got over initial resistance to forced practise times (I gather violin is much harder to learn than keyboard?) he sailed and now doesn't mind practising in the slightest.

It just all seemed a bit much. Like he'd never be really good at anything because he was doing too much. I don't want to dampen down his enthusiasm but financial constraints are a real issue.

So thanks for the advice everyone. I will keep him with keyboard and violin instruction and let him figure out the rest on his own. Luckily harmonicas are cheap but then upon research I realized that you might need a whole bunch of them??!!!

good advice on practising keyboard and violin first frannikin. I think I will have him stick to that.

Violin is harder because you have to multitask more to make sure that you're in tune. Keyboard you get the right note or the wrong note, end of. Violin you get the wrong note, the not-so-wrong note, the almost-right note, the very-nearly-there note and the spot-on note.

Interesting point you raise about never really being brilliant at anything because he does so much. This is, unfortunately, true, but I think it's a personality thing and you will know by now whether he's a talented generalist who will settle for 75% right and move on or a dedicated perfectionist. If he's a talented generalist then let him dabble, let him explore, let him improvise. He might not end up being a professional musician but he'll be able to turn his hand to pretty much anything, earn a few bob with friends who desperately need someone to fill in a gig because a band member can't do it and be exposed to all sorts of music, people and fun.

Fine balance between letting him have his head and instilling in him the value of hard work and practice (specifically piano and violin...)