Y4: Flute, clarinet or trumpet?

[gaussgirl]

DS2 will get the opportunity to choose one or the other. Oh, and keyboard, as in ONE of the above. DS1 does keyboard (I'd've liked him to do brass as we do have a tradition in the family) SO, which would you choose? It struck me at the school carol service (this is a state juniors so no little hot-housed Mozarts 'bringing the house down', just a bunch of group trained DCs doing in-school lessons)- but it struck me that the flautists were making the best sound! The brass was predictably parpy and the clarinets rather wheezy. IS the flute one of those instruments where if you can make the sound at all, you can make it reasonably well? And the clarinet, is it like the violin where it sounds dreadful for far longer?

What do you think?

for the flute, it's best of your adult front teeth are through, so you don't then need to relearn the mouth position. Not so important for clarinet.
IME (with both a flautist and a clarinetist in the house), the flute sounds better when you're learning, the clarinet cna be more flexible (as in you can join jazz groups more readily as well as traditonal woodwins groups).
Trumpet is a LOT louder, than the clarinet, which is a LOT louder than the flute. Flute is more expensive to buy than a clarinet, don't know about trumpet pricing, sorry.
Keyboard can be plugged into headphones, and the rest of the household doesn't need to listen .
Will you DS gave an opprtunity to try each instrument before picking one? We took the DDs to a "try as many instruments as you like" session, adn then picked the one they looked most comfortable playing (DD2 picked up a flute and got a sound out straightaway whcih the music teacher was quite impressed with, as she was only 6 at the time)

My DS1 learns trumpet (well cornet actually) and recorder. The clarinet is a good one at this young age as its relatively easy to get a good sound out at the beginning.

sorry, rubbish typing, I can spell really

I enjoyed playing the flute at school mainly because I could hide it in my school bag! Too many preceding years of having to carry my violin to and from school with loads of stupid comments. Also I think my parents found it more tuneful earlier on than all the screeching they had to put up with when I learnt the violin. For ease of making some form of music I reckon the flute is easier than either the clarinet or trumpet. Once you get your mouth position right you don't have to have loads of puff to play a tune.

I would ask your dc what they would like to play!

Do they want to play any of these instruments in the first place of would they prefer strings? Percussion? A short cut to children not continuing to play their instrument is they didn't chose it in the first place and are doing it please mum and dad (not saying you're like this btw but have seen it happen many times)

So have I deckmuppet..many times parents want child to play an instrument - child not interested - instrument given up after 2 terms

My ds begged for a year but I thought he wasn't really serious. Eventually started piano lessons at school and is doing very well. He does his practising without being asked. Only problem now is he wantsto learn the electric guitar as well (and drums!). Have told him he has to work hard at the piano and we'll consider it in year 3.

I agree that your child has to be self motivated to learn an instrument as you need to work hard to make it sound tuneful!

Flute least painful on the ears and in concert pitch so they don't have to learn to transpose.

However I agree let the dc choose

agree re the concert pitch and transposing. I was a 'celist so it was never an issue but I never got to grips with it for theory. Then again, those that did play transposing instruments were masters at it...

I was drawn to music first and formost. (arty farty I know but true) I sand, then played recorder, then played all the recorders and then moved onto 'cello. I was never a real practiser more of a fluker but my parents had split by that time so no one to nag me. (which probably meant I played for longer )

I would take your dc to a concert and see what they liked the sound of/look of and see what they think then.

I don't really think the transpose thing is a problem to clarinettists umless they want to compose or play with others - its only at a higher level where this becomes a necessary evil but even then its easy to grasp (whatever note a clarinet plays says 'A' then the piano/flute/violin/recorder etc will play a whole tone down) and vice versa (whole tone up) if trying to work out a note for the clarinet that sounds like a piano note (tis the same for the trumpet and soprano sax, bass clarinet, tenor sax, bass sax, b flat tuba and euphonium etc)

I'd say clarinet but then I am biased. Starting learning end of Y4/beginning of Y5 now am on Grade 5 - sort of a year a grade and really enjoy it.

Flute - nice, but does not have the full musical range as the clarinet.

Brass instruments are nice and can be used in a variety of groups etc.

I'm an instrumental teacher (with 15 yrs experience, as well as being a pro-songwriter) and, although we all have preferences for certain instruments, your DS will almost certainly be more motivated to learn (by which I mean practice willingly and enjoy it!) if he makes the decision about which instrument to do.

Also, has he said that he would like to have lessons? So many kids are put off by having their parents make decisions about music for them- the practice, which they have to do, is quite a committment and many children see it like homework (boring, something that they don't want to do.) Starting music, and which instrument should be your child's decision. (PS many musicians find they have to 'try out' lots of instruments to find the one that's right for them, if the first one doesn't work out and your child then asks to try another, I'd let him...

PPS- if you really want to give your child a solid and very useful start in music I wouldn't go for any of the instruments you suggest, I'd get piano or keyboard lessons- they sound ok very quickly and because you can see all the note intervals just by looking it makes learning music theory easier.

I think this is a no brainer -its up to your child .Learning an instument is often difficult and needs persistence.If their heart isn't in it you're onto a loser from the outset.

Ome good thing about trumpet is that you can play in a wide variety of ensembles.I think trumpets are very popular with boys maybe because they are so loud !Both my Dss started playing at about 7

This thread is really interesting - ds is in year 2 now and is desperate to start learning trumpet in year 3 (with dreams of progressing to trombone............)

It never occurred to me that trumpets are louder - arggggggggggh! He is driving me made already with recorder and keyboard

A question for those of you in the know - Is one lesson a week (probably in a group of 3) enough - And how much practice do they need to do?

at that age one lesson a week is fine - if you can get him to practice prob about 5-10 mins a day would be great

everyone plays the flute and was always considered a bit girly, even among the girls, in my school days.

Clarinet is more interesting but trumpet far better. I am coming from the angle of getting kids to play an interesting instrument and then they will always be needed/have a part in band/orchestra. DD1 plays oboe and is the only one at her High School so gets all the good parts IYSWIM.

totally agree that it is DSs decision....let him listen to some cool music played by each and explain the practise element too

Thanks everyone. Thing is SOME instrument or other is more or less compulsory at the DSs school!

And how do you get the opportunity to let the DC TRY all instruments? At the school, what happens is you put your DC down for whatever they think they want to try. The various teachers then try the DC out and say yay or nay and you get a note accordingly.

Tell me, when people say the flute has the same fingering as the recorder- does that mean that if you can play the descant recorder, flute would be that bit easier to master?

TRUMPET TRUMPET TRUMPET!!!!

I think different people take to different instruments. I tried a few before the trumpet, but I took to it really quickly. I couldn't do the flute, despite the fact that I'd been playing descant recorder for years.
I wouldn't be put off about the fact that clarinets and trumpets are in b flat. Transposing has to be learnt when you become serious about music anyway. I learnt because my school was too stingy to buy b flat music!

We could hire instruments from the school, and that didn't cost much so I tried flute, and clarinet before settling on trumpet.
You can also hire instruments from some music shops, then buy them at a reduced price later on if you want to continue with it.

I'm glad I learnt trumpet as there aren't (in my area) as many as say flautists or clarinetists, so I had oppotunities my way that I'm sure I wouldn't have got otherwise.

some areas have try out sessions (Surrey does) so check your council websites. Failing that, try asking either the music teachers at school, or in your nearest music shop if anywhere wil let you try out different instruments.