Which instrument - DD's choice (recorder) or our choice (keyboard)

[jumpyjan]

DD will be going into year 1 next year and has the opportunity to learn an instrument. We always thought she would like to learn the keyboard as she has one at home and enjoys playing it but she is adamant she wants to learn the recorder.

We were going to go for both but have discovered the lessons will be during school lesson time so want to minimise the amount of time outside of the classroom.

I, of course, don't want to impose our preference on her but is there any point in learning the recorder? DD says she wants to learn the flute so she needs to learn the recorder first - is she right?

Ha ha banders - you are getting me enthusiastic about it now

The recorder is awesome

It (treble for exams, but played all in consorts) was my main instrument growing up, alongside violin, piano, flute, euphonium, voice, crumhorns, viols, rackets, shawms, curtals... Did grade 8 at age 11 after starting formal lessons at probably 8ish, but learning to read music very young, on the descant recorder, opened up this fabulous world to me.

Definitely show your DD Banders' link - one of my dearest friends makes recorders for a living and I used to get to tootle along with Piers Adams - very cool!

Another vote for recorder! It's a brilliant instrument, and makes other things easier too. My DD plays the recorder, flute and piano, and she's going so fast on the flute and piano because of doing recorder first. She definitely wants to continue with that too, and is doing Grade 3 next term.

Feeling brave tonight.

(there are lots more if you can be bothered to browse)

If you have to choose I would go for the recorder BUT, assuming that your DD copes in well with school, I would have been inclined to let my DD try both, at least for a term to see how she coped.

Wafflenose, how lovely to see miniwaffle playing. She's fab.

waffle I've watched that clip twice now, once on my own and once with dd and both times I've blubbed like a baby! She is so cute, wonderful playing

Really? Thank you!! After people were posting videos of the amazing Piers Adams, I thought the OP might also like to see something a bit more realistic for a KS1 child to relate to. DD also plays the flute (she has had six lessons) and piano (she is teaching herself out of a book sporadically, but sailed through the Prep Test in March) and probably has another 15 or so videos on my channel if you can be bothered to look. We're performing a flute duet, and Butterfly Bounce for recorder and piano at her school concert on Wednesday, so there might be something more up-to-date on there soon.

Amazing for just 6. dd is 8 and is only just doing grade 2 recorder. Was that you on the piano accompaniment? I'll certainly keep an eye out for updates.

Yes, that was me - and my crap all over the room because we'd just got back from holiday and were unpacking!

Grade 2 is very good for an 8 year old. I teach at a very nice private school with a great reputation for music. We start them particularly young (only those that want to of course, but everyone gets some free trial lessons which the school pays for). They start part way through Year 1 (which I don't generally recommend) and on average take Grade 1 in Year 3 or 4, sometimes Year 5. This year I had two Year 5s who reached Grade 2, although I've a few children going into Year 4 who'll probably get it soon... many give up before that though, or take up something else instead.

Everyone thinks DD is good because of me, but actually she gets less teaching time than my paying pupils - a couple of minutes here and there. She loves practising and is doing well, but is no genius. Some children her age can play Grade 6-8 repertoire well (particularly on the piano and violin - lots of examples on Youtube) but she has stickability and determination, which help...

Best of luck to the OP's daughter - I hope she enjoys it as much as my DD does.

Has to be her choice because the likelihood of her ever practicing an instrument she hasn't chosen to learn is small. She can always move on - it's a good, basic way of learning to read music and she's only little.

grade V recorder got me off one of the papers for O level music some years later. Loved it. Did piano too which as has already been said was quite a pain to begin with.

I used to play in a recorder quartet in the latter years of primary school and early years of middle school until we got bored with it. I played descant and my friends played alto, treble and bass and we sounded bloody awesome if I do say so myself!

Sadly I have now long forgotten nearly everything apart from basic music reading. Still got my recorder up in the loft somewhere though. I could probably do Greensleeves at a push.....

I was also pushed into learning to play the Melodica due to my skill at playing the recorder. I hated it. I wanted to play the flute or learn the piano. Neither happened and I gave up music completely, which I now regret. But please OP let her choose, there is no fun in learning something that you have no interest in and when you really want to learn something else.

Go with the DC - she can easily do the keyboard later - if she wishes.

Her choice, it all helps and maybe she'll like another instrument later... Not many people stick with recorder. Plus her motivation is crucial here, any instrument takes a passion to learn well.

Just caught up with all the posts. You are, of course, all right in that it is dds decision and she is firmly set on recorder so recorder it is.

waffle thank you for posting the video links - dd will love that - so sweet and your dd is obviously doing really well with it.

Thanks all for helping us make the decision.

DD (10) is taking her grade 3 recorder at Christmas after getting a distinction at grade 2 last year. It has also proved to be the perfect starter instrument & she is now starting to learn oboe too!

Love the recorder (yes that is very hard to say as a viola player)