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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

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Original poster

What instrument for DD (9)

40 replies

Toomanychoices · 20/08/2012 15:25

My DD plays the piano (grade 3-4 level) and sings (grade 4). She wants to learn an orchestral instrument to join the orchestra when she moves to senior school (will be going into year 5 next month).

She is reasonably musical, but as the piano already requires quite a lot of practice it would be good if the new instrument would be easy at least to start with. Although flute and clarinet would be ideal, they are quite popular so competition for orchestra places would be fierce.

So is there a relatively easy and not very popular instrument out there for her? I should also add that she is very petite and likely to remain so.

OP posts:

sleeze · 21/08/2012 14:36

I would also suggest you research other local children's orchestras - maybe contact your local music service. Our local music service does something called 'endangered species' where they provide tuition and instruments on loan for the less popular instruments. They also have a number of 'training' bands and orchestras.

Original poster

Toomanychoices · 21/08/2012 14:51

Sleeze that's a great suggestion thanks

OP posts:

ByTheWay1 · 21/08/2012 14:59

Would also suggest you check with the school - our school only takes kids for the orchestra who have learned their instrument at school not privately tutored... so you have to pick from the "usuals" on the school music service list...

mirry2 · 21/08/2012 15:05

Double bass would get her into any orchestra, no problem at all.
The downside is the size. Even if she had a quarter size because of her height you would have to do a lot of fetching and carrying.

Lancelottie · 21/08/2012 15:44

Sleeze's suggestion is good -- but not all 'endangered species' instruments are orchestral, so check that too. DS plays euphonium, which is a brass band staple rather than orchestral.

sleeze · 21/08/2012 16:20

Are you in Hampshire Lancelottie?

Lancelottie · 21/08/2012 18:02

No, why?
(Should have said that at school level, DS DOES play in the orchestras, doubling up on the trombone parts, but he wouldn't get into a 'proper' orchestra with it.)

sleeze · 21/08/2012 18:34

Ah ok - it was just the euphonium comment - I wondered if you were someone I know in real life - euphonium players aren't exactly two a penny

Wafflenose · 21/08/2012 20:28

A lot of the Endangered instruments are endangered precisely because they are large, heavy and expensive...

Get her to try some instruments in the music shop and see what she likes!

Lancelottie · 21/08/2012 23:54

Well, I'd always thought they were rare, Sleeze, but when we went camping last year there were three euphonium players on the campsite.

ours was the only one who'd brought it with him though

chocoluvva · 22/08/2012 09:13

I keep wondering about whether there actually IS a paucity of viola players too- it does seem to be routinely recognised as less competitve than the violin, so children sometimes start on the violin then change to the viola to get into more groups.
My DS has been playing double bass for a year now and is going to start playing in an orchestra- but he's hardly ever had to take his own instrument with him as he plays on school ones. (Whew).

goingtoexplodesoon · 26/08/2012 00:53

How about saxaphone. It can be used in orchestras, but leaves her open for jazz, and other music, if she wants to experiment when she gets older. Great fun as an instrument.

Brass instruments are good, fun and not as much practice as piano. For a 9yr old, a tuba is a bit much (I played the tuba as a kid) but definitely unusual. A french horn is good, rare but hard to find a teacher for and orchestral. Trombones are loud, noisy and fun. Trumpets are generally the lead instruments in brass, with others acting as background until you get to a really good level (I only started learning tuba solos at Grade 6!).

And then go for the more unique... The harp. My niece is learning this as a music program in her area. Not too much practice, but unique, orchestral and fun to play apparently. It is definitely unusual! Her school, once they learnt about it, asked them to pay for another harp for the school (the school pays the upkeep though) because it is nearly impossible to lug around. If the school doesn't do that, and you can afford it, enquire about it.

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 31/08/2012 00:45

Sax's don't always play in orchestras. DD did at primary school because it was an all encompassing orchestra, but she can't play sax in our local Youth Orchestra or her Secondary school orchestra. However there is a wide range of swing and wind bands she can play in, and she also plays cello anyway.

I know two boys who started tuba in year 4 and did very well.

Trombones are great fun, and not very common either. They are also very versatile

crazymum53 · 03/09/2012 14:16

At dds secondary school they are actively looking for bassoon players and oboe players for the woodwind (or people willing to learn these instruments).

horseymum · 30/09/2012 17:00

double bass! it is big but fits into pretty much any car. it is fairly easy to learn at the start and you can be joining in with an orchestra after a fairly short time. There is less competition for places and you can still study it as a solo instrument at music college later if she turns out to be really good at it.

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