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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

Are there any instruments a 3 yr old could learn?

49 replies

PalePinkSwan · 27/04/2018 20:02

DS1 wants a real instrument - he’s bored of bells, maracas, and drums and keeps saying he wants a real instrument not a toy one.

Is there anything he could realistically learn? He’s only 3 and 4 months which feels too young to me.

OP posts:

Aprilmightbemynewname · 27/04/2018 20:04

My ds 3.7 is adamant he wants to play the guitar, he tinkers on dd's!!
A friend pays for 1-1 tuition for his ds 5 which is the youngest he said he would tutor.

Aprilmightbemynewname · 27/04/2018 20:05

Oh and he bought him a real tiny guitar for Christmas - cost him £185!!
The tutor said he would have to practice between the weekly lessons.

Mycarsmellsoflavender · 27/04/2018 20:06

Keyboard?

Mycarsmellsoflavender · 27/04/2018 20:07

Didn't Mozart play the piano at a very young age or was that just in the film?

TheIsland · 27/04/2018 20:08

A friends daughter learnt violin at 3. They got a smaller one (quarter size?). Both parents are music teachers so they could teach her, not sure if that makes a difference though.

INeedNewShoes · 27/04/2018 20:08

There are Suzuki violin classes for 3 year olds but I have to say that it's not a path I'd go down with my DC (I'm a musician).

Some basic percussion instruments like a small real tambourine could be fun.

Most real instruments, even in small sizes for young children, will place a physical demand on the child that I'm not sure I'm comfortable with (ie violinists often develop shoulder issues).

Lowdoorinthewal1 · 27/04/2018 20:08

Occarina?

NinaTina · 27/04/2018 20:09

Mine started violin at 3.5 years.

NannyR · 27/04/2018 20:09

Xylophone or glockenspiel?

busymummy0411 · 27/04/2018 20:11

Suzuki lessons start young, and there are many instruments offered. My daughter started piano at 3 and 3 months, and is nearly 7 now. She loves it and has since day 1. The British Suzuki Institute have a list of registered teachers.

TheDishRanAwayWithTheSpoon · 27/04/2018 20:13

A recorder?

muffyduffster · 27/04/2018 20:14

Ukulele?

MsAwesomeDragon · 27/04/2018 20:19

Recorder. It's shrill when they first start trying, but it's easy to get a note out of and it's about the right size for a small child. You could just get a beginner book and do something yourself.

randomsabreuse · 27/04/2018 20:20

Glockenspiel/xylophone, Piano, Ukelele all look possible.

My nearly 3 yo has had a glockenspiel for a while - she's only interested in bashing it but it's a "proper" instrument with decent tuning and all the notes for 2 octaves. If she shows an interest she might start copying me as I pick out nursery rhymes.

Ukulele might work - thinking about that as an option - would have to try to learn ahead of her.

Recorder also might work if your ears can take it.

Piano is the obvious one but is £££ to buy!

glorious · 27/04/2018 20:23

You could get a real xylophone or glockenspiel (xylophone a bit easier on the ear). Or violin as others have said. But really (also speaking as a musician) the best things he could do at that age are singing, dancing, clapping rhythms etc to develop his ear.

glorious · 27/04/2018 20:25

IMO as a pianist piano is not obvious for a 3 yo at all. He will struggle to play with proper technique as the keys are heavy. There are approaches teachers use and opinions differ, but better I think to start at more like 5 as a minimum. My own DD plays violin (from 4) for this reason but I wouldn't have let her for the reasons above if she hadn't begged!

billybagpuss · 27/04/2018 20:26

Are you musical? if so which instruments are already in the family?

Is he wanting to start lessons or just enjoy the sound and play.

If lessons, try violin 1/8 size. If just play (don't hate me) try the recorder. pp suggestion of an ocarina isn't a bad one as it doesn't sound so shrill and is easier for little fingers to cover the holes. Keyboard/piano is always a good option as he can experiment with sounds before formally learning to understand what he's playing.

TheSpottedZebra · 27/04/2018 20:27

What about cups - (not joking). Google for ideas of songs with cups percussion.

billybagpuss · 27/04/2018 20:33

To add to what 'glorious' said I am a piano teacher and won't take little ones under 5 preferably 6 as their hands are not developed enough imo (nor do they have the ability to sit still and I wouldn't want them to) but yes Mozart and Lang Lang started at 3, I would seriously question any teacher these days who take from that age though and make sure they understand what they are doing.

GinandGingerBeer · 27/04/2018 20:44

Violin.
Imagine the pain! 🙉🙉🙉

billybagpuss · 27/04/2018 20:46

Not if taught properly Gin, my DD started at 4 and the only truly horrid day we had was the day she learnt harmonics. It doesn't sound truly good until they hit a full sized violin though.

billybagpuss · 27/04/2018 20:47

Having said that DD1 sounded bloody awful so we directed her towards the cello

glorious · 27/04/2018 21:10

No hideous noises here either gin She is just 5 and playing basic pieces in tune and without squeaking. She's no prodigy either so I think that's perfectly achievable with the right support. She's recently moved up a size and we did get a nicer instrument than the cheapest ones, which has made a difference too. All tiny violins look cheap to me as a pianist anyway

Original poster

PalePinkSwan · 28/04/2018 07:15

Thanks for the advice everybody - we’re not very musical so weren’t sure where to start. I’ll look into these suggestions (and maybe into the best brand of earplugs!).

OP posts:

KoshaMangsho · 28/04/2018 07:18

DS started the violin at 3. But he begged and begged. So we had a chat and I said he had to do it properly and take it somewhat seriously. Because I was convinced it was going to be a fad. 3.5 years later he’s still playing, loves it, practices every day without prompting. And I cannot begin to tell you how non musical we are. And it wasn’t all that painful to start with. Some screeching but he began to produce a half decent sound soon enough.

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