Are there any instruments a 3 yr old could learn?

[PalePinkSwan]

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.

Both my DDs started string instruments before they started school. DD1 begged for a cello from her 3rd birthday onwards until we caved and I sourced a 12th size one. She worked well and did a grade a year until she went to secondary school. She is at uni now and doesn't have a lot of time but still plays. When home, she gets some paid gigs. DD2 started on a 1/16th size violin. She is 17 and still plays.

DH and I are both string players and took the DDs to orchestra concerts/rehearsals we were playing in from being tiny so they both knew lots of different instruments and (importantly) how to treat them. Over all the years, the only damage that has been caused was when DH knocked MY instrument over whilst moving his own. He paid for the repair!

I would probably consider dancing and singing, and if it has to be an instrument, percussion and/or recorder. Unfortunately we only started to notice our DS's great love towards music when he was 8 or 9 so didn't do any of them at his early age. But I can see benefit of young children dancing, singing, or playing recorder/percussion whatever instrument they decide to play later on.

I think violins start at 1/16th.

www.amazon.co.uk/Esound-Varnish-Violin-Shoulder-Strings/dp/B077LX22M6/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=1%2F16+violin&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1525013769&sr=8-1

However, you'd probably want to take your son to a "proper" music shop to try some violins out and get the right size. I took my daughter to Hobgoblin (she's 5 in October) and the smallest one they had was a secondhand 1/8. The man there said that they're a bit like shoes - a child will have a growth spurt and then need the next size up.

See the Musicbabies website - Violin, cello, flute recorder. Violins & cellos go down to 1/32 size but a 1/16th or 1/8th is quite small enough for most 3 year olds. Why Musicbabies not Suzuki? They actually learn to read music from the very first lesson!

My 3 year old is learning piano.

Drums were the earliest recommended for DS. He started at 5 but has ASD so is more like 3 in maturity. He loves them.

I don't know anything about musicbabies, but I have seen my 3 dc progress through the Suzuki method. They started at 3.5 / 4 yrs and could read music to grade 2/3 standard by age 6, but could also play music that is set for grade 4.
Starting to read music later has done my dc no harm as they still became members of the National Children's Orchestra and achieved distinctions at grade 8 by age 13.
I think the key to Suzuki success is parental involvement, which could easily be translated to other methods.

The important thing is to find a teacher who is confident with that age group, and to be flexible about what happens next. By the way, the people who are suggesting violin sizes are off a bit - my sister and I were tall, and she was on an 1/8 age 4. A 3 yr old is likely to need a 1/16 size violin or just possibly a 1/10. Some may be better with a 1/32 - seriously! I've a small number of students, and my 4 yr olds are on 1/16, 5-7 yr olds on 1/8. But it depends on the child's actually size - specifically their arm length.

If you came to me OP, I'd talk about what lessons would involve and get to know you and your son a bit. I'm not very experienced yet and am personally finding I'm better starting with slightly older beginners from 5. Some of my acquaintances know they enjoy teaching 3 and 4 yr olds a lot more.

Sorry I missed the 2nd page when I wrote my post!
Regarding music reading - do we think it is important to teach our children to read as soon as they are learning to talk? So why do they need to read music in order to learn to play music? That's the starting point of Suzuki philosophy at any rate, and when dealing with 3 and 4 yr olds in particular it is rather obvious :)

(big coi - I learned Suzuki method as a child, my own children have learned Suzuki and now I'm teaching ...)

DD started on a 1/10 size violin as a tall 3 yr old. It was on the small side for her but that is kind of easier. I wouldn't say speedy progress was made, but she had fun which is the aim of hobbies at that age!
I'd probably go for cello over violin if I wasn't a violinist(ish) myself, as it seems slightly easier in early stages, you don't have to hold it up.
Stringbabies and Suzuki both excellent for that age; couldn't find either locally for DD but asked local teachers who was good with tinies and they recommended DD's teacher who has been fab.

Mine started Suzuki cello at 3 and like Sososobow did G8 at 13. Fine if you have the right teacher, dire if you don't. Nothing is better than singing at this age.

Wow grade 8 at 13 cant be usual though?
My kids state primary school has a handful of kids on grades 1-3in a few different instruments...

If you start at 3 or 4 with a supportive parent and a good teacher, and keep at it, grade 8 at 13 is quite achievable. My daughter did it in one instrument (from 5), her brother will do 2 at 12/13, my sister and I were 12 and 14 when we did grade 8 violin but had really passed grade 8 standard before that (having started age 4 and 6). Expectations of progress can really influence what happens in my opinion.

It's not usual but it's not exceptional ... it's 10 years! In our case it was painless because of a marvellous teacher, whereas piano, which was taken up at 7, I think, and a grade a term (hideous, terrible idea) to Grade 5 was much more difficult and not advisable. Suzuki was a lifestyle choice. The lack of reading did bother me but in the long term (20 years on) it has done absolutely no harm and I can see the rationale.

I'm sure It isnt exceptional but very much "normal for mumsnet/private ed" rather than the norm, where kids start an instrument at 7ish in school.

I think music should be fun and any education imo starts when they are at school.
ito a real instrument maybe he means something other than percussion.
You can get some very realistic looking toy instruments.
Mine used to follow dh around with a plastic toy saxophone at this age, she thought she was as good as dh.

My 2 & 9 months DS has grown up in a house with a keyboard (DH) and trumpet, French horn and flute (mine). He bashes the keyboard occasionally, blows the trumpet and bashes some toy drums. For now, that is enough. When he shows an interest in playing an instrument properly, I will probably direct him towards either the trumpet or a recorder as both are 'relatively' easy. But not until he wants to learn properly.

Ha Ha, I'm sure the leading trumpet players throughout the world will love hearing their instrument is easy

I got DC a properly tuned chromatic glockenspiel when they were very little. We till have it 10 years on and it's still played.

Piano quite early too, but I taught them myself.

It's relative. Compared to the flute and French horn, I found it easier. And I suspect there is a reason why a lot of young children learn it. It's light, and the basic fingering and embature (which I know is incorrectly spelt but CBA to look it up right now!) are easy to master. My DS had a proper sound coming out of it at 18 months! But played properly and well, I agree, takes a hell of a lot of skill.

I agree with pp in that the Suzuki method worked really well for my two older children. You do have to be involved in a major way if you want your little one to progress. IMO the majority of younger learners need parental support in order to practice effectively.

The thing I love about the Suzuki method is that it grounds everything in real music, from the moment you start. None of those tedious exercises that don't sound nice at all.

The sight and sound of a whole stage full of children from Book 10 down, playing the twinkles with the tinies is not one I will soon forget. I cried

My two are on track for grade 8 at 13.

Bontempi do a toy saxophone which plays (in tune) an octave in C major. This was a lovely toy we got for ds before we gave him a real instrument. He started learning violin for real at 5 and at 12 has two grade 5s, and is doing a grade 8 in a third instrument this term.