Learning more than one instrument

[Qasd]

Hi

So dd has been learning the clarinet for a year, she has passed grade one and seems to be enjoying it, does need some coxing to practice but is fine when she actually starts playing.

She has recently expressed an interest in starting to learn the piano (her db has just started). I was therefore after opinions from those with musical children about adding a second instrument. Is there an ideal time to do this? Is she too early in learning the first instrument and should continue with just that for a while or would learning a second at this stage be helpful.

Any opinions gratefully received - I play nothing myself so have no personal experience to go on!

Mine all started piano at a young age but added a second instrument quite quickly. One did violin from 4, then we had bassoon and flute. They’re all higher grades on their separate instruments but probably play the piano more as young adults. Piano is a really useful skill to have.

I challenge the kids in my recorder ensemble to do 5x5 ie 5 mins 5 days a week. To be honest, I don't mind what they do but once you sit down and start playing, many will do a lot more than 5 mins, it's just that sounds achievable. Many don't do any except at the club , others do loads. My kids practice 6 days a week, ie not the lesson day unless they want to. Some days D's might only do 10 minutes but the daily habit is best personally as it is then routine and the only discussion is how long not whether to do it! If it's a short one, it needs to be more focused. Go for it and have fun!

I'd say that the right time to introduce a second instrument is when a child is sufficiently interested to ask about it! My DDs are both brass players. DD1 was lucky enough to have free recorder lessons at school and added a brass instrument a year later. She no longer plays recorder regularly but has added singing lessons and double bass to her repertoire. DD2's first instrument is a brass instrument and she'd been playing for two years and had passed G3 before taking up a second. The one she's gone for is brass again but in a different key, has different fingering and uses completely different techniques. She's coping well and has picked up the second instrument far more quickly than the teacher is used to.

We expect productive practice to happen on 6 days out of 7. In the early stages, that's ten minutes per instrument, per practice but these days DD1 will do 40-60 minutes on her first instrument and 10-15 on the double bass. DD2 does 15-20 minutes on both of hers but regularly does double this. Being brass players, they do find that if they don't set aside a decent amount of time to practise, they've not had enough time to warm up their lips and the instruments so the session can feel very frustrating.

If a child is prepared to practise, then that's a good sign that they grasp the notion that progress generally happens because of the effort put in. If they're not willing to give up a few minutes a day to practise, then they probably don't have the maturity to understand this so I wouldn't waste money on lessons.

Piano is an excellent second instrument to take up (my 10 and 7 year old started on piano). 5 mins a day is all it needs in the beginning, and that 5 mins is so important for them (and you) to gain enjoyment and progress. It's what I tell all my beginning piano students to do. My children then found taking up other instruments easier because they could already read music (I appreciate this is the other way round for OP). When my 7 year old took up drum lessons just before the summer she was wanting to stop piano but one comment from the drum teacher in the first lesson on hearing she was learning the piano (keep up with your piano, that's really important) had her back on it and she's really enjoying both now, she's just started working for piano prep test and does about 5-10 mins per day. My 10 year old is working for grade 6 now on both piano and trumpet, he's chosen trumpet as his priority which he sets himself two sessions of 45 mins per day and piano he does about 30 mins per day.

Dd took up Bassoon two years after starting clarinet. It is catching up in terms of grade a bit but not there yet.

Five minutes every day doesn’t work so well for us, takes longer than that to put the Bassoon together. We have at least one instrument a day as a rule, usually they alternate, but if there is an upcoming concert or exam then one may take priority. I say at least twenty minutes, usually it stretches to 45 plus, and at the weekend with no time constraints it can be two hours

Mine also started on piano and then took up classical guitar. She took to CG like a duck to water, is around G4 for having only been playing a year. She’s just about to do G4 piano. Practice happens in the morning. 20 mins on both instruments before school. It’s just routine, she never complains.