Piano or violin

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DD6 would like to pick up an instrument and is showing an interest in the violin although says that she wouldn't mind the piano.

I play the piano (diploma decades ago..) and always thought she would be better off with the piano (if she doesn't mind it) as home help is available.

Her brother has been progressing well with the piano and we found it helpful that I have the knowledge of that instrument especially when the DC is young.

I have no idea about string instruments except that they sound so beautiful. I wonder if she would be better off with her 'parent's' instrument... Or we could have a go at the violin as maybe I could try and learn (how?) how to support her home practice?

Any opinion welcome and appreciated:)

Violin, so she can play in an orchestra. Piano playing is a lonely business.

We started my daughter on the piano in y1 and would potentially consider a second instrument in y3/4. It took us quite a while to get into a consistent routine for practice but she’s progressing really nicely now and gaining a lot of confidence. With her other activities, I think a second study would be too much at the moment for us.

From the other end, i started out playing the flute and then took up piano quite late but I found it significantly harder than my instrument. I then got a bit demotivated because I found reading both clefs in parallel really hard and I don’t think I was expecting that at all.

DD is in year 5, and does recorder (grade 2) and piano (grade 1). I can play both, and taught her recorder for a year before she switched to a 'proper' teacher. We started lessons a little later due to lockdown - DD would not have enjoyed lessons on Zoom.

Doing recorder first meant that DD had some music reading skills when she came to piano, which definitely helped. She's progressed faster on recorder (there was a break between me teaching her for a year and finding a teacher). However I strongly suspect that recorder is easier to start than violin. We have a detached house, so don't have to think about what the neighbours can hear!

Re practice, we do 10 - 30 minutes practice a day, in total. We always try to do some, however busy we otherwise are. On more relaxed days we do more. I supervise the practice, and both teachers have commented positively on her progress - while she doesn't do loads of practice, I do make her do bar 3 again and again until it's right, which most primary kids won't do.

I admit I haven't encouraged DD when she's suggested the violin (I would struggle with the sound); she's currently thinking of doing another orchestral wind instrument which I would be more enthusiastic about. However if your DD can switch to viola, she'll always have a place in an orchestra. I think most viola players start on the violin, but worth asking..

I'd start her on the violin. Since the piano is there in your home it will be easier for her to have a little play around on it from time to time, and for you /her to gauge when she's ready to add it.

I played both as a child. Much preferred the piano. Some thoughts- piano is much easier- but also easier to pick up later down the line. Violin is harder, but the younger you start the quicker you pick it up. Violin has the advantage of being orchestral so more social however, I personally hated orchestras so this wasn’t an advantage for me!

I agree. I learned piano and I was sad that I never got to play in an orchestra or with others - I was never good enough to accompany or do a duet. I encouraged DS to take up an instrument he could play in groups, and he is learning the flute.

Schools like students who play instruments and can be in the orchestra but if you learn piano you can always play on your own if you keep it up. Whatever they choose , practice is the key and if you have to force them to practice then they might as well give up.

Some thoughts- piano is much easier
That is very much a matter of personal taste. I always found piano much harder. The two hands going in different directions thing. Maybe easier to tap out a tune, but even by grade 1 there's so much going on on piano, on violin it's still a simple tune.