what second instrument for 7y dd?

[Hulababy]

Dd has the chance to start individual instrument lessons next academic year. She can borrow the instrument to start with.

She already had piano lessons privately which she loves, and does aural work with tutor too.

We can chose from flute, clarinet, sax, brass, violin, classical guitar, cello, or oboe.

Anyone in the know who can recommend one?

I picked up my 3rd instrument at 11 and spent a LOT of time practising. The deal was I got my Grade 5 theory first (but I didn't give up the lessons as anticipated and took it all the way to Grade 8 much to my mother's dismay!)

DD1 plays cello - she dances as well, and she seems to play the cello with her whole body. The sound is lovely - even early on in their tuition.

But the transportation thing is a bit of an issue - we go in on the bus and get a few old fashioned looks if its busy.

If you DD plays piano, she'll be used to the bass clef.

Interesting thread. We've just been going through the same questions with our DD.

DD (just 7) has been playing the piano since last September, is really enjoying it and just passed her Grade 1 exam (with distinction ). She has been offered the opportunity to learn a strings instrument in school and she too chose the violin (as it is smaller and more portabele than the cello) so that she can hopefully join a school orchestra/strings quartett in the future.

Like your DD, our DD also has 'perfect pitch' and this seems to really help her with her violin. She often plays notes on the piano and then on the violin - I think the combination works well together.

When asked which instrument she prefers, she says the piano because 'you can sit down and not have to hold the violin under your chin' .

I guess the main question for us is whether she has enough time and energy to practice both instruments, especially as the school homework load will increase as she goes into Y3 next year.

"When asked which instrument she prefers, she says the piano because 'you can sit down and not have to hold the violin under your chin'"

Perhaps she should have chosen cello then!

Seriously though, I think keep on with both for a while, they complement each other well and violin gives much more ensemble opportunity later so it would be a shame to drop it so soon (I assume that's what would go as she prefers piano). She's only year 2 - years 3-6 aren't that demanding really. If it gets to the point where you see she isn't managing everything rethink then.

We've managed to get 2 strapping 6th formers, a cello, oboe, viola, myself (aged about 16) and my 6'4" father into an old-style mini - cellos arent' all that bad... However, we have had to consider the car choices as dh plays doublebass - not recommended.

Violin is great - lots of opportunity in orchestras later on - I mean, in a full-size symphony orchestra there can be 26 violins, 10 violas, but only a maximum of 4 (more likely 2) flutes or oboes.

And ds (aged 4.2) doesn't make that awful a noise on his violin

she is 8 and did grade 1 piano end of last year but we have deferred grade 2 piano this summer as she is doing cello and missed distinction in piano by 2marks..Given a choice she would like harp(not another instrument I have difficulty in carrying/expensive) and trombone or bassoon(I am again discouraging this as it is very expensive).Even I think that she should get to a reasonable level in one instrument before adding another one.I have suggested that she can go to choir next year so she can do singing(no need to buy another instrument)

We do piano practise before she go to school and cello 3-5 days in the evening.so you can learn two instruments if you both agree on the practice time.

goodness, she really does fall for the large, hard to carry and expensive one's! Maybe she likes the deeper bass sounds? I think the singing is a good idea for now too - better to get a bit further with her first two instruments than forever be mediocre at three, but you could argue that at junior age she has more spare time than she will later & just go for it.

Lurking with interest... I may have to show this thread to DH, who seems to have far too many opinions on what DD can and can't learn to play.

She's 7, and has expressed an interest in:

• violin (God no, says dh, can't stand the noise)
• flute (ooh no, says DH, far too many flutes to be useful,and it would put DS1's nose out of joint cos he plays flute, and she'd soon be better than he is )
• saxophone ('not very classical, is it?')
• trombone (this time brass-playing DS2 had the hissy fit, as he doesn't want her to share his teacher!)

Poor kid. Who'd be a third child?

Good point, Snorkle. And at least the violin is easier for DD to carry to school and back by herself .

Yes, hopefully the homework load in years 3-6 won't be too time consuming...

dd has brought home a violin to try and her piano teacher , who also teaches woodwind, will show her the oboe (not sure about this wrt teeth and size though)

Just to clarify for you Hula:-
Violin plays in treble clef- same as right hand of piano,
Cello plays in bass clef- same as left hand of piano,
Viola plays in alto clef...
If you imagine 11 horizontal lines, the top 5 are for violin, the bottom 5 for cello & the middle 5 for viola.

Some practise tips for beginner string players:-
Always practise plucking a piece first before trying it with the bow (helps parents ears )
When practising with the bow always start by playing long slow straight bows on open strings (no fingers down in left hand). This will improve the sound ASAP.

Biggest tip:-
When they are big enough for a full size instrument, buy them an electro-acoustic one! They can practise with headphones then as well as feeling really cool in-front of their friends!

interesting thread. Been thinking about a second instrument for dd for some time but not sure if lazy mum can face all the extra practising.

She's been learning violin for about a year now and practices maybe 40 minutes a day for that and even so doesn't always get through all the set work etc.

This is what is holding me back from a second instrument, since she also has choir 2x week and various other commitments.

She'd like to learn guitar. Is this any good as combination : violin-guitar. She's another who fancies a sit-down instrument.

I also think this screechy violin image isn't quite right. I never thought it sounded bad. Maybe if you have a crappy old flakey instrument or your dc hates the practice, it'll show in the sound.

Only times I ever disliked hearing it was when dd was annoyed with practising, saying she didn't want to practice ALL these pieces again or how many times do I have to practice the scales, I KNOW them now. Ha, all your life I think dear. You can really hear THAT bad temper come through!

One consideration is that you have to be able to tune the violin each time you play. If there is no one musical at home to do it that could be a problem (until DD learns to do it herself).

ZZZZZ - you've obviously forgotten the "just started to use the bow" days

geez no! Me, I haven't forgotten a thing. I sweated blood and tears trying to figure out that instrument.

I am trying to be the "good" mother encouraging all signs of interest in learning etc

I am feeling faint at another instrument though, I ahve to admit I am putting it off.

Guitar is quite easy though by comparison, isn't it?

Hmmm.. Just a radical idea,,,

what about singing lessons?

AN orchestral instrument would be fun mind. I learnt clarinet after piano and was great to be able to play in orchestras and bands and stuff.

Cellos fit in cars, yes, but most teenagers get on buses...

Clarinet reeds a re apain in the arse

Violins are good - relatively cheap, harder but she has a heads tart anyway, more common but orchestras need 15 times as many violins as wind isntruments. She could then move on to viola with not much effort.

Love idea of electro-acoustic!

just coming back to this . Think dd is going to try the oboe. Her teacher thinks she is ok physically and the issue apparently is having top and bottom front teeth and being able to blow correctly !

Guitar is quite good as they can make a nice noise very quickly after starting.

just to let others know- dd passes grade 2 cello with merit

Well done to your DD

mumblecrumble - DD would love singing lessons, but IIRR 7y is a bit too young for individual lessons and I don;t know of any locally that do group ones. The second musical instrument is for school based lessons. DD will automatically go into the choir and will do singing and choir at school.

Well done to notanidea's DD.

Can your DD go and see anyone playing these instruments, to help her choose? Friends, relatives, local recitals? A short trial lesson with the teachers of the instruments she'd like to choose between?

Perfect pitch will help with intonation on the flute, oboe and brass instruments as well as strings. I would avoid any instrument which sounds in a different key to the written music, such as clarinet (usually in Bb), saxophone (in various keys), horn (in F) and trumpet (usually in Bb).

I wouldn't choose guitar as it's not an orchestral instrument.

So out of the choices you've been given, this leaves you with the flute, oboe, trombone, violin, cello.

More people seem to learn the violin and flute than other instruments so if that makes any difference to you I would choose between oboe, cello or trombone

Flute and clarinet (and brass instruments) are difficult to learn without front teeth. Flutes are also very big unless you get one of the curly ones for children. Our Year 2s learn the fife with the flute teacher (which is a compromise between recorder and flute) and will move on to flute in Year 3.

Oboes are really difficult to learn with the double reed - more Y6/secondary.

One of our Y2s started the double bass, AND played it in orchestra, this year. However, he had to have a dedicated mummy, who had to lug it to school whenever he had a lesson or orchestra!