Would it be a good or incredibly bad idea to teach my daughter to play the recorder myself?

[TigerFeet]

She is 5.9 and would love to learn to play a musical instrument. I don't think they are taught at school until KS2 and I can't really afford private tuition.

I played to a reasonable standard myself when younger although I haven't played for years. I can read music, have a firm grasp of theory etc.

Where would I start? Any recommendations for books and so forth?

Or will it just end in tears?

Well, why not? If you can do it, maybe start off showing her how you play (you might want to practise in private first!).

Can't recommend any books but if you can find a music shop they should be able to help.

When we get my piano moved here I'll teach my 2 - my mum taught me until I was 11 and I jumped straight to Grade 5 so she obviously didn't do any harm!

go for it. will be great for you both. I loved playing the recorder as a kid and will be teaching my DD as soon as her hands are big enough to reach the holes!

My mother attempted to teach me the recorder when I was about 7 years old. The ensuing disaster was the intial straw in what became a load so burdensome to the camel, that it ended with no words being exchanged between us for nearly two years in my late teens. If she'd never picked up the accursed instrument, I like to think that we'd have been best mates and gone shopping together for matching mum/daughter outfits.

Draw your own conclusions from this lesson.

Or maybe it was the knitting instruction....my memory fails me.

Oh I now have piano envy... I'd love a piano but have nowhere to put one.

Practising in private first is a good idea

I bought two lovely wooden recorders a couple of years ago in anticipation of her wanting to learn, but now she has asked for some reason I am having a wobble... I have tried to teach her to ride her bike and to swim with very little success on either front but this is a bit different I suppose and hopefully more suited to her than physical activities.

you see duchesse that's exactly what i'm afraid of.. although i won't be devastated if we end up forgoing the matching mum'n'daughter outfits

I did it with dd. Thwy are allowed to join recorder club in Year 1 but she was in reception and saw the older ones playing at the Easter assembly so we bought her a recorder and I staretd to teach her. I am a music graduate.

I deliberately chose the saem book as the school used which was Recorder From the Beginning.

I am a music co-ordinator in a junior school and have taught the recorder for years! No reason why you shouldn't be able to teach her yourself.

"Recorder from the beginning" is quite good but I prefer Red Hot Recorder as I find children enjoy the tunes and backing tracks more enjoyable (it comes with a CD)

I use recorder express. I teach most of ds's school mates either recorder, flute or piano - ds to be awkward learns the cello and has shown no interest in any of the instruments I teach beyond picking them up - playing a tune that a pupil has spent weeks on and then putting it down again for six months. He is very committed with his cello though.

My suggestion is that you teach someone else's child and use the money to pay for a lesson for your dd.

No reason not to teach her yourself. Lots of good books - flick through some in your local music shop and choose one you like the look of. I personally would avoid the ones by Brian Davey (though many people like them) as I wouldn't want to support a convicted peodophile.

snorkie that's scary!

I'm going to check out the non-brian-davey links for when my DCs are older

thanks all

off to the music shop over easter then

snorkie thanks for the brian davey warning

i couldn't possibly charge to teach anyone else's child, i have absolutely no credentials whatsoever and have barely touched a recorder myself for years - in fact if dd takes to this i think i will have to practise on the sly to make sure i stay far enough ahead of her to be able to teach her

I have a CDrom which I got in my local music shop called Fun4Kids Learn Recorder - about a tenner.
Had it for a while now but don't know if the company still do it.

www.idicigon.com

My friend's mum did the recorder lessons at our school - it didn't seem to cause any problems between them (she was in the recorder class too)