First Musical Instrument in Y1 - Recorder or Piano?

[SomeoneElseEntirely]

DS1 can start learning an instrument next year. The options are recorder or piano.

We don't have a piano, although I wouldn't mind having a good-quality synth.

DH believes piano is more useful, I can see that knowing how to play piano is more useful as an adult, although I never ever play. (I have grade 3, hardly excellent, anyway.)

But a recorder seems easier to me, more portable etc.

Any opinions?

(We did ask DS1 - he wants to learn to play guitar. )

Oh arse, this is me.

I would say recorder because a) its low cost and portable (which is important in case they lose interest) and b) once they have learned to read music then they find it easier to play the bigger more complex instruments.

My eldest DC started of with a recorder and now plays guilar and piano, and found them both alot easier because of learning to read music with the recorder first.

I was always told start with piano as it teaches you what you need to learn for any instument and is a good general grounding.

Somebody recommended a book here called The Right Instrument for Your Child (by Atarah Ben-Tovim & Douglas Boyd)

I think one of the main thesis of the book is that there is a right instrument for the personality of a child and a time to start learning it. It also argues that if you start too early your child has a huge chance of leaving it in a couple of years convinced he is useless at music.

Anyways, it has several tests to find said intrument and readiness, but, even if he is not ready... it says that the recorder is a good easy non frustrating instrument to play in the interim.

Yes, recorder would be a good one to start with. I think all children should learn them at school.

I second Chandra's recommendation of The Right Instrument for Your Child. Very useful.

It does talk about piano not always being a good starter choice - so many children find it tricky/tedious and give up and then go off idea of music-playing.

Hmm, yes, I'd seen recommendations for The Right Instrument, I am just being lazy and hoping someone can come on and just tell me. DS1 is very very outgoing. He does get frustrated, but he's not wildly cautious.

I'll have to get the book, won't I?

I expect the music tuition at school is good - it's a very music-focussed school. (Ok, particularly on choral stuff, but still.)

Speaking as a piano teacher - I would go for the recorder. No seriously, it would depend on whether the recorder lessons were individual or group (and whether the piano was come to that). Obviously the outlay for one is far bigger than the other, and should factor into the equation.

OK, NQC, here's what it says about piano (am paraphrasing):

Physically: might not suit physically energetic child; requires excellent hand eye coordination.
Mentally: Need to be about 7. Good at mental maths (for decoding double clef notation). Naturally conscientious and painstaking.
Personality: Quietly intelligent. Happy with own company.

For recorder:
Physically: No special requirements. Better if 6 or over (for finger coordination).
Mentally: No special requirements.
Personality: Good for children who enjoy singing. Not always 'loud' or dramatic enough for boisterous child.

HTH

OK, NQC, here's what it says about piano (am paraphrasing):

Physically: might not suit physically energetic child; requires excellent hand eye coordination.
Mentally: Need to be about 7. Good at mental maths (for decoding double clef notation). Naturally conscientious and painstaking.
Personality: Quietly intelligent. Happy with own company.

For recorder:
Physically: No special requirements. Better if 6 or over (for finger coordination).
Mentally: No special requirements.
Personality: Good for children who enjoy singing. Not always 'loud' or dramatic enough for boisterous child.

HTH

oops!

Hmm, lots to think about there. Will talk more with DH and DS1. (DS1 is still more interested in guitar, what with his plans to be a rock star when he grows up. )

I started on the recorder then went onto the treble recorder and the flute, but I always thought this limited my ability to read music below middle c.

Both my 2 had the oportunity to learn piano at school from the age of 6.
Ds has dylexic traits and I firmly believe that the piano helped him a lot.He never really learnt to follow music (he could read the notes indivuidually but not as he was trying to play) and learn't most of his pieces by heart, but having to concentrate on using his left and right hand was good exercise for his brain.
Unfortunately he gave it up this year because his wonderful teacher left and the new one had no patience with him.

I think by learning the piano first there is a good basis to go on and learn other instruments.
We don't have a piano but an organ.

If you're finding it hard to make a choice, give yourself a casting vote ... which would you prefer to hear, early in the morning, in the evening, of an idle weekend moment, being "practised"?

Piano every time, for me. The breathy tootle of amateur Twinkle Twinkle - well, less what I want to wake up to.

We have a fantastic keyboard - called a Casio Privia - which has weighted keys & is (so ds's piano teacher says) perfectly good enough for anyone learning up to about Grade 5.

I'd go for recorder, as piano is hard for littlies (I've taught a few).

I will say that I can tell without asking every child that learns on a supposedly weighted keyboard the minute they step up to my piano. I don't have any clavinova students so I can't comment on that.

If you do go with a keyboard please get a stand and make sure the chair is the correct height.

And as for sound - I think parents have an enormous part to play in the production of a nice sound (and that includes the piano), by complimenting any sound that is not completely overblown (recorder) or played extremely loud as if they are playing to wake up a dead person (piano), and asking them to repeat it "as it is so good". They will listen to themselves the second time and learn from this.

He's so young I would recommend supervising his practise for 5 minutes a day and letting him get on with it for another 5 minutes. Are you up for this.

I think I could cope with 10 minutes of practice a day. We're not that tight for time generally.

TBH, I wouldn't mind having an actual piano. But they're expensive and difficult to move and maintain, right?

Hmm, we don't plan to move any time soon ...

I started out on the recorder, and later had piano lessons. I went on to study piano at music college. Wild horses couldn't have dragged me away from my piano when I was a child, but I knew plenty of kids whose parents forced them into it, and they hated it.

I can't see why you're considering piano or recorder for your DS if he wants to play guitar. Fair enough, they're the instruments on offer but even so. Learning an instrument is hard work and only really worth the time / money if the child is passionate about it.

How big is he? If he's big enough to manage a guitar, why not borrow or buy a second hand one and get him a few lessons to see if he likes it?