Which Musical Instrument To Choose
The choice of which musical instrument can be sometimes a hard
question to answer. By grouping the instruments into their orchestra
sections, and providing some useful pointers the question might
be an easier one to answer.
The Stringed Instruments
Stringed instruments are produced in smaller sizes, and therefore
can be handled by children as young as 5 or 6.Violins and Cellos
both come in a variety of sizes. Guitars also come
in junior sizes and can be played by children at about eight years
of age. They are fairly cheap to buy and can be found on the high
street for about £20 which means they are a popular beginners
instrument.
The Woodwind Instruments
The recorder is a popular beginners instrument, and children can
start playing it as soon as their fingers can reach the holes.
They are cheap to buy and can be found for less than £10
on the high street. Another option if the child's fingers are small
is to buy an Ocarina, a small round recorder with only 4 holes,
which is much easier to use and handle by a child as young as 3
or 4. Their details can be found on the Ocarina website.
Other woodwind instruments are best left until the child has
there second set of teeth as pressure is put on the teeth as
they are played. For this reason they don't tend to be made
in smaller sizes and will cost a lot more than the recorder.
By Secondary School age they should have strong enough teeth
and be big enough to handle some of the woodwind instruments
although a bassoon may still be too big. Children who may wish
to learn the bassoon really should start on the oboe first as it
is smaller, and easier to master the technique of blowing
into a double-reed. The clarinet is sometimes used in the same
way as a stepping stone to the saxophone.
The Brass Instruments
The brass instruments again do not come in smaller sizes, as they
too exert a lot of pressure on the teeth whilst playing them. A
child who has their second set of teeth is best off starting with
a cornet or trumpet and then progress on once they are big enough
to handle them. The trombone for instance needs a long reach to
use it properly.
The Percussion Instruments
The piano and the drums are popular instruments in this range. Although,
if your child wishes to learn the piano, they do take up a lot
of space and even a good second hand one can cost a lot of money.
An alternative is a keyboard which can work out cheaper and possibly
more fun for younger children. A junior set of drums could cost
up to £200.
One thing to remember is to get your child to try out the instrument
first before you buy it. As it could prove costly.
Information on the different types of instruments can be found in the Instrument Types section of our website.
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