Choosing an instrument for your child (and what's involved with learning an instrument) - Marnie Harrington

 Choosing an instrument for your child (and what's involved with learning an instrument) - Marnie Harrington

-Commitment

There's no getting around the fact that you need to practice regularly in order to learn an instrument! For kids and beginners, just 15 minutes a day is enough to keep them improving. Don't be discouraged when your child loses interest. It's inevitable! When that happens, just
encourage them and point out how much they've learnt and improved! If your child is involved with a band, rehearsals generally go for 1 - 2 hours (for beginner bands, it's usually less) per week. There are also concerts and competitions throughout the year which require extra time and effort for both parent and child.

 -What's the cost involved? 

The costs involve instrument and case, equipment (Music stand, cleaning and maintenance products), music books, tuition and repairs. The best way financially to cover the costs of learning an instrument is to involve your child in a band. They can provide instrument hire, tuition, music and more! I highly recommend the Salvation Army's "Just Brass" program if you're in Australia because they lend instruments, give you music books and let you join a band at no cost to you! You can also pay for private tuition at minimal cost.

 -Choosing the first instrument 

As parents, without any musical experience, it is difficult to know what instrument would best suit your child. If you want to start with a brass instrument, then there are a few possibilities to choose from. If your child's lips are thinner, then start with something in the upper register, like a trumpet or a cornet. If his/her lips are thicker or fuller, then something down the lower end might suit better. Try a euphonium, trombone or tuba. Note that the tuba is a very large and heavy instrument. If you have a young child, or a small car, then for the time being, you might consider settling with a baritone or euphonium. Brass instruments require a lot of strength and effort, you really have to commit, like you do with any instrument, you have to work hard and consistently!  Involving your child in a band is a really good idea if they're learning any brass, woodwind or string instrument. 

Learning an instrument is expensive. The cost of the instrument, music, tuition, equipment (like music stands and cleaning products) can really add up. This is why some beginner bands offer stuff like tuition, instrument hire and music. Though I've never had any experience with any kind of woodwind instruments, I've heard it's generally easier to play than brass. I cannot make any further comment about woodwind instruments or strings for that matter because I've never had any experience with those instruments (I do hope to gain ever more experience about all types of instruments over my life, I just haven't gotten to those instrument groups yet). If your child has natural rhythm, then percussion! There are many different instruments in percussion, and it's fun! mallet percussion is good if they've learned piano because the they use the same layout

I'm usually on mallet percussion in band because none of the other percussionists can read pitched music and I can remember what the notes are on the instrument because of my piano. However, some bands might prefer to rotate the percussionists through the different types of instruments, so as to give them experience all round. Percussion is good for developing rhythm and focus. The drumkit is usually grouped with percussion. Playing the drumkit is about rhythm and multitasking. All the limbs could be doing something completely different so it requires deep concentration and focus. Also it is essential they can see and follow the conductor at all times because the conductor is constantly controlling the tempo and relies on the percussion to help keep the beat and for the rest of the band to stay in line with the tempo. Drumkit is very fun. Piano has an element of multitask, both hands are often doing something different at a time and you have to read two lines of music! Learning instruments that don't have single pitch (like piano, organ and guitar), can really give you an understanding of chords and cadences, how different intervals and chords sound and how the relationship of pitch can really change the density and mood of a piece. This understanding is so important for when you're doing music theory or exams! There's a little bit of information! You can do your own research on the different instruments or consult with someone about which one you think your child can excel on!

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