DD has finally said she wants to play an instrument. Her music teacher has been reviewing all of the instruments in the orchestra, and she wants to make music. DD has decided upon violin. I know violin is a common first instrument, but I was wondering about your thoughts. I won't discourage it, but I want to give her options. I had heard that cello is easier on the ears when beginners make mistakes.
I played many different instruments. Flute for 10 years. Baritone sax for about 7. Eflat contra bass clarinet for 2. In different orchestras, but at the same time. I never did it the way you are "supposed" to...start with clarinet and then move onto bigger instruments. I just started! And did well, and loved it!
All instruments are hard on the ears when beginners start. :)
L.
In my experience, every instrument is hard on the ears when a young musician is just getting started. Let her play what she wants to play. You can always go out for a walk when practice time comes!
My two daughters are learning violin and they really enjoy it. One started at 8 yrs old, the other at 5. I will warn you, you have to push through "twinkle twinkle, little star" to get to the fun music.
How old is she?
I am of the opinion, that a child should choose what instrument, according to what floats their boat.
When I was a child, I took piano. Why? Because my parents said we had to take piano. I HATED piano. I hated taking lessons for all those years. Sure, but I learned... how to make music/how to read notes/how to play/how to do everything. Fine. But I still hated piano. It is not the instrument for me. Even now as an adult... I do NOT regret not liking piano. At all.
BUT IF a person, likes a certain instrument intrinsically... then they CAN and will learn, how to play. Pleasantly. And willingly. And it will be fun. And they will want to practice it.
Anyway, I learned to play other instruments. As well as the piano I hated. But, I also play the Oboe. Which is one of the hardest woodwind symphony instruments to learn. But I LOVED it. I mastered it. It was a joy. That was the one instrument, I adored. And learned, willingly. I chose... it. I did not care if others told me it was hard to learn.
To me, it does not matter, what is learned at first. It doesn't matter what instrument is easier on the ears or not to the listeners. Or what is harder or easier. It matters, what the person, gravitates toward. Then they will connect, with the instrument.
Ditto to what Erica said... I can tell you that my son's trumpet playing (started two weeks ago) is loud and a bit painful to hear right now, however since he chose it, he wants to learn it, so the chances are better he will stick with it (or at least enjoy it while he does it).
I share your excitement at a kid wanting learn music. Yes, it certainly is fun. Enjoy the process!
My best friend in elementary school took violin. I heard her practice a couple of times. It was years before I connected the instrument in her hands with the sound of violins in an orchestra >.<
That said, wouldn't it be more likely that your daughter will remain interested for longer, and be more willing to practice if the instrument is the one she has chosen?
From my own experience, I wanted to take piano. We had no place in the house where we could have put one for me to practice at home (and I'm not sure my folks could have afforded to buy one anyway), so my dad informed me that I could take violin. I had no interest in that, so I never did learn an instrument - and now I wish I had.
(My daughter, who played in school bands from 6th through 12th grades, suggests that clarinet or xylophone/marimbas might be easier on the ears. But she also says that it's important for it to be her choice. Any instrument will be difficult at first.)
I think piano, because you can visualize what it means to be a sharp or a flat, and why, for example b-flat is the same as a-sharp. It's concrete, whereas when you think about that for other instruments, it's more abstract. It makes it easier to learn to read music.
But, that's not in an orchestra. If you are limited to orchestral instruments, then I say whichever one your child is most interested in.
I started with the violin, and I really liked it. It is hard on the ears, I remember I used to hurt my own when I started playing. And, yes, the cello is much easier to hear because it is a lower register. But, it is also very heavy, awkward, and not something most kids want to lug home for practice. When I moved in 7th grade the new school didn't offer orchestra so I switched to the Tenor Sax. I already knew how to read music, and it was the same B flat key as the violin, so it was pretty easy. I played the sax through graduation and I was happy with it.
I would say let her start with the violin if she likes it. I am not very coordinated, so playing the piano was way too hard for me. I just would not do well. But, the violin and sax are both progressive in the fingering, so it follows the music scale and for those of us who are finger-movement challenged (or clutzy) they are both great instruments. The clarinet is also good for the same reason.
Buy some ear plugs, you're gonna need them, and then let her do her thing, make sure she knows that she can trade instruments if she decides to try something else. She shouldn't have to be stuck with the first one.
Our school has the students try out all of the instruments to see if there is one that they are more naturally suited to.
Whatever she wants to play. My two boys that play instruments chose their own and now play the trumpet, the mellophone, the accordion, and guitar. I never gave them lessons, both picked up trumpet first in school (the younger one is in marching band) and then took on practicing on their own. In fact, my oldest taught himself the accordion. Honestly, I never thought about what would be easier on the ears, I was just glad they were playing :)
Mamapedia is acting wacky this morning and lost my answer!
Piano is the best starter instrument in my opinion - you learn two clefs, you coordinate harmony and melody, the potential for theory is great, and I can pick up just about any instrument and pick out a melody quickly based on what I know from piano.
That being said, our schools start kids on violin in 4th grade, which I think is odd - we all started on $3 plastic flutaphones. Most move on to wind or brass instruments the following year.
There are definite advantages in learning piano first - or somewhere down the line. You learn a lot about reading music with piano, and it's a little easier from the mistake angle: you may hit a wrong key, but you don't have to hit an exact spot on the right key as you do a stringed instrument, and you don't have to work with reeds and other mouthpieces.
That said, if your daughter has decided on violin, be encouraging! Listen for progress, not mistakes - that helps a lot (I had a violinist, too). All beginning musicians sound at first like the noise the alley cats make. If your daughter sticks with it, though, your ears will be pleased.
Grr - I hate it when this site is having server trouble.
I've typed an answer twice and had it wiped out.
I had violin and piano and hated them but I enjoyed being in chorus.
My sister plays piano, flute and guitar but doesn't like to sing.
Our son took recorder in 5th grade and clarinet since then.
He's been first chair and he's won several auditions for district band several years in a row.
We like the music that band plays - marches, swing, jazz and some classical too.
Some instruments can be in band and orchestra - brass, winds, and percussion - strings are pretty much just for orchestra.
Bands can march and play at sports events - we like their versatility.
There's nothing wrong with strings or orchestra but it's just not our preference.
One reason why piano is a good first instrument: Anyone can pick out something that sounds decent on a keyboard, even if you're not actively learning; you can noodle around and still make a good sound. With strings and band instruments, there is much more squeaking and shrieking at first; it hurts kids' fingers to start with, before they develop calluses on their fingers; and some kids get discouraged that they can't get pretty sounds at the start. But NOT all starting strings players scrape and squeal on the strings if they (and you) are patient. I say this as a parent who loves violin and the fact my kid plays it!
What grade will your child be in this fall? In our school system, kids can start strings in fourth grade and band instruments in fifth. Is the teacher reviewing instruments right now with an eye toward signing kids up for orchestra (or band?) in the fall when classes resume?
You might consider getting your daughter some beginner violin lessons over the summer so she can (1) be sure that this is the right instrument for her at this time and (2) she can go into the fall with some extra confidence. You also might want to continue those private lessons through the school year. My daughter is in orchestra (middle school now, started in fourth grade) and I truly believe that if she did not also have private lessons once a week starting in fifth grade, she would have gotten pretty bored with just the limited amount of music they do at school. With lessons, she has more to choose from to play and it keeps her interest high. I know that friends of hers in both orchestra and band, in fifth and sixth grades, were giving up instruments because they were bored with working on the same few pieces from fall until Christmas then Christmas until June. If they'd had lessons they might have gotten more variety and stuck with it into middle school, where things are much more interesting and challenging.
FYI, my kid started piano and violin at the same time in the fall of fourth grade and still does both. We don't push her too hard on piano overall but do expect her to keep playing it and doing lessons, since it's good grounding in reading all music.
Our school system requires 1 year of music in the 6th grade which is the beginning of middle school. You have a choice of band, orchestra or choir
Our daughter chose the violin and she picked up on it very quickly. By the time she was in 10th grade, she was in the Chamber (highest level at school). She LOVED it.
We ended up purchasing a very very nice violin for her. It is so nice, her instructors begged to play it as well.
I never had an issue with "bad notes" and noise. The one thing I never expected was to not have to remind her to practice. She played that violin every day. By the 10th grade, she was playing songs by ear... my favorite was the Cold Play one that starts with the violins.
She ended up staying in cheer 8-12 grades and dropped orchestra after 10th grade. However, she still plays her violin sometimes and when she does, she picks up right where she left off.
My vote is violin!! Other popular choices for those I knew were the Viola and Cello
@ Veruca... I am glad to find out that I am not the only one MP is wacky on this morning!
