how did your child decide what instrument to play?

[Marla Hellwig]

In 6th grade everyone went to a 9 week music class at the middle school. During this 9 weeks, the students got to try out bunch of instruments and at the end, the band department sent home a letter with 3 instruments that the student excelled or was best suited.

Turns out Kara top best fit was the clarinet, and since there was one in the family we went with it. This clarinet is as old as the hills and she is the 3rd generation to play it.

The music stores around here offer the rent to own system. The middle school had some instruments that a student could "borrow" for the year.

The high school has more instruments that they can borrow for the year. The bass clarinet just came home this week for the summer.

Three years of band in the middle school, with private lessons (15.00 per 30 min once a week), and now she is in high school playing the clarinet in marching band and plays bass clarinet last year was concert band and she is moving up to symphonic band in the fall. Her private lessons now are 20.00 per 30 min once a week, with the lessons bouncing back and forth between the 2 clarinets depending on what she is playing at the moment.

 

[chris1gill]

My daughter is 8, but by the time she turned 6 she was begging to play the harp... when she was 7.5 we decided to go for it, she'd asked long enough... We got the harp & she has been playing 15 months... she is really outstanding IMHO... I'm really excited for her future, and she is too... Course when she is in fifth grade she has to pick an instrument... they won't let her do the harp... anyhow, I pray she picks the viola or the oboe, or even the cello.... I don't know what she will pick...

My son went to school this past September & they had to pick instruments, he chose the bass guitar, he's been quite happy with it... he doesn't need outside lessons, as the lesson in school is sufficient for him and the instrument.... Our daughter takes intensive private lessons because she is so enthusiastic, and so very good with the harp, which is a very difficult instrument.... I don't know how she chose it, I think she may have seen it on a PBS kids show!

 

[Breezy_Carol]

In our school system you can start band in fouth grade. There is an intstrument showcase night and the high school band plays and kids can pick their instrument.

DD was torn between the flute and clarinet. We talked to a flute player at our church and then she chose clarimet, which she still plays now 11 years later in marching band in college. She wishes she had chosen a brass instrument because there are more possibilities to play, like jazz ensemble.

DS chose trumpet, not sure why. And he is still playing it 9 years later and will start college marching band in the fall.

Rent it for the first 3 months, most places have trials, then decided. With both kids they rented then returned that instrument and we bought a used instrument elsewhere.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

My daughter is 8, but by the time she turned 6 she was begging to play the harp... when she was 7.5 we decided to go for it, she'd asked long enough... We got the harp & she has been playing 15 months... she is really outstanding IMHO... I'm really excited for her future, and she is too... !

I went to a college that had a very good music school, but that wasn't my major. They said that harp players could get scholarships because there were so few of them.

 

[polly p]

All three of my kids started playing piano at the age of 5. DD16 and DD8 still play. DS14 stopped playing the piano in 4th grade and began playing the drums. He also plays the vibes, marrumbas, xylophone etc. It's their choice. My only requirement was they had to play something through 8th grade. Then they could quit if they wanted. So far they are still playing.

 

[georgina]

Instrument/band lessons start at our school in 4th grade. You can rent for 2 years, with rent payments going toward purchase of a new instrument. Oldest DD tried out several, and picked the flute. She played for 5 years, and decided not to be in the HS band. Luckily, her little sister was just starting instruments, and wanted to be like her big sister, so the flute was passed down. She is actually much more accomplished as a flute player than big sis was.

My son decided to try the violin, which they start in 3rd grade. He played for 3 years, but never practiced, so I had him stop. Nothing we tried to get him to practice worked, although he claimed he liked to play!

 

[AmoDolphin]

Violas are bigger. They are pitched one string lower than a violin which means violas can play lower than a violin and a violin will sound better in the really high notes than a viola.

Plus, violas burn longer. ha...ha... (That was contributed by DH who has a music degree.)

Yeah, but violins are better neighbors because they don't know where the key is and they don't know where to come in...

Some music stores have a "trial period" where you can try instruments before settleing on one. I would DEFINETLY recomend the viola. Less people play it, and it means more opertunities.

 

[lajones81]

I started playing in 5th grade. The process was similar to what my students go through in the school I teach in. Each student attends a workshop where the band teacher demonstrates instruments. Students who are interested come back another day and the band teacher works with the middle school teacher, music store associates, etc. to help each student select an instrument. They do look into student interest, but also what instrument is best suited for each student. Hope this helps!

 

[paigevz]

Well, he started as a baby with percussion instruments: drums, maracas, tambourines..........no private lessons then!

He quickly moved to keyboards........still no lessons.

At 5 he got a guitar and a harmonica, no lessons.

At 9 he began lessons on full-size keyboard in an afterschool program, and also began the recorder at the same time.

He has now chosen to play saxophone in his middle school, and fortunately did well in the woodwinds test. We don't have it yet, but the school does the main lessons and they recommend private tutors. They house tutors before and after school, though you pay the tutors separately..........most are college students.

 

[Stacey2grls]

My DD 8 was begging to play electric guitar when she was 4, we started her on lessons when she was 6 and is doing awesome! She receives private lessons since there isn't a program in school until the end of 3rd grade, and they do not offer the guitar in school. She loves it, is very commited (practices on her own without prodding 45 minutes per day) and is now playing by ear most rock songs that she enjoys (Green day mostly). I know shamless brag, but her guitar teacher, who is also an elementary music teacher, cannot get over how advanced she is, he says it is most definitely from starting her so young.

 

[taximomfor4]

My oldest dd, 4th grade (age 8 at the time) came home begging to play viola. Her reason: Because all the other kids wanted violin or cello.

Mind you, this is my left-handed dd who marches to the beat of a different drummer and has green eyes when EVERYONE else in the family has brown. She's always choosing THE OTHER PATH.

 

[golfgal]

At our kids' school they have a day at the end of 4th grade where they go and try out a bunch of instruments. If they can't make a sound when they try them out, they can't choose that one. They pick their top three and then go from there. We have a trombone player, DS13 and both the twins play alto sax.