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Learning an instrument
By Adam Bennett
Since it's been scientifically proven that learning an instrument whilst at school can enhance a child's education, children are frequently encouraged to learn an instrument by parents. Most children who learn instruments are from a musical background. This often means that their family all play a musical instrument or have tried to, a certain degree, in the past. This does by no way mean that children from non-musical backgrounds cannot take part. Anyone can learn an instrument if they put their mind to it, but what is most important is that learning an instrument is a fun activity, never a chore. It is ideal to learn an instrument when you're young because all the aspects of learning a musical instrument are taught at school. Music classes teach basic notation and theory lessons, and schools offer group lessons to students learning the same instrument. Choosing a musical instrument for a child can often be a hard decision to make. Whilst you may want them to learn the violin they will probably have very different ideas. They may be much more interested in learning the drums or electric guitar and It's important to come to a compromise. Consider why they're learning an instrument and if they want to play in a school band. If in doubt, the schools band director can to recommend an instrument for your child. They will consider the student’s musical aptitude, physical characteristics and preference before recommending an instrument they think would suit. Another point to mention is that instruments also vary in price and require additional costs to maintain their sound quality. For example, guitars will need new strings, and likewise some brass instruments require replacement reeds. These costs are important to consider as they may affect the final instrument choice. When you have decided which instrument to go for it's important to buy from a reputable music store, either from your local music shop or online. On the other hand, it is important to shop around to find the best price in order to keep costs down. The prices will also fluctuate widely depending on the level of quality of an instrument and a good music store should be able to recommend the one for you at a price that suits. Do some research and look reviews for different styles of instrument and if possible try the instrument before you purchase. Take your time and remember it's not something to be rushed into as a poor instrument could break a child's confidence. Consider having private lessons for your child to supplement the lessons at school. Whilst being expensive, private lessons are one to one, and last usually between 1 to 2 hours giving the child the chance to progress at their own pace. The extra tuition will raise a child's confidence of an instrument and give them the opportunity to revise what they've learnt at school. A good private teacher will also have a high level of theory knowledge, and be able to help a child understand how the theory fits in with the music they're playing. Sadly group lessons at school are often hit and miss. Usually they are under an hour and can consist of up to 6 students at a varying level of ability. They are also done during school hours meaning the child has to come out of class to partake in the lesson. A bonus of lessons at school is that they often teach from grade books. There are 8 grades, with books & CDs to go with them and musicians can take years to get to a grade 7 or 8 standard. Grades prove that you are capable of playing to a specific standard and is a great addition to a CV. If there's an opportunity to take grades, don't miss it - it's a great guideline to learning an instrument. Joining a school band is a great way for your child to experience playing 'live'. School concerts and rehearsals are immensely enjoyable and playing music with others in a band is an experience unto itself. However, performances and rehearsals can take up much more time than is expected; School concerts often occur in the evening, sometimes on a school night, and rehearsals usually once or twice a week outside of school hours. Again It's important to remember that learning an instrument must be something that the child wants to do and enjoys doing in order for them to succeed. |
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I teach piano lessons and my so does my mother, and my brother has taught grade school music. And I strongly encourage to have a child play an instrument, but that finding the right one takes time, and eventually maybe music is not that child's main interest, and that should not be a discouragement from creativity but just to look for it somewhere else. I bet that kid grows up to be great in another field but has amazing taste and respect for music.
Many adults I know wish that their parents had given them the chance to play an instrument when children.
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