My daughter is 17 months old and has shown a severe interest in everything musical. She listens to all types of music and loves sining and dancing to it. She tries to take my clarinet when I practice and she tried to blow though it (under supervision of course) and she spends hours playing with her xylaphone, trumpet and drums that we got for her. Since she really genuinely seems to enjoy it what would be a good way to encourage her? I don't know of any other instriments that teachers will teach to a 3 year old other then violin. I am planning on learning violin in a few weeks so when she gets to 3 if she is interested I would get a 1/16 and let her try it out. But I really want to encourage her because she seems to be really good with rhytham and copies patterns that I make up for her.

At this age concentrate on activities with music. What you learn yourself, share with her. Do not stress her. Piano is possible at age 3, but not essential. Think general knowledge about music, singing, nursery rhymes and just have fun. She is so young so let her have fun.

So things like letting her listen, watch and when she wants to, try? This is the thing. I don't want to push anything on her at all because I know she'd lose interest but she actually genuinly wants to try out any instriment I have.

She really wanted to play on the clarinet so I let her try blowing on it (of course she can't make any noise) But she laughs and loves trying it out. She has a little childs trumpet which she loves blowing though and we have other things which we got just for her to play with really.

We sing, clap, dance, she watches things like Mickey Mouse Club House and Little Einstines and dances to those. We just have lots of fun. We are lucky enough to rent a house where the landlady left the piano behind so she plays with the keys on that sometimes too. I'm just wondering when is too young to introduce an instriment really??

If the child obviously wants to play with it there is no harm in trying it out is there? But she is much too young right now. It just seems that she really wants to play things and I can't think of anything to help her develop this love other then what I'm already doing.

I teach preschool music from 8 months and there are lots of really easy things you can introduce to prepare your child for a musical future. You have already given your daughter a fantastic start..

To give you an idea of what can be achieved:
the children I teach leave for reception (age 4yrs) with notation knowledge, every child can clap simple and complex rhythms patterns using traditional notations from semiquavers to semibreves inc rests, would have explored (hands on) at least 10 orchestral instruments if not more and be able to make a sound on most including all the wind and brass instrument.

16mths is a fantastic age to explore music, they are like sponges and very receptive to anything new as long as it is made fun and repetitive. Children this age love copying. If you wanna introduce an instrument try boomwhackers....simple to use and child friendly. Being creative to improve your daughter's hand eye co-ordination and manual manipulation will help her adapt to an instrument more easily in the future.

I can PM some other ideas to stimulate your daughter's love of music if you like....

I have 3 children who were very much like your daughter but I never introduced any formal preschool music to them other than singing when they were little. The older two started their first instrument aged 5, closely followed by a second instrument by aged 11 the middle child passed grade 8 on his 2nd study and is taking grade 8 on his 1st study aged only 12. The older one(13) is similarly on gr7/8 on his first two study and the younger one(9) is grade 5. If your child has a passion for music they will always find ways of enjoying it..... it's never too young or old to introduce musical ideas!