After seeing his sisters take up music (one the clarinet and the other the flute) my 6 year old son wants to take one up to. Unfortunatly he currently doesn't have any front teeth so anything like clarinet, saxaphone etc is out (although the later would probably be too heavy anyway!).
It has been suggested that he takes up either the recorder or violin does anyone have any suggestion/guidence on what would be the best instrument to take up at this stage? i.e. would serve him well in the future if he wanted to change etc. I have asked him and he is switching between the two.
Unfortunatly we do not have room for a piano so that is out of the question.
Help please I want to get this right as he will lose committment if it is not right!
I am glad that I am not my wife with everyone in the house learning an instrument it is certainly going to be an "out of tune" house lol.
Full Version: Youngster Want To Take Up And Instrument
Recorder and violin are very very different. I guess it depends why and what he wants to get out of his music.
Recorder will give him a good grounding in reading music, and possibly an immediately fairly good sound, and possibly naturally lead on to clarinet / saxophone later. Violin will be probably a lot more expensive in the long run getting instruments (as he grows out of them) and a lot less forgiving in the early days of making music. I still sound squeaky
But if he ultimately would like to play in orchestras for example there a lot of violinist vs wind players, and therefore I would guess more opportunities.
Just wish I'd started violin at 6
Recorder will give him a good grounding in reading music, and possibly an immediately fairly good sound, and possibly naturally lead on to clarinet / saxophone later. Violin will be probably a lot more expensive in the long run getting instruments (as he grows out of them) and a lot less forgiving in the early days of making music. I still sound squeaky
But if he ultimately would like to play in orchestras for example there a lot of violinist vs wind players, and therefore I would guess more opportunities.
Just wish I'd started violin at 6
If he is the sort who sticks at something despite early difficulties, the violin has the potential to be very rewarding, and now is the age to start. I tried to learn viola in my early 20s, and decided after six months that my joints were never going to be flexible enough. We started my daughter on violin at 4 and she got a high distinction at Grade 8 at the age of 14. Even though her main instrument is now electric bass, she still plays violin from time to time.
Recorder is a valid instrument in its own right, with much fine music from before 1450 to about 1750 and again since c. 1920. However, that leaves a gap with all of the Classical and most of the Romantic periods in it; also he would not be able to play recorder in a symphony orchestra. There are a few Baroque works (notably Brandenburg 4, but also lots of Telemann) for recorder(s) and string orchestra.
I fully concur with Janexxx's point about violin players getting into orchestras more easily than woodwind. Good amateur orchestras have queues of excellent flautists (including, often, diploma holders) waiting to replace the incumbents. Clarinets are slightly less common, and can make themselves more desirable in an orchestra by owning and playing one of the other sizes, such as Eb (soprano) or bass, but can play these only in a minority of works (usually the big ones, like "The Planets" or "The Rite of Spring"). Oboe is difficult and more expensive, so competition is much less. Bassoon is of medium difficulty, fairly expensive, less glamorous than oboe, possibly the most in demand of the woodwind. AFAIK, competition for posts with professional orchestras follows much the same pattern as with amateur ones: double bass and viola have the fewest players chasing each job. Woodwind players in orchestras are all soloists, while only the principals of the string sections are.
Recorder is a valid instrument in its own right, with much fine music from before 1450 to about 1750 and again since c. 1920. However, that leaves a gap with all of the Classical and most of the Romantic periods in it; also he would not be able to play recorder in a symphony orchestra. There are a few Baroque works (notably Brandenburg 4, but also lots of Telemann) for recorder(s) and string orchestra.
I fully concur with Janexxx's point about violin players getting into orchestras more easily than woodwind. Good amateur orchestras have queues of excellent flautists (including, often, diploma holders) waiting to replace the incumbents. Clarinets are slightly less common, and can make themselves more desirable in an orchestra by owning and playing one of the other sizes, such as Eb (soprano) or bass, but can play these only in a minority of works (usually the big ones, like "The Planets" or "The Rite of Spring"). Oboe is difficult and more expensive, so competition is much less. Bassoon is of medium difficulty, fairly expensive, less glamorous than oboe, possibly the most in demand of the woodwind. AFAIK, competition for posts with professional orchestras follows much the same pattern as with amateur ones: double bass and viola have the fewest players chasing each job. Woodwind players in orchestras are all soloists, while only the principals of the string sections are.
If possible, playing him some music of various instruments might be a good idea: see what sound he goes for. Might give you an idea of what he could be aiming for (even if it's for instance oboe and it means you just get him started on recorder to give him a good grounding)
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