what second instrument for 7y dd?

[Hulababy]

Dd has the chance to start individual instrument lessons next academic year. She can borrow the instrument to start with.

She already had piano lessons privately which she loves, and does aural work with tutor too.

We can chose from flute, clarinet, sax, brass, violin, classical guitar, cello, or oboe.

Anyone in the know who can recommend one?

[jambutty]

Piano's a good start.
Dd1 (9) started flute at 7, just after starting piano, and they are sufficiently different for her to remain interested in both. Her friend does the same and both of them enjoy both instruments. The piano seems to help with flute - and guitar, which she's also started playing this year. HTH.

[smartiejake]

Be careful choosing a flute clarinet or sax for a 7 year old. They are fairly big and require a fair bit of puff which alot of 7 year olds can't cope with.

[jambutty]

A lot of children in dds' school play the violin from 6/7.

[snorkle]

Read the book 'the right instrument for your child' and see what might suit her personality/physique. Then take her to a shop & let her try out any likely candidates - she may have a strong preference.

I'd probably steer away from classical guitar as she already learns one solitary type instrument. Strings have the advantage that you can play in s quite early on - flute/clarinet/brass you need to be a much, much higher standard as many fewer are needed, but you can play in wind ensembles/brass bands instead.

Shortage instruments are oboe & trombone - she'd always be in demand with one of those.

I always think trumpet is a very versatile instrument - so many different types of ensembles you can play in.

[snorkle]

can play in orchestras

[Hulababy]

TheProfiteroleThief - DHa nd I are not musical at all, but DD seems to really enjoy it. Her school music teacher and her private piano tutor both say she has perfect pitch. How that happened I don't know, lol!

I can't imagine she is ever going to be orchestra standard bar the school one - an ALL the girls play in that. If they don't have individual lessons then they play recorder regardless. Similarly all the prep girls are in choir too.

I just want her to chose something she will enjoy and which will not scare the neighbours during practise!

DH tried to learn violin and his mum still has nightmares about the noise, lol. At least piano practise is a pleasant noise on the whole - and if not she has earphones!

Thanks for the tips. Have to have the letter in this week and it is first come, first serve basis regards lessons and instruments.

DD was considering the flute - possibly as my sister can play it. But she is only just 7 so maybe not big enough.

[brimfull]

flute-quite big for 7 yr oldunless you have curved head one

dd started with fife at that age as a prerequisite to flute

[LIZS]

dd wants to do the violin. She may get to try one out either in her class lesson or at open day soon . dh played until University so he'd at least have be able to help ! Clarinet, brass and flute are best left until the top teeth properly are through.

[Parmageddon]

I learnt piano and viola when young and enjoyed both. If she has perfect pitch, this is well suited to a stringed instrument where intonation is tricky. Agree with whoever said that it isn't easy on the ear to start with though!

I regret not learning the guitar - I've tried more recently but, apart from having no time, it's so much more difficult to learn when you're an adult! Does she like singing - would go really well with the guitar?

Cello - causes lots of problems with transportation! I can remember my Mum cursing a friend of mine who wanted a lift home with her cello - we had a Ford Fiesta and it pretty much was sticking out the windscreen!!

Oboe - quite a cool instrument imo!

[snorkle]

Hula, she might well surprise you with her progress. Neither dh or I are musical, but somehow ds is & he plays in all kinds of orchestras that we would never ever have imagined.

If she has perfect pitch violin or cello might be good (& violin may not sound as awful as it does when played by novices without good tone hearing) and more neighbour friendly than brass/wind (especially brass) though flute/clarinet isn't too bad in that respect. Cellos are lovely, but not very portable & very expensive compared to violins. I do think cellos are a bit easier to learn than violins though.

[Hulababy]

LizS - Interesting re. teether; DD has still only got baby teeth so will be a long time before all adult ones there.

[Hulababy]

DD has just got home from drama and said she wants to play violin. Looks like we may have to just invest in ear plugs, just in case

She does love singing yes. She sings along to her paino practise

[snorkle]

If she wants to learn a new instrument she may well do very well at it (the fact that she enjoys piano & is doing well at it is a good sign), so she absolutely needs to be involved in the choosing - is there any way to get a tryout on the likely contenders before your decision hula?

Our full sized cello in very large case does fit in our fiesta btw - takes up one of the back seats & the front passenger seat has to be fully forward, but we still squeeze driver +2+cello in somehow.

[PerfectPrefect]

Think about cost and ease of learning too.

If you go for the stings (apparently - and I ould agree) the cello is easier to sound "good" quicker than the viola/violin. Which can encourage them to keep at it. DTDs are playing Viola and Cello (Yr3) - but both are going to play cello next year as DTD1 is demotivated by playing the viola because it is easier to make it squeak IYSWIM. Therefore the Cello is a much nicer sound for you ears.

However, the cello is going to be much much much more expensive in the long run if they keep it up beyond another year (as I don't apy instrument/hire yet).

OTOH - in the longer term there is more scope for Viola/Violin because there are a LOT more of them in an orchestra than any other instrument.

My choice (which wasn't my choice it was DTDs) has been criticised by proper muscical people though as (apparently) the cello and viola are both on the Bass(?) clef whereas the "standard" is the treble clef. Which means that if they can read music it is different between the 2 instruments they use. Although I think piano is bass AND treble? (talking a bit out of my deapth here as I don't understand properly - feel free to correct me).

[snorkle]

x-posts - violin sounds a good choice, but would still be nice to try one first if poss.

[Hulababy]

snorkle - we don't have to buy an instrument until we know she will continue with it and we only have to sign up fr a term worth of lesson's ata time I think, which isn;t too bad - we can give 6 week's notice at any time.

[frAKKINPannikin]

If she's likely to ever need braces don't do a wind instrument - I know several people who either quit when they got braces because it hurt too much or quit when they came off .

Cello is much more novice (parent/neighbour) friendly than violin but, sadly, much less portable. Both violins and cellos come in small sizes (from the teeny 1/16ths through to full size) so it will grow with her whereas she might find a clarinet or sax a bit of a stretch handwise right now unless she has big hands and as she has perfect pitch she'll be HORRIBLY confused if she starts on a C clarinet and then goes to a Bb later on (I was and it took forever to adjuts, especially playing back by ear).

In fact, seeing as she has perfect pitch I'd definitely be encouraging her towards a string instrument - violin moving to viola will ensure she's always in demand and she may well find she continues onto university which can be a nice extra-curricular outlet. And you don't have to be frightfully good at viola to get into orchestras!

[PerfectPrefect]

I agree.

DTDs only had the choice between violin, viola, cello and double bass. But they had a taster lesson where they could handle them all before deciding.

The other thing that I would possibly do is see yif you could dig out some you tube vids which will allow her to "hear" and "see" them in action too.

[Hulababy]

Yes, I am sure DD's piano stuff s treble and bass clef.

I don't really know - I don't playa nd can't really read music either - am kind of learning to read music alongside DD.

[frAKKINPannikin]

Viola is alto clef

As OPs DD does piano she can already, presumably, read both bass and treble.

[snorkle]

perfectprefect - cello is bass clef (same as piano) and later tenor clef (a bit of a strange one, but used by bassoon & one or two other intruments) and eventually treble clef too. It complements piano very well imo. Viola is the one with its own unique clef, the alto clef, but when you get better you play treble clef too. Violin music is all on treble clef.

[warthog]

violin is best. as she gets older, it'll be nice for her to play with others and you need lots of violins in orchestras, string quartets etc.

there are far too many flutes, clarinets etc. so you have to be a lot better to get into an orchestra.

cello is good too except you have to lug it around.

[PerfectPrefect]

Just think about me.....I will be carting 2 Cello's around next year ....although teh sound is much nicer and they are much more confident on it than the viola (buut not necessarily much better - just more "confient" and "comfortable".

I actually think (based on what I have been told) that it is easier to move between cello and viola than viola and violin because the strings are different between violin and viola (but teh same between violin and cello) as are the clef's.

[Hulababy]

DD has only been learning piano since January, term time only - so still getting there. But she is enjoying it and her teacher is pleased so far. Hopefully she will continue to make good progress. She does like it.