Tips for parents: How To Choose The Right Musical Instrument For Your Child

Choosing the right musical instrument for your child may be really hard and daunting at first, especially if you do not have any musical background yourself or are not musically inclined. Coupled with the fact that some children may seem fickle when it comes to choice of musical instruments, begging to play one at first and then saying they hate it the week after. As parents, you should step in to provide them the guidance they need when choosing a musical instrument for your child.

Here are some facts you should take into account when choosing the right musical instrument for your child.

Age of your child

Some musical instruments like the piano/violin can be picked up by children as young as 3 years old. Both have its own advantage. So which one do you choose? Here are some points you can consider.

• Violin - There are smaller sizes violin tailored for children, so you can pick one just the right size for a younger child
• Piano - The Piano is an instrument with a definite pitch, which helps greatly in the inception of accurate pitching. Both the left hand and right hand are used together. This teaches the child important concepts of harmony. 

Your Child's Inclination Towards An Instrument 

If the child likes how the violin sound for instance, he/she will be more motivated to practice . Let them play what the like to hear. From experience, children below 8 are usually very afraid of loud sounds. Boys tend to be inclined to learning the drum but during class some get alarmed by the loud sounds a drum produces. So take these into account when choosing a musical instrument for your child. Does he like the sound the musical instrument makes. Is he frightened by the loud sounds?

Your Child's Personality

Does he like playing in groups? Or prefers to play alone? 

Orchestral instruments like the violin/cello/trumpet etc encourages ensemble playing. They are best enjoyed playing with other people.

The piano on the other hand, can be played in the form of a duet but because the instrument itself is capable of producing a wide range of melody together with harmony, it is mostly played as a stand-alone instrument.

The guitar or singing lessons can be a great choice for children who are very vocal and enjoys the limelight.

These tips were brought to you by The Music Factory. The Music Factory provides music education for all age groups including piano, violin, vocal, guitar and drum classes at its premise in Damansara Jaya. They also offer free trial lessons for parents like you who can't decide just yet. Trial classes allows the child to experiment with the instrument before signing up, at the same time providing an opportunity for the child to get comfortable with his teacher. Music education is indeed one of the best gifts you can give to your child. Call Teacher Airina at 012-233 5055 for a free trial lesson.