So Your Child Wants to Play a Musical Instrument?

Music is a wonderful outlet for children, and learning to play an instrument can add to that musical enjoyment. School can be stressful, and having a break somewhere in the day to make music can give a child the much needed release during an often chaotic day. If the school does not offer a music program, as many schools have been forced to cut out such important instructions because of lack of funds, parents should definitely think about finding a place in their local community that offers musical instrument instructions.

Choosing a musical instrument for a child should really be directed by the child who will be playing that instrument. Parents that force a child to play a certain instrument that the child may have no interest in playing, and then expecting that child to excel with that instrument, are setting the child up to develop distaste in music. The child has to want to play the instrument, they have to want to learn what it takes to develop their musical skills, and they have to have a willingness to devote a bit of time to that instrument. If you choose an instrument that you like but your child does not, it will be a never ending battle to get them to practice, to get them to even want to go to lessons. So, if you are determined to encourage a musical instrument, you have to allow your child to have input on the choice.

Many schools that still have a music program have made the awful mistake of not giving students the choice of an instrument, but rather forcing all children to play the same instrument like the recorder or the violin. This has lots to do with schools not having the funds to run a proper music department that includes band instruments, string instruments, and voice instructions, which is lending to the fact that many young students do not get the exposure to reading music and playing an instrument. This generation of students growing up in schools with void or diluted music programs might be lending to a generation of missed talents. Again, the biggest mistake made in developing musical instrument skills is forcing a child to play an instrument they have no real desire to play.

No matter what instrument your child chooses to play, they must be made aware that any instrument they choose to learn will take a certain amount of effort on their part that they have to be willing to put in to the learning process. They have to be told the truth that it will take time to learn, and that they should not expect to sound like a professional and master of their instrument from day one, but that if they are willing to practice and take playing an instrument serious, they can have lots of fun developing their musical skills. Playing an instrument should be a fun experience, and not something forced, because this will not motivate the child in anyway.

Young children commonly choose instruments like drums, piano, clarinets, and guitars. If cost is a problem you can look to places like EBay for your purchase, newspaper classified ads, yard sales, and local musical instrument stores. Local music stores may even have a rental program or lease to own. Also, local music instrument stores may have sell-out sales, where they sell old instruments before they restock and buy new ones. This is a good time to purchase a new or used instrument at less a cost.

Again, allow your child to choose an instrument that suits their desires. Help them do the research into what it will take to learn to play that instrument so that they do make the best choice. Make sure they are aware of the difficulties in learning to play certain instruments over other instruments that may be easier to learn. Be sure your child knows that playing an instrument is a commitment to practicing the instrument and giving that instrument their time and effort; and it may take time to master skills. You as their parent do not want to become the nagging force behind getting them to play, because this will give them a bad impression and push them away from actually wanting to play the instrument.

If your child does lose interest in playing the instrument they have chosen, there is little you can do to get them to play other than trying to help them reason what it is they do not like about the instrument they have chosen. Children sometimes choose an instrument that looks exciting and fun to play, but once they take a few lessons they realize there is no real match between them and the instrument. It happens, and it is entirely possible that your child will go through trial and error before finding an instrument that suits them, which is why you do not want to spend lots on purchasing a brand new instrument.

After all, encouraging your child on their musical instrument journey should be a fun experience for your child. Music can create a positive harmony within your child, and it can expose a hidden talent that may direct them toward a career path in their future. Help your child grow musically, and help nurture their hobby. So, whether it is the flute, drums, saxophone, guitar, violin, piano, or violin they choose if nothing else, when your child is an adult, you will have some interesting and funny stories to share about them and their musical adventures.