Getting Your Kids Started With Musical Instruments

Has your child shown interest in playing musical instruments? Maybe they had a short lesson at school and really enjoyed it. Maybe their friend plays an instrument and they want to join in or pick up a different instrument to be able to form a band. Or maybe they just enjoy playing around with different instruments and want to have fun with this.

Whatever the reason you may be considering helping your child on this journey, it’s going to be a fun adventure. Here are some steps you can take to get started.

Choosing the Right Instrument

Start out by determining what instruments fall within your budget. Some are much lower cost to start with in regards to tuition. Others will prove much more costly. For example, learning guitar or the drums will generally prove less expensive than learning the piano or a harp. This is because the instruments themselves cost less and the tuition fees are less. Look at average costs in your local area to determine which instruments you can fund and which may be out of budget.

Once you’ve selected an array of suitable instruments, ask your child which one they have interest in learning. You might like to take them along to taster sessions to let them see which they like best.

Find Age and Ability Appropriate Resources and Tuition

Next, you should start looking into resources and tuition that is appropriate for your child’s age and ability levels. This could range from preschool piano to beginners lessons for teens. Different people come to music at different ages and there’s no right or wrong way to get involved. It’s also never to soon or too late to nurture your child’s interests. You will just need to do a bit of searching to find the right tools and people to help them on their journey.

Create a Routine and Schedule

Once it becomes clear that your child has interest in pursuing the instrument they’ve selected, you can begin to get into a routine and schedule with things. Perhaps they’ll attend classes on a set evening or day of each week. Maybe they will practice at home for a set amount of time each day. Creating routine can encourage your child to practice, which, as the saying goes, makes perfect.

Don’t Be Pushy

The most important thing to remember when it comes to helping your child to play an instrument is to avoid being pushy. Every child is different and they may have interest in the same things that you do. If they don’t want to play an instrument at all, don’t make them. They’d be much better spending their time engaging with other activities they genuinely enjoy. If they want to play a specific instrument which isn’t the one you would have personally chosen for them, give them the freedom to choose the option they want. Avoid pushing them into spending too much time practicing. If they choose to practice every hour of their free time, great. But this isn’t something you should force.

Hopefully, the guidance above helps you start your kid out with the instrument of their choice!