Clarinet

CLARINET

With a clarinet, your child holds the instrument in front of herself, blowing into the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is a reed, which vibrates to make a sound, similar to what happens when you blow a blade of grass between your thumbs. All ordinary clarinets are the same size. However, Alto clarinets and E-flat clarinets, more appropriate for advanced players, are of different sizes.

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Bassoon

BASSOON

The bassoon, the largest instrument in the woodwind family, has an eight-foot-long wooden tube folded in on itself. To play it, you blow through a reed that vibrates to make the sound, with different notes produced by using a system of keys that cover and uncover holes. The rods and levers that operate the keys tend to be very long.

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Piano

PIANO

Technically a string instrument, the piano makes an excellent first instrument and many teachers of diverse instruments feel that piano study should be encouraged for any musician. Music teachers all agree that piano forms an excellent basic foundation for any further musical experiences your child pursues. Even if your child chooses to switch to another instrument later, the melody, rhythm and sense of harmony she acquires with piano education will carry over.

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Getting Your Child to Practice an Instrument

GETTING YOUR CHILD TO PRACTICE

Your child has chosen an instrument and anticipates playing it day and night. You’ve found the best teacher around with a slot for your budding Mozart or Miles Davis. However, the biggest challenge is yet to come—getting your child to channel that energy into her daily practice. Your encouragement, persuasion, and guidance will most likely be needed at times to get your child to practice. “Repetition” is the French word for practice or rehearsal: good practice by nature should involve lots of repetition. In the long run, hard work and effort are as important as talent for kids who excel in music.

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How to Choose a Music Teacher

HOW TO CHOOSE A MUSIC TEACHER

• Music goes beyond playing the notes on a page and involves being able to understand and interpret the emotions behind them. You want a teacher who can give your child an experience of joy in music.

• Private instruction is perhaps the best way to learn to play a musical instrument, but joining a band or ensemble in addition to private lessons will also enhance your child’s learning. Depending on your child’s age, private lessons may or may not be appropriate.

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Renting v. Purchasing an Instrument

RENTING V. PURCHASING AN INSTRUMENT

GENERAL COST CONSIDERATIONS

• If finances are a consideration, take this into account from the beginning when offering your child instrument choices.

• Think about whether you want to rent, buy, or rent the instrument with the option to buy it. Like a car, the value of a musical instrument depreciates as soon as it becomes yours. Make sure your child knows that this is a long-term commitment, not a month-long endeavor. Once you commit to the music shop, you commit to the instrument and to the financial responsibilities that accompany it. Even though some music shops will let you switch instruments, they will not let you end the commitment altogether. Make your child keep her end of the bargain and encourage her to practice.

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