What instrument to choose for my child? Age and taste guide
To choose your child's first instrument is easier if you cross four factors: age, tastes, personality and logistics at home and if you have to try them before buying.
To choose your child's instrument, cross four things: his age and his size (what can play comfortable today), his or her music, his or her personality and his or her logistics (space, noise, transport). And before buying, have him or her prove it: first classes with an instrument loaned say more than any guide.
There's no "better" instrument for children in general. There's the one that fits with your child right now, and that choice isn't forever.
To sum up
- He chooses across age and size, musical tastes, personality and logistics at home.
- Until age 5, musical initiation is the best base, with piano, violin, small guitar and sweet flute at 6 and 8, and from 9, with wind and drums and low.
- The child's interest weighs more than the instrument's prestige or what his father wanted to play.
- Test before buying: classes with a loaned instrument and advice of the teacher about size and model.
- Retiring an instrument is normal and what's been learned will be transferred.
Age and size
The body commands: an instrument that's too big or too heavy generates bad postures and frustration.
| Edad | Comfortable options | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years | [Music initiation]](/clases/iniciacion-musical) and minor percussion and some children, piano or violin with a playful approach. | They learn to play and move and for most instruments, their hands are still small. |
| 6 to 8 years | Piano, violin, cello, sweet flute, percussion and guitar of reduced size. | There are custom versions, and reading them at school helps with score. |
| 9 to 12 years | Saxophis, trumpet, clarinet, traverse flute, trombone, drums, electrical guitar and bass. | Final teeth, longer arms and more air capacity. |
| 13 years and older | Any instrument. | The body no longer limits but more weighs its tastes and goals. |
To see the age of each instrument with more details, check how old to start studying music.
To the music she likes
Ask her what music she likes and look at what she hears, sings or dances.
| If she likes... | Tools to look at |
|---|---|
| Rock and pop | Electrical guitar, low, drums, singing. |
| Music of films and classical music | Piano, violin, cello, traverse flute. |
| Salsa, cumbia and music from the Caribbean | Percusion, trumpet, saxophone, thrombon. |
| Colombian Andean Music | Tipple, bandola, guitar. |
| He sings all day | I sing, and piano or guitar to join. |
| Jazz | Saxophone, piano, bass, drums. |
A good exercise: watch videos of different instruments together, or go to a concert of a youth orchestra or a band, and watch what gets his attention. Sometimes the instrument appears only: "I want to play that."
To his personality and his way of learning
Take these ideas as clues, and not as rules. There are shy children that shine in the drums and restless children that love the violin.
- If you need to move and have a lot of energy: the percussion and the battery channel that impulse.
- If detailed and patient: [violin]](/clases/violin) and piano reward fine work.
- If you want quick results: the [guitar]](/clases/guitarra-acustica) It allows with songs in a few weeks and the piano also gives visible results soon.
- If you love to be a group: the winds open the door to gangs and singing to chores.
- If she likes to "see" what she does: the keyboard of [piano]](/clases/piano) shows the logic of the notes at a glance.
- If shy: an individual class at first, and you put them together as I gain confidence.
Another point: some children have a better opportunity to enjoy their melody (singing, leading) and some with their rhythm or accompaniment. Observe with what they engage with with the music they listen to also helps them choose.
Space, noise and logistics at home
The best instrument in theory isn't useful if you can't practice at home. Before deciding, think about:
- Noise: an apartment, an acoustic battery or a trumpet require time arrangements, a practice pad or a satico. A digital piano or an electrical guitar allows them to use hearing aids.
- Space: A piano occupies a wall and a violin fits into a closet.
- Transportation: bringing a cello by bus or at TransMiento is quite a challenge and with home classes, the instrument doesn't have to leave the house.
- Climate: The wood instruments suffer with sudden changes in temperature and moisture and at home keep them far from the direct sun from the window.
- Budget: A sweet flute costs far less than a piano. There are rental, loan or tools used in good condition, and teacher can guide you.
Test before purchase
- Listen to the instrument live: at a concert, at a school or with a relative who plays it.
- Take a first class with an instrument loaned by a relative, a school or a teacher, if possible.
- Ask the teacher what size and what type of instrument your child needs. In violin and guitar, the size is key.
- Buy an appropriate studio instrument, and not a toy instrument: toy tools do not tune and end up frustrating.
- If you buy used, ask the teacher to check them before they pay.
The [Teachers Directory]](/profes) you can see teachers by instrument; many families use first classes to confirm choice before investing in final instrument.
Common mistakes at choice
- To choose from what you wanted to play as a child.
- To choose by prestige: No instrument is "more serious" than another.
- To buy a big instrument to last.
- To decide only for the price of an instrument, without thinking about whether the child will enjoy it.
- To think that choice's forever.
Frequently asked questions
What's the easiest instrument for a child?
The piano and the percussion give quick results because the sound comes out at once, and the sweet flute is light and accessible and the violin and the winds demand more patience at first. For a child, the easiest thing is usually the instrument that she likes, because she's trying to get better.
Is it better to start with piano or guitar?
Both are good entrance doors. The piano shows the logic of the notes and can start a little earlier and the guitar is portable and allows to accompany songs soon but asks for some more strength on your fingers. Decide depending on your child's age and his or her best music.
What do I do if my son wants an instrument that doesn't seem right?
Listen to why she wants to and consult with a teacher. If she's an instrument for later, as saxophone at 6, she can start with one that prepares the way, as sweet flute or piano, without losing sight of her goal. If the problem is noise or space, there are almost always adjustments.
Do you have to learn sweet flute first?
It's a good first wind instrument and prepares for the naughty flute, clarinet or saxophone but if your child wants piano or violin and his age, his or her age can start directly.