What is a good first instrument to learn for a 6 year-old?
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Anonymous
| I am interested in signing up my six year-old for music lessons. He is on the spectrum and attends general education in MCPS. Trying to get a sense of what instrument would be good for him to learn. Big sis has piano lessons and will be starting cello lessons soon. Thanks! |
Anonymous
| Whatever he wants. For my ADHD/ASD son, it was singing, in the Strathmore Children's Chorus (I think they start at 7). He tried violin like his sister, but didn't like it. I taught him the rudiments of piano at home, he didn't like it either. The truth is, with dysgraphia and poor motor skills, he never liked anything manual. Singing was easier. |
Anonymous
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How tall is he for his age? How is his fine motor? Can he read words?
Singing and dance are great options that don't require fine motor. |
Anonymous
| Whatever keeps him excited and motivated to practice. What instrument does he want to play? |
Anonymous
| Take him to music and arts and let him try a few and pick. |
Anonymous
| Look around for a Kindermusic or Kodaly class. Depending on his needs and preferences, a group class can be quite fun. |
Anonymous
OP here. He’s average to above average in height. He does receive OT at school and he’s not great at writing. He hasn’t shown any interest to any specific instruments and partly because he’s not exposed to them. He does like singing and music in general. |
Anonymous
| My dyspraxic/poor fine motor skill kid started trumpet at age 6 and loved it -- he's still playing now, at 14. Any instrument your child chooses will help him motivate to practice. |
Anonymous
| Piano is best for learning scales and music theory. My kid plays clarinet, but a year of theory-focused piano in 2nd grade was extremely valuable. It's also easier to just noodle around casually on keyboard. |
Anonymous
| Piano. It is a very good foundational instrument. He can learn to read treble and bass clef. He can easily learn classical as well as popular music to keep him interested. |
Anonymous
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I would not do a brass instrument if you forsee braces in his future.
Since you're already doing cello for your DD, it might be simplest to have him do cello too. Assuming your car is big enough! They can split a period of time however best suits their attention spans. Piano is great too, but orchestra instruments provide an opportunity for social interaction and a peer group where he might find his people. There are always so many violins and not enough cellos, so your children will be welcomed and appreciated! |
Anonymous
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School of Rock has been great for us. They offer various instruments, but it's done in a fun and "cool" way. Our kids have tried drums and keyboard, and they also offer voice and guitar.
One thing to consider is if he has noise sensitivity. If so, you might choose a quieter instrument (maybe piano/keyboard?). |