Cello lessons for my 6 year-old ASD son - thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Late to the party but I would start with Viola and then switch to bass when he’s a little older. That’s what my younger sibling did. A lot less competitive. Everyone wants to violin and cello.

I personally am partial to piano but it’s a big investment if no one else plays. But it is a little more accessible for younger kids.

[Anonymous]

I would have him try a bunch of instruments and decide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cello requires more hand strength than violin or viola because the strings are thicker and need more force to hold down and the intervals between notes are wider. And if your fingers are weak or hypermobile, they will more easily be collapsing at the first knuckle, and it's going to mess up everything and cause pain and tendinitis. Then there's thumb position. Cellos are also more expensive. And if you're going to progress past the basics, you have to learn 3 clefs (bass, tenor, treble) and be able to be cognitively flexible to move between them quickly. Cello is also one of the few instruments where you have to stay seated and planted in one spot to play it and cannot stand, pace around, etc.

What made you decide on cello? I feel like it has a number of unique potential disadvantages for someone with autism that other instruments do not.

Okay but a 6-year-old beginner is not going to be playing in thumb position or playing in tenor or treble clef any time soon. In fact, many teachers won’t even start your child off with a bow immediately, he might just learn the notes by plucking them with his fingers. A big advantage of starting so young is that the child can learn really gradually over time.

I think if your child is interested in cello it’s a great idea OP. If you don’t know already, cellos come in small sizes that are suited to children. Since you mentioned that your son is tall, if he happens to have long arms and/or wide palms that will help him out with the cello. You could check out the Suzuki teacher association website to look for teachers if you haven’t already.

OP here. I would like him to participate in orchestra and knowing that it will take him a while to learn an instrument, I thought I’ll get a head start.

Sone orchestras are very competitive and it has to be something he wants, not just you. Call your local orchestra group and ask for recommendations. That’s how we got started. They were so helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Late to the party but I would start with Viola and then switch to bass when he’s a little older. That’s what my younger sibling did. A lot less competitive. Everyone wants to violin and cello.

I personally am partial to piano but it’s a big investment if no one else plays. But it is a little more accessible for younger kids.

The benefit of piano is you can get an electric one and do it with headphones. I have one myself and I love it. They really have come down in price in the past 10 years or so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only bass if you're willing to get a 10 passenger van and look very cool rolling up to rehearsal.

You can fit a bass in a remarkably small car, just not a sedan. My kid's instructor came with his in a prius hatchback.

You can fit a bass in a sedan. You need to lay down the passenger seat and buckle it in there.

-- bass mom

Lucky! We can't quite in our (smallish) sedan without it sticking out the sunroof. We use our smallish suv.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cello requires more hand strength than violin or viola because the strings are thicker and need more force to hold down and the intervals between notes are wider. And if your fingers are weak or hypermobile, they will more easily be collapsing at the first knuckle, and it's going to mess up everything and cause pain and tendinitis. Then there's thumb position. Cellos are also more expensive. And if you're going to progress past the basics, you have to learn 3 clefs (bass, tenor, treble) and be able to be cognitively flexible to move between them quickly. Cello is also one of the few instruments where you have to stay seated and planted in one spot to play it and cannot stand, pace around, etc.

What made you decide on cello? I feel like it has a number of unique potential disadvantages for someone with autism that other instruments do not.

Okay but a 6-year-old beginner is not going to be playing in thumb position or playing in tenor or treble clef any time soon. In fact, many teachers won’t even start your child off with a bow immediately, he might just learn the notes by plucking them with his fingers. A big advantage of starting so young is that the child can learn really gradually over time.

I think if your child is interested in cello it’s a great idea OP. If you don’t know already, cellos come in small sizes that are suited to children. Since you mentioned that your son is tall, if he happens to have long arms and/or wide palms that will help him out with the cello. You could check out the Suzuki teacher association website to look for teachers if you haven’t already.

OP here. I would like him to participate in orchestra and knowing that it will take him a while to learn an instrument, I thought I’ll get a head start.

Sone orchestras are very competitive and it has to be something he wants, not just you. Call your local orchestra group and ask for recommendations. That’s how we got started. They were so helpful.

OP here. Thank you. I wasn’t thinking about youth orchestra. Just school orchestra.

Unrelated to this specific reply, I should also note that my kid has no problem sitting for a 30 or 45 mins lesson. A few commented that he might struggle with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cello requires more hand strength than violin or viola because the strings are thicker and need more force to hold down and the intervals between notes are wider. And if your fingers are weak or hypermobile, they will more easily be collapsing at the first knuckle, and it's going to mess up everything and cause pain and tendinitis. Then there's thumb position. Cellos are also more expensive. And if you're going to progress past the basics, you have to learn 3 clefs (bass, tenor, treble) and be able to be cognitively flexible to move between them quickly. Cello is also one of the few instruments where you have to stay seated and planted in one spot to play it and cannot stand, pace around, etc.

What made you decide on cello? I feel like it has a number of unique potential disadvantages for someone with autism that other instruments do not.

Okay but a 6-year-old beginner is not going to be playing in thumb position or playing in tenor or treble clef any time soon. In fact, many teachers won’t even start your child off with a bow immediately, he might just learn the notes by plucking them with his fingers. A big advantage of starting so young is that the child can learn really gradually over time.

I think if your child is interested in cello it’s a great idea OP. If you don’t know already, cellos come in small sizes that are suited to children. Since you mentioned that your son is tall, if he happens to have long arms and/or wide palms that will help him out with the cello. You could check out the Suzuki teacher association website to look for teachers if you haven’t already.

OP here. I would like him to participate in orchestra and knowing that it will take him a while to learn an instrument, I thought I’ll get a head start.

Sone orchestras are very competitive and it has to be something he wants, not just you. Call your local orchestra group and ask for recommendations. That’s how we got started. They were so helpful.

OP here. Thank you. I wasn’t thinking about youth orchestra. Just school orchestra.

Unrelated to this specific reply, I should also note that my kid has no problem sitting for a 30 or 45 mins lesson. A few commented that he might struggle with that.

Then go for it! Have a talk with the teacher about fine motor to manage expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cello requires more hand strength than violin or viola because the strings are thicker and need more force to hold down and the intervals between notes are wider. And if your fingers are weak or hypermobile, they will more easily be collapsing at the first knuckle, and it's going to mess up everything and cause pain and tendinitis. Then there's thumb position. Cellos are also more expensive. And if you're going to progress past the basics, you have to learn 3 clefs (bass, tenor, treble) and be able to be cognitively flexible to move between them quickly. Cello is also one of the few instruments where you have to stay seated and planted in one spot to play it and cannot stand, pace around, etc.

What made you decide on cello? I feel like it has a number of unique potential disadvantages for someone with autism that other instruments do not.

Okay but a 6-year-old beginner is not going to be playing in thumb position or playing in tenor or treble clef any time soon. In fact, many teachers won’t even start your child off with a bow immediately, he might just learn the notes by plucking them with his fingers. A big advantage of starting so young is that the child can learn really gradually over time.

I think if your child is interested in cello it’s a great idea OP. If you don’t know already, cellos come in small sizes that are suited to children. Since you mentioned that your son is tall, if he happens to have long arms and/or wide palms that will help him out with the cello. You could check out the Suzuki teacher association website to look for teachers if you haven’t already.

OP here. I would like him to participate in orchestra and knowing that it will take him a while to learn an instrument, I thought I’ll get a head start.

Sone orchestras are very competitive and it has to be something he wants, not just you. Call your local orchestra group and ask for recommendations. That’s how we got started. They were so helpful.

OP here. Thank you. I wasn’t thinking about youth orchestra. Just school orchestra.

Unrelated to this specific reply, I should also note that my kid has no problem sitting for a 30 or 45 mins lesson. A few commented that he might struggle with that.

Youth orchestra is really good. Go for it, why not let him try it. We started at that age. Worst case, it doesn't work and you try a different instrument. Personally, I'd let him pick the instrument. 30 minute lessons are normal at that age, older for 45-60 minute.

[Anonymous]

What is LISS?