This seems to be a hot topic on the national trumpet bulletin boards and I’m not sure there is a definitive answer to the question. Each individual will have to make his/her own decision on this one. Some young players have been very successful while others have failed miserably at the quest. It will be my intent in this post to bring light on both advantages as well as disadvantages when considering a very young child’s first experience on a musical instrument.
Important issues to consider when starting a child on a musical instrument-
Does the child have any interest in beginning an instrument?
If the child has asked to begin playing an instrument, it is usually prompted by one of a few influences. Many times the young person has been impressed with a musician on television or at a concert and because of this interest; they decide that they would like to perform also. This is commendable and nothing should be done to discourage this interest and selection of one particular instrument. In most cases, young people are impressed by the electric guitar or the drum set. If by chance your child wants to go the route of a brass musician, inquire why they have made this selection. If the child has a well thought out reason for wanting to play a brass instrument, and they are at an age that you think they would be able to understand the requirements for sticking with it (practice), I would do everything possible to help them with their goal. If on the other hand, your child has had a history of starting something and soon tires and begins to search for something else to entertain themselves, I would try to steer them into another interest at this time. Eventually they may settle into a single venture and stay with it and at that time, if they show interest in playing a brass instrument, do everything to help them. You may wonder why I seem pessimistic about starting young children who exhibit a lack of focus and determination into playing a brass instrument. I have found that the requirements to succeed in playing a brass instrument are more challenging than most parents and children realize and to become frustrated with the instrument at an early age is not good for the child or the parent.
Does the child have any talent in music?
Deciding whether a child has any musical ability is difficult if not impossible. I can not tell you how many times I have heard someone tell a parent, “Oh yes, your child has a great ear for music”, or “Your child has an amazing gift for music”. Give me a break! Most of the time when this information is shared with a parent, it comes from someone interested in selling the parent an instrument or at least a series of lessons. To tell someone that their five year old will be the next great musician is like telling a parent that their child will be the next Tiger Woods. Time is the only way anyone can show real talent at anything. At this young age, the child’s interest is a better barometer for success than someone’s unqualified opinion.
What physical attributes must the young person have to begin study?
Very young children may have physical limitation which could affect their selection of their musical instrument. When I first began to think of playing a brass instrument, I remember vividly my mother and I visiting our local music store, the Band Box, in Moline, Illinois. Mr. Jack Manthie was the owner and when my mother told him that I wanted to play the trombone, his response was, “Oh no, his arms are too short”. That is the only reason that I have played trumpet all my life and not the trombone. Isn’t life easy? Later I found out that it wasn’t the length of my arms that decided my instrument, it was the fact that they had no trombones in the store that day and they did have some trumpets they wanted to unload. Many times a student will be encouraged to start on a particular instrument only because the high school band director is in need of players on that instrument in the near future. Isn’t it interesting how the music business works?
When deciding on an instrument for your child, there are practical issues which may influence your decision as to which instrument to buy. Visualize your very small son or daughter carrying a large Sousaphone on the field every Friday night at the football game. If your son or daughter has overly large fingers, be sure to have them first place their finger on the keys of a flute or piccolo if that is the instrument they want to play. Practicality many times can be an issue when deciding on an instrument. If your income is limited and your child wants to play harp, please remember that not only is a harp expensive, but also is the vehicle you will be required to purchase in order to transport the new harp.
Additional issues discussed in Part 2 include-
Mental requirements of a student starting to play an instrument at a very young age.
At what age is it best to start playing an instrument?
What advantages are there for starting early on an instrument?
What are reasonable expectations of the parent starting a young child on an instrument?
This was an interesting read, thank you. My youngest wanted to play the sousaphone from the age of 3.5 when she first got to see and hear one. It’s not a very common instrument here in the UK and wasn’t one of the instruments on offer when a space came up for her to start lessons at school.
By then she was 7 so had been keen on the sousaphone for half her life! The brass teacher tried her out on some different instruments and persuaded her to give the tenor horn a go (she’s small for her age so that was plenty big enough). She took to it like a duck to water and made really quick progress. After two years she added the French horn and has picked that up quickly, even with its different fingering and technique.
These days, at the age of 10, she plays tenor horn in various brass bands and French horn in different ensembles. And has no interest in the sousaphone anymore.
Thank you for visiting our site.
I am so happy that she has found her instrument and enjoys it so much.
I always wanted to play a trombone and it wasn’t until later in life (age 70) I actually began playing one. Now I’m playing more trombone than trumpet !
Give her our best from Denton, Texas and tell her to keep up the fine work she is doing….