Starting the kids early

[Bob Wiegers]

hi all,
I've got a 2.5 year old boy and 1 year old girl (and perhaps another on the way -- we love kids!). they both love to bang on my cheap instruments, and we all have fun together. I dont want to be pushy or too structured for a while at least, but I was wondering if anyone has any tips or tricks they've come across for the littlest of pickers? I'm getting the boy a uke of his very own ($15 on sale at musician's friend) which I'm sure he'll love. I'll see if I can tune it gdae or not. anyway, long version of the story is here (http://beulahland.wordpress.com/2007/01/25/mando-boy/) if you'd like.
thanks.
Bob

http://beulahland.wordpress.com/files/2007/01/dsc01966.thumbnail.jpg

[Red Englemann]

I would suggest letting them hear and experiance music during these first years rather than trying to put something into their hands too quickly. Have you seen some of those two and three stringed instruments that are tuned similarily to a ducimer? There are also those little key boards that you can fine at most toy stores.

Long story short is that your little ones are coming into the world with a genius all their own, help them find it.

red

[John Flynn]

I'll see if I can tune it gdae or not.
You can get order custom string sets for that from Elderly and other places. Or you can use the following:
G: Classical guitar wound 4th
D: Classical guitar plain 3rd
A: Classical guitar plain 2nd
E: 4mm monofilament fishing line, 20 pound test (I'm not kidding)

[batman]

I'd just try to keep it fun for them and not expect too much or push it on them. If they want to play bad enough it will happen with time. My grandson just turned 2. He can't get in the door good, before he wants his fiddle. He aint no Bobby Hicks yet, but he shure is enthusiastic.

[Salmon Man]

I've been having a blast with my 3 year old girl watching (and kind of playing) along with a Johnny Cash DVD. #We have the 1987? Austin City Limits DVD. #Our normal routine is I get either a telecaster or mando and my daughter gets her (toyish) strap-on drum with sticks and we play along with Ring of Fire, Folsom Prison Blues, Walk the Line, Big River, Ghostriders in the Sky, Where Did We Go Right (with June), and Walk the Line (Reprise), in that order. #My daughter bangs the drum when she wants to and it fits in just fine. #She even gives the same kick as Johnny at the end of Ghostriders, and bows at the end. #At Christmas, grandma joined in on acoustic guitar and we had a family band going. #It's mighty cute! #I think my daughter likes that she can play along with her limited skill.

How many three year olds do you know that know the first verse to Ring of Fire?

[Santiago]

I would inpire them, expose them to the instrument and let them feel comfortable with the instrument, but don't push them to play or they'll push back by refusing. It has to be fun and subtle. The fire will ignite -- even though you'll think you failed, you'll be pleasantly surprised one day!

[jim simpson]

My son was inspired at a bluegrass festival when he was 5 as he said he wanted to play the fiddle. We found a great teacher who taught a modified Suzuki method. His lessons included both myself and my son. My son learned really fast but started to get a little frustrated with it and dropped it. I kept going to lessons for a while without him hoping that he would want to re-start but it didn't happen. He is 19 now and is quite good at guitar and drums.

[mandocrucian]

Start the music appreciation early.

Mandocrucian's Kid Mix

"Jollity Farm" - Bonzo Dog Band
"Euphonious Whale", "Payday", "O'Reilly At The Bar", "The Laughing Song" - Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks
"Piggies", "Yellow Submarine", "Why Don't We Do It In The Road" - The Beatles
"Hughie Smith medley: High Blood Pressure/Don't You Just Know It/Well I'll Be John Brown" - Dr. John
"Alley Oop" - Hollywood Argyles

"Get A Job" - The Coasters
"Rock and Roll High School" - The Ramones
"She Lived Down By The Firehouse", "Persian Rug", "Alabama Jubilee" - R. Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders
"What's The Ugliest Part of Your Body?" - Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention
"Boobs A Lot" - Holy Modal Ramblers

"Barnyard Boogie" - Louis Jordan, or Vassar Clements
"He Went To Sleep and the Hogs Ate Him" - Stanley Brothers
" The Gnome", "Flaming", "Scarecrow" - Pink Floyd (Syd Barrett)
"Pressed Rat and Warthog" - Cream
"I Don't Wanna Grow Up", "What's He Building In
There?" - Tom Waits

"Abba Zabba" - Captain Beefheart
"Wild Thing" - The Troggs
"Wooly Bully", "Little Red Riding Hood" - Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs
"My Bucket's Got A Hole In It" - Hank Williams
"My Creole Belle" - Mississippi John Hurt

"99 Year Blues" - Hot Tuna
"Tequila" - The Champs
"Mama Look-A Boo Boo", "Day-O" - Harry Belafonte
"Red Hot" - Billy Lee Riley, or Robert Gordon
"Twilight Zone" - Michael Hurley
"Spam Song" - Monty Python

[Bob Wiegers]

cool ideas. thanks yall. we're definitely keeping it low-key, but one of our best friends is a suzuki teacher if someday we want to get formal.

[arbarnhart]

We have had all manner of instruments around for our 4 kids. The ones they always seemed to gravitate to first seem to be the small keyboards that make odd sounds in addition to music.

[rounDSound]

I think I would reiderate all the things mentioned here. As a young boy growing up, the best thing for me was being exposed to a variety of differnt types of music at a young age. It's hard to get into things like classical music at 19 if you haven't already heard them before.

Also, again repeating what has already been said, don't put too much preasure on them. Let them try different things out. The main thing is just being supportive. I had very supportive parents who were willing to invest time, energy, and money into my talents and I now love music and play a variety of instrument.

Just having instruments lying about the house for them to play and hear is a great way to start. Try leaving guitars in open tuning so they can strum the strings and hear pleasant sounds.

More musicians in this world is deffinilty a wonderful thing. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[mythicfish]

I truly believe that the best musical introduction for young children (as well as old children, like us) should be vocal.
The voice is the" natural" instrument for the expression of pitch/interval, rhythm, dynamics, articulation, etc. You don't even need to sing lyrics ... "scat" will do just fine. If a child - or adult - loves to sing, they can learn to play most any musical instrument. Starting an instrument too early can result in bad habits in the area of small motor skills; and it's harder to break old habits than it is to learn them correctly from the front.
Of course there's nothing wrong with leaving a beater in the corner. Just make sure to tell the kid that he/she's never, ever supposed to touch it.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
Curt

[JeffD]

Or... you could do it they way my dad did with his musical instruments and his fishing rods -

I was not allowed to touch them at all without permission, and even then it was with extreme reverence and awe, and then just to look, never to play with or handle, and the constant refrain, "someday, ...when your ready". By the time I was "ready" I was so eager I was drooling.

[Doug Edwards]

Ain't it great!

Next to seeing/chasing the cats & dog my grandson of 14 months loves to play around with all the instruments (all the good ones in their case or up high). I wouldn't think of pushing him but he does show an interest.

[seanonabutton]

this website has some great interviews involving this topic. It includes interviews with chris thile's mother nad tim o'brien's mother as well as one of tony rice's parents and more http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
http://www.wrightforyou.com/prodigies1.html to get to all of them go to the bottom of the page and hit part II etc.

[JeffD]

this website has some great interviews involving this topic. It includes interviews with chris thile's mother nad tim o'brien's mother as well as one of tony rice's parents and more
Great stuff! Thanks!!