Whoohooo - breakthrough w/my kid

[David M.]

I'm not one to push my kids. I think it's best if they find their own passions instead of me forcing mine.

Without asking the other day, my 13 year old said he wanted to show me some chords on the mando because he had learned some chords on violin. He's in middle school orchestra (violin, one of my old ones...) and has taken 3 years of piano, so he's got a good ear and some good theory going.

So he went and got his old junker I gave him years ago and started tuning it up and playing with it. He broke an E, and I put a new one on it for him. We sat down last night and I showed him some other shapes to the chords he'd learned. Now he's picking out by ear some orchestra piece they have learned. Knowing this kid, he'll be well down the road in no time since he's got the great ear and also can read the dots. In fact I wish he'd memorize the chord from charts because he's creating chords based on his learning and some of the shapes are right, but some are off a bit. The frets are throwing him off some, too, which cracks me up.

Cool. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[West]

You are a good dad. #I am not. #My 15-year-old violin kid is all-state concertmaster. #This makes me very proud. # #When I got a mandolin, I didn't know that it had the same tuning as the violin. #I brought it home and started practicing scales, you know, the absolute simplest possible stuff -- I couldn't even find notes on the fretboard. #So my kid comes in and says hey can I try?
Me: #"Sure. #Look, here is a "G""
Kid: #"Hmm that is like a violin."
Me: #"Here is a D."
Kid: "Oh this is just like a violin!"
He then played one of the Bach partitas with all the chords.
Me: #"You are never touching this instrument again." http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Jason Holmes]

That's awesome. My 7 year old just recently started guitar lessons after a couple of years of noodling around with his 3/4 size guitar, and my 4 year old loves to strum away on his ukukele. Similarly, I would never push them in any direction, but it is really cool to see them take such an interest in playing music. What a cool family activity.

[Chip Booth]

David, that's great that your kid is getting the instrument. Don't discourage him from using chords that don't show up on the basic beginner chord chart though. If he is building chords that is marvelous! I don't even like for my students to use a chord book, we build them all from the basic forms, and often find new and interesting shapes that work even better in the context of a specific song.

Chip

[mehrsam]

You are a good dad. I am not. My 15-year-old violin kid is all-state concertmaster. This makes me very proud. When I got a mandolin, I didn't know that it had the same tuning as the violin. I brought it home and started practicing scales, you know, the absolute simplest possible stuff -- I couldn't even find notes on the fretboard. So my kid comes in and says hey can I try?
Me: "Sure. Look, here is a "G""
Kid: "Hmm that is like a violin."
Me: "Here is a D."
Kid: "Oh this is just like a violin!"
He then played one of the Bach partitas with all the chords.
Me: "You are never touching this instrument again." http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[Aran]

Wow sounds like some really talented kids.

Gave my 13 year old daughter a mandolin a couple of years ago as a first instrument and she got quite a few tunes down really well and has a nicer arrangment of blackberry blossom to me http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Anyway all her friends want to play rock so even after mentioning Rory Gallagher and Jimmy Page it was still the electric guitar that was required. So like yourselves I'm not one to push my agenda too much, so she got the electric git for Christmas. Just glad she is into playing music and probably like myself growing up will realise the folks were right all along and acoustic is the way forward..

[David Newton]

This is a great thread! I, like every father who plays guitar and mandolin, wanted each of my four kids to play, but I feared that was never to be. Then, after years of bugging my youngest, 12yrs old, to play something, he goes to a sleepover and plays guitar hero, comes home and we watch "School of Rock" together and he's off and running. Less than a year later we're playing together nearly every night, and while it is still "rocky" he's gone to bluegrass jams with me, shows an interest in mandolin, and can play a mean slide guitar on "free bird" and can play lead guitar circles around me. Proud daddy? You bet!

[Slim Pickins]

The Richest child is poor without music.

[Aran]

Very true

[Andrew Faltesek]

I am also very pleased that both my children have taken up musical instruments.
It is a very nice skill to have; for advanced learning/performance, or just pleasure when they want to relax and experience a little joy throughout their lives.

Great to hear your teen has the passion for music. The young people really amaze me with their enthusiasm and ability to learn and advance quickly. Just like with languages, they can really run circles around some of us old-timers! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Patrick Sylvest]

My 16 year old is a proficient bassist and guitarist and picks a little mando. He's backed me up on a dozen gigs and we jam together a couple of times a week. It's a wonderful thing to share, regardless of how good either of us ever gets.

[mandopete]

One of my sons plays drums, bass and guitar and is for the most part in heavy metal type music. I recently purchased a 1948 Kay C-1 bass so I would have a bass available for jams and to use for recording. My secret hope is that my son will want to pick it up and the next bluegrass festival.

[bgjunkie]

My 6 year old daughter is learning to play fiddle. She picks things up really quickly and has a great ear. I am currently struggling with that scary place of trying not to push my passion for playing on my daughter, but at the same time, trying to teach her about being comitted to something and not giving up. Just before she turned 5 she kept telling me that she wanted to learn fiddle and I told her she would have to be comitted to practicing and she agreed, so she got a fiddle for her 5th birthday. She loves her fiddle teacher and enjoys lessons, but does not like to practice. I try to instill in her that with practice, things will get easier, and more fun.

Any tips for getting a kid to practice without pushing too far?

[David M.]

Any tips for getting a kid to practice without pushing too far?

That's a trick. I'm lucky with my oldest because it's just what he does. He doesn't play sports, which is OK with me, so he spends alot of time on piano and less on violin, but at least he's learning it. I've taught him a few fiddle tunes.

I took him to a jam not too long ago with his fiddle and he called out "i'll play waltz..." and he lead into Tennessee Waltz. I had never heard him play that one before, but I guess he's heard it a time or two, so it sunk in.

My youngest has talent and can carry a tune well when singing, but he's not focused on an instrument yet. He could be totally the opposite, which is OK, too.

[Mark Walker]

Great thread/topic. #David - congrats on your up-and-coming prodigy!

My oldest child - a daughter - started singing when she was about two, ('Hot corn, Cold Corn' no less! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif) and I was her 'instrumentalist.' #(Mostly guitar.) #She went on to get accepted into the Western Michigan University School of Music as a freshman (very rare for an underclassman to do so) in 'Vocal Performance.' #She graduated last spring - Majoring in English and minoring in Music and Spanish. #

Even though she grew up in a house full of instruments, she never really showed any interest in anything other than 'vocals' - though she did take few years of lessons for piano theory. #However, to earn her Music degree, she had to take a semester-long guitar course, and I bought her a nice - yet inexepensive - easy-playing Durango (PacRim - by Saga) guitar. #Within a few weeks she was strumming great rhythm, changing chords, and working on songs outside of those required in the course. #I was impressed! #Now she's looking at the mandolin, so there's hope yet! #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Greg H.]

Music is, at least in some people, very addictive so it's not too surprising that the children of people who play should catch the addiction.

My son asked for an electric guitar for Christmas when he was 8. We got him a Squire package (amp, strap tuner, guitar) and I began teaching him. After a few years of my teaching we hooked him up with another teacher who could teach him more of the stuff he wanted to learn (heavy metal was never quite my taste) and he's just taken off. We now can jam on blues, classic Hendrix or Clapton stuff etc. and he can decidedly hold his own. Unfortunately he's also caught another illness from me: GAS (and for that matter add AAS Amp Acquisition Syndrome and EAS Effect Acquisition Syndrome) as he now has 4 guitars, 3 Amps (he's now saving for a 4th) and a number of effects. Admittedly, the things he buys are nowhere near the price range of mandolins but. . . . . http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[JonDoug]

Cool stories, but my world is a little different: my 12 year old son has been playing flat pick guitar longer than I have played mandolin (4 years vs. 2.5) and is way better: at bluegrass jams he improvises freely, picks up tunes quickly, and usually holds his own with some fine players (so I don’t sound like the total uncritical Dad, his rhythm needs a little solidifying). Me, I’m looking for a beginner jam and count myself lucky if I can backup most songs and play what I know about right. The difference, I think, is talent, young brain vs old, and he has a really great teacher (I’m self-taught). #It’s clear that despite the 39 years between us, I’m learning from him: it’s helped a lot to be playing with him! Finally, he’s doing great on violin in school orchestra, and keeps picking up my mandolin and picks out fiddle tunes and orchestra pieces—says he wants to make mandolin his next instrument. . #.

[Bob Wiegers]

very cool all. very encouraging. my kids are still little (2 and 3.5) so I'm hoping and dreaming still. they like to play the little uke and garage sale guitar while belting out their favorites (Joy to the world, Holy*3, etc) so I think they're enjoying it already. hopefully someday we can all jam. I got grandpa a dulcimer for xmas so maybe it'll be fun for all.

on the other hand, their most frequent comment about my playing is "too loud!"...my TC OM is rather loud compared to my little Epi.

[Mark Walker]

Food for thought: #My cousins (The Williams Family Bluegrass Band here in West Michigan) are among ten siblings - all exceptionally talented. #They often tell the story of how their late father (and orignal leader of the band of course) would often buy new and varying instruments, leave them lay all over the house and caution them all: "Don't touch any of them!" #
Of course they always grabbed them and tried them out, and all became exceptional musicans. #All can play upright doghouse bass, all play at least the guitar and mandolin (one the piano, guitar, banjo and Dobro) and all sing with that 'sibling' harmony that is so 'intertwined.'

Moral of the story: #Buy instruments, tell the kids not to touch them (of course they will) - and they might turn out to be world-class musicians! #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Greg H.]

Hmmmmm. so I buy a Nugget or a Gil and my kids will become great mandolinists. I wonder if my wife will buy in to that reasoning. . . .worth a try anyway. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Mark Walker]

Hmmmmm. so I buy a Nugget or a Gil and my kids will become great mandolinists. I wonder if my wife will buy in to that reasoning. . . .worth a try anyway. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
If nothing else, get a decent PacRim to pique their interest! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Although if the spousal unit approves, a Gil or Nugget would work well too! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[nickmusic12]

Yeah this is a cool thread...im new to this forum and just wanted to say hello but didnt know where...im 15 and have been playing guitar for about 8 years because my da started me early i was way ahead of the game so the earlier the better:)

[des mando]

that was earl scruggs answer when asked how he managed to have his kids turn into such such talented players , just left fine instuments in tune around the house and forbid anyone to touch them