Instruments for elementary schoolEr

Biggfoot44 · Sep 14, 2020

Ok , I'll defer on specifically violins and mini sized ones for munchkins , but for normal instruments generally , what I said above . ( I know there is such thing as starting toddlers on violin , but for school context . aren't they starting at 8 or 9 ? )

ralph.mclean · Sep 16, 2020

Find the local music store that deals with your school and buy used. In the long run, it is a lot cheaper than renting. We sold my son's violin back for about 75% of what we paid for it.

Mack C-85 · Sep 16, 2020

Biggfoot44 said:
Ok , I'll defer on specifically violins and mini sized ones for munchkins , but for normal instruments generally , what I said above . ( I know there is such thing as starting toddlers on violin , but for school context . aren't they starting at 8 or 9 ? )

Like shooting, age doesn't matter, size does.
Both of my kids started in the 3rd grade on full sized violins. But, there was an assortment of 1/2s, 3/4s, and full size violins in the Elementary Orchestra.

Full disclosure.....we were going to the middle school to pickup my daughter....the High School Football coach tried to recruit my son. Mom objected, not that's she's against football, but my son was in the 4th grade at the time!!!

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eagledriver · Sep 16, 2020

Beginning violin...

Hello concerned parent of youngster with interest in learning violin. I've sent a PM with direct contact info if you wish. I know you have questions, good parents always do. A good teacher would want to know - whose idea is it? Basically, there is no teaching, there is only learning.
There has been much frivolity with some of the "advice" and maybe 3 or 4 with the best intent and by now you can easily tell the difference.
I applaud your curiosity and will hope for your best.
Cheers♫♪

boatme99 · Sep 17, 2020

teratos said:
My son wanted to play the f*cking harp. In order to learn the harp, you need a f*cking harp. He has been taking lessons for 8 years and is pretty good. It might be good for a scholarship, so his harp teacher says. We spent $10,000 on a f*cking harp.

Oh man! You know, I can't recall the last time I saw "HARPIST WANTED" in the classifieds!

trickg · Sep 18, 2020

Mack C-85 said:
Like shooting, age doesn't matter, size does.

Age matters some - although there are cases where an adult beginner goes on to become a professional musician, it's pretty rare.

I used to participate a bit on a couple of trumpet player forums, and there are always a handful of folks on there who are either adult beginners, or what we refer to as a comebacker - someone who played pretty well when they were growing up, but playing trumpet fell to the wayside with the necessities of life once they hit adulthood.

They'd come at it all gung-ho, and they'd get frustrated when they weren't making progress the way they felt they should. Adult beginners don't always grasp the fact that there's no shortcuts to developing technique, a muture sound, and consistency. To further illustrate it, from the time I started until the time I was good enough that I was playing real jobs for money was 7+ years, and I didn't truly mature as a player until I was working full time as as a musician in my early 20s. Furthermore, when I picked up playing drums in my early 30s, I was a bit flumoxed at the idea that even though I was a pro-level player on trumpet, it still took YEARS of work behind the drums before I came to a level of technique and consistency where I could listen back to a live recording where I'd played and not cringe by how/what I'd played at some particular point.

There's also the idea that adults and children don't learn in the same ways - a kid will sponge up information and technique with music - it takes adults as long, if not longer to develop to the same degree, regardless of a more disciplined work ethic and higher level of focus.

I never wanted to discourage those adult beginners or comebackers - I just wanted them to be aware of the reality - that it wasn't going to come either quickly or easily, and they needed to be prepared to suck for a good while before they'd get to a place where they could actually do something decent with the instrument. There are of course exceptions to this, but by and large, age does, in fact, matter when it comes to learning an instrument.

Mack C-85 · Sep 18, 2020

trickg said:
Age matters some - although there are cases where an adult beginner goes on to become a professional musician, it's pretty rare.

I used to participate a bit on a couple of trumpet player forums, and there are always a handful of folks on there who are either adult beginners, or what we refer to as a comebacker - someone who played pretty well when they were growing up, but playing trumpet fell to the wayside with the necessities of life once they hit adulthood.

They'd come at it all gung-ho, and they'd get frustrated when they weren't making progress the way they felt they should. Adult beginners don't always grasp the fact that there's no shortcuts to developing technique, a muture sound, and consistency. To further illustrate it, from the time I started until the time I was good enough that I was playing real jobs for money was 7+ years, and I didn't truly mature as a player until I was working full time as as a musician in my early 20s. Furthermore, when I picked up playing drums in my early 30s, I was a bit flumoxed at the idea that even though I was a pro-level player on trumpet, it still took YEARS of work behind the drums before I came to a level of technique and consistency where I could listen back to a live recording where I'd played and not cringe by how/what I'd played at some particular point.

There's also the idea that adults and children don't learn in the same ways - a kid will sponge up information and technique with music - it takes adults as long, if not longer to develop to the same degree, regardless of a more disciplined work ethic and higher level of focus.

I never wanted to discourage those adult beginners or comebackers - I just wanted them to be aware of the reality - that it wasn't going to come either quickly or easily, and they needed to be prepared to suck for a good while before they'd get to a place where they could actually do something decent with the instrument. There are of course exceptions to this, but by and large, age does, in fact, matter when it comes to learning an instrument.

What?

My point was only that a kid needing a 1/2 or 3/4 sized violin is determined by thier size (i.e. the length of their arms) not their age. It's strictly physical and has nothing to do with expectations.

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trickg · Sep 18, 2020

Mack C-85 said:
What?

My point was only that a kid needing a 1/2 or 3/4 sized violin is determined by thier size (i.e. the length of their arms) not their age. It's strictly physical and has nothing to do with expectations.

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Sorry - I was thinking about it more along the lines of how good an adult beginner can get at shooting as opposed to a kid who has grown up doing it with good instruction.

Mack C-85 · Sep 18, 2020

trickg said:
Sorry - I was thinking about it more along the lines of how good an adult beginner can get at shooting as opposed to a kid who has grown up doing it with good instruction.

No biggie...my lines are more along the lines of a Boy Scout Rifle and Shotgun Merit Badge Instructor having to deal with parents of Scouts that weren't physically able to handle a long gun yet. This was definitely more of an issue with shotgun than rifle.

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trickg · Sep 18, 2020

Mack C-85 said:
No biggie...my lines are more along the lines of a Boy Scout Rifle and Shotgun Merit Badge Instructor having to deal with parents of Scouts that weren't physically able to handle a long gun yet. This was definitely more of an issue with shotgun than rifle.

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I have one of the first youth model 870s in 20 gauge sitting in my safe for that very reason - I wanted to learn to hunt but at that age a full sized gun was too big.

Blaster229 · Sep 19, 2020

I always wanted to learn the violin. Not sure why I didn't.

Norton · Sep 19, 2020

Blaster229 said:
I always wanted to learn the violin. Not sure why I didn't.

It's not as good as the cello.

Blaster229 · Sep 19, 2020

Norton said:
It's not as good as the cello.

I don't think my 53 year old fingers could do much on either right now.

Wiseguy59 · Sep 24, 2020

Blaster229 said:
I don't think my 53 year old fingers could do much on either right now.

See if you can get a quick lesson and give it a shot.
You might surprise yourself.

traveller · Sep 24, 2020

boatme99 said:
Oh man! You know, I can't recall the last time I saw "HARPIST WANTED" in the classifieds!

How can you make the harpists Minivan go 10mph faster ?

Easy, Take off the 'Dominos' sign.

DadOSix · Sep 24, 2020

Anyone in need of a percussion kit please hit me up.

My 4th grader last year toted it once and swore off.

Not brand new. I bought from another family. Had to add a few screws back to the chime bars.

Located cumberland.

KJackson · Sep 25, 2020

I just went through buying my 15 year old a full size cello through the local music store. She started out 4 years ago on a 1/2 size and I picked up a used "Amazon" model for about what 1 month's rent on her other one was. It was fine until the cello fell over and the whole neck snapped in half. I wound up upgrading to a student model through the local music store for somewhere around $900. I financed it through them and since I did they had a promise to buy it back for the full price within 2 years of it being paid off if I upgraded to another model. So last month I went back and traded in her 4 year old 3/4 size cello for a brand new full size and it was only about $260 out the door.

marko · Sep 25, 2020

A a guitarist, I would BET BOTTOM DOLLAR - putting new strings on that cello will make it sound like a million bucks.
There is years worth of grime, finger oils, and dust in those strings.

Bob A · Sep 27, 2020

marko said:
A a guitarist, I would BET BOTTOM DOLLAR - putting new strings on that cello will make it sound like a million bucks.
There is years worth of grime, finger oils, and dust in those strings.

One small issue:

New set of guitar strings - $6
New set of cello strings - $200

Wiseguy59 · Sep 28, 2020

Bob A said:
One small issue:

New set of guitar strings - $6
New set of cello strings - $200

Wow!
I didn't know that the cello could fly!

Instruments for elementary schoolEr

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