Music Video Lesson: Choosing the right instrument to study

Hi, this is Robert Estrin at LivingPianos.com and VirtualSheetMusic.com. Today's question is how do you choose an instrument for yourself? Boy, this is a very big topic, and it's a personal choice ultimately but there are a lot of factors that go into this. And I'm gonna try to break it down for you.

Now, if you're just starting out or maybe you have a child who's starting music, you might think, boy, you should start with a violin or a piano. And I know a lot of parents who are adamant that this is what the kids should start with. It's important that they should start with these instruments. Why? Well, because of the foundation it's laid plus starting piano or violin at a young age is really important to develop later because you could start guitar or maybe a wind instrument and maybe do well starting a little bit later in life. But you really need to start violin and piano at a younger age.

So if you have a youngster, maybe it's a good case for starting them with one of these instruments. And I'm a little bit biased towards the piano as a foundational instrument because it really gives you tremendous understanding of the depth of understanding of music theory because of the visual nature and the fact that you can play many notes at the same time. However, starting violin at a young age to develop that the whole sense of the instrument is imperative. So there's a good case to be made for that.

But beyond that, really what's important is what engages you or your child because if you force somebody to study an instrument that they have very little interest in, they're bound to fail at it because they're not going to want to practice. So if somebody's saying I just love the tuba, I want to play the tuba, and you're going, "You want to carry that thing, really? Hey, but I love the sound of it. Give the child a tuba or if you yourself you think I just want to play accordion, and the people say you're going to play accordion?

If that's your love and your passion, you've got to follow it because it takes tremendous time and commitment over a long period of time in order to develop musically on any instrument. So you better pick something that you have a real excitement for for the long haul. Do some real soul searching. Now, if you don't have a real preference, piano is a great foundational instrument that will make it easier to approach other instruments later.

On a personal note, I started the piano when I was seven and a half. In the fourth grade, I was able to start French horn at school. After the first week, I came in my second lesson, and I knew the whole book and they couldn't believe it. Well, you know, French horn music, especially Book One is pretty simple compared to piano music that I was playing at that time. So my reading was very advanced for, you know, somebody starting out, So there is something to be said for starting with piano,

If you just have no particular preference, it will really help you on other instruments plus you can accompany people. It's a lot of fun but go with your heart ultimately and do what you enjoy doing, whether it's singing or playing the trombone. Thanks for joining me. Robert Estrin, here at VirtualSheetMusic.com and LivingPianos.com.

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