I have 2 ds that play piano, 3rd ds is ready - should he play piano or violin?

[KIN]

What says the hive mind? Do I have my 3rd son start violin? He can go to the same music teacher as the older boys on the same day at the same time. If I had to go to a different teacher on a different day I would say "Nope." My ds says he wants to play violin, but he *is* only 3!!! :) I don't put a lot of stock in that! Our piano teacher says he can start at 4-1/2 which would be this coming school year. Whaddya think? All dc play the same instrument or different? Both piano and violin would be Suzuki method, if that matters.

[Mad Charity]

Especially since it is convenient! I say play on! Violin is so much fun at that age.:001_smile:

[KIN]

Is it fun? The little violins are cute, I'll give you that much. But, they're so squeeky! :) I'm leaning towards letting him start violin since it's the same teacher...

[Diane]

He can start violin and teach the others what he's learned and his siblings can teach him some piano! :) It's a win win. :)

[Sarah CB]

Do you want to learn violin? If you're already a Suzuki mom then you understand the commitment involved. My eldest son started Suzuki violin a few years ago, second son followed - the third will start violin in September. There is no choice (thankfully, he really wants to play). I do not have the capacity or the ability to learn another instrument right now. If I did, I'd have the little guy start cello, but I know my limitations :)

Sarah

[Ellie]

I would go with piano first, then violin.

[KIN]

f you're already a Suzuki mom then you understand the commitment involved.

That is my biggest hesitation with the whole thing. How hard will it to figure out another instrument????

[Needleroozer]

I would go with piano first, then violin.

Me too. I think all children should have at least 2 yrs of piano before they take up any other instrument. This guideline worked very well in our home.

[EKS]

As someone who has two kids in violin, I would vote for piano. Not because violin is difficult, or squeaky, or whatever, but because simplifying your life is good and having everyone in piano would simplify it. Just my opinion.

[matroyshka]

When I started my twins on music lessons, I said piano because we had one, and it's what I play and could help with. One of my twins insisted she wanted violin (she was 5). I told her she could switch if she still wanted to after a year she could. She did! She is now 11 and a very enthusiastic violinist.

We also do all Suzuki. I've never played the violin, but sitting through the lessons it wasn't that hard to pick up how to help her. I still can't play, but I can tell you all about correct posture and finger positions! :tongue_smilie: My other two still play piano. It's nice having the violinist in the mix - they sometimes play duets.

I'd either let him do violin, or let him switch after a year of piano if he still wants to (that can't ever hurt...). I never would've believed such a young child would have such a strong idea of what instrument was her thing, but she sure did.

[zaichiki]

What a pickle!

Our dd started viola (a fifth lower than a violin, but otherwise looks/plays the same) at 3 and a half. She had been asking for a violin since before she was 2! Now, I know she's not typical in that sense, but it IS possible for a young child to *know* they want to play a certain instrument. (I didn't believe it either, until it happened to me.) She has a number of friends who started the violin or viola (by their OWN choice) between 3 and 4.5 years old.

Our first experience with Suzuki was not our choice. heh heh We brought our then-5-year-old to his first instrument petting zoo. After a pizza dinner with the symphony musicians and listening to a brief concert, the kids got to touch and use child-sized instruments (presented by the musicians). The lines were long... except at the cello. Interestingly, ds went straight there. And then kept getting back in line for it! Ha! For the next 6 months he told us he wanted to play the cello. I *really* didn't take him seriously at first: I mean he WAS only 5. What did he know, right? He wore us down. 6 months later we signed up at a local Suzuki school because they had the only teachers in town that would start a kid on a cello before 7 years old.

Both kids' Suzuki teachers strongly recommended starting the next child on a different instrument to avoid possible competition/comparison as they got older. One teacher told us the younger one would probably "catch up" to her brother at some point and it would make it easier all around if they weren't playing the same instrument. Of course, dd wanted to play the violin anyway, and not the cello, so it didn't matter. Other Suzuki teachers we have had prefer all the kids in one family on the same instrument. (It's certainly easier to schedule lessons and pass down instruments -- or share a piano -- that way, isn't it?)

BTW I NEVER learned/played the viola or the cello with either child. None of the 4 Suzuki teachers at 2 schools (we've moved) have ever requested that a parent do that. So... that part depends on your teacher, I think.

Oh, and... those tiny violins are SO squeaky. :ohmy: I'd think twice about that instrument just because of that.

So... all that to say: I can't try to persuade you one way or the other (violin or piano). Both have plusses and minuses.

Good luck deciding!!! :)

[robsiew]

I'm a violin teacher and my vote would be start with piano. My students who have piano background progress much faster. The violin is tough. Starting so young means they move quite slow. I find that a good time to start violin is the summer after K... but I don't teach Suzuki.... I've had many parents come to me so sick of Twinkle Twinkle that they could vomit.

[zaichiki]

but I don't teach Suzuki.... I've had many parents come to me so sick of Twinkle Twinkle that they could vomit.

:lol: So I take it you don't teach Twinkle Twinkle Little Star??? :lol:

[Alicia64]

I debated between the two too. But it comes down to: they learn how to read music in piano and they don't -- if I understand right -- on violin.

My boys learning to read music is really important to me.

Alley

[zaichiki]

I debated between the two too. But it comes down to: they learn how to read music in piano and they don't -- if I understand right -- on violin.

Hmmm... My kids both started on stringed instruments (viola, which is similar to a violin, and cello). It was the Suzuki method. Both began learning to sight read (the teachers add that to the Suzuki method) in their second year of study. Both are now pretty good sight-readers and play in orchestras (10 and 7 years old).

In my experience, Suzuki-taught kids (in two states now) *are* taught to sight-read -- even the violinists.

[tricia]

I think if he has such a strong interest in that and the fact that it is so convenient then he should do it. We have 6 children taking piano and none of them ever mentioned another instrument. Almost wish they would.:)

[Piano&ViolinMom]

Hmmm...Interesting discussion !

To me, it's depend on when your ds3 will start. If he starts right now, violin would work better because of his young age, needing smaller size instrument. It also depends on how quickly kids would progress in learning. One can face problem with piano if the one is too young but progress too quick. You can not find a smaller sized piano. But you can find right size violin anytime no matter how advanced your youngstar is.

[babysparkler]

I would go with piano first, then violin.

:iagree:That's what my dh would say (he is a trained musician - triple Bachelor + Masters)... having a knowledge base of piano helps with all other instruments. All of our kids will start with piano and add more instruments later.

[Blessedwithboys]

I have twin boys (11) who started music lessons two years ago. I originally thought that both boys would start with piano, since we have one and I play well. However, when we started looking into lessons, it became apparent that they wanted to learn different instruments. One wanted to play piano and the other wanted to learn the drums. :eek:

After much discussion, we decided on piano and violin lessons. Although I can't help my ds with the violin (like I could with the piano), he is progressing just fine and enjoying showing us what he is learning.

I also have an older son who learned piano for a year when he was about 5. He didn't enjoy it. Now he takes electric bass lessons, loves it, and is even thinking of learning the upright bass.

Good luck with your decision.

[Michelle in AL]

I have a dd that started suzuki violin at age 5. I don't remember having to learn much about it though. think dd learned pretty easily. She only spent a short time on Twinkle, Twinkle. It is squeaky though!

She really wanted to play violin, where she got that from I don't know. She still plays and is now very proficient at guitar and can play piano.

The dd who wanted to play piano, no longer plays due to burn out and plays bass guitar only.

[zaichiki]

My son is friends with a girl who started on the violin at 7 (traditional method but using some Suzuki repertoire) and then added the piano at 9. The piano teacher was impressed with how quickly she picked up playing and sight-reading (bass clef in addition to the treble she could already read). The girl, now 11, says that playing the piano is easier than playing the violin, so she was glad she learned the violin first.

I'm not sure I follow her logic. Maybe it's easier to learn the violin when you're younger and don't know that it's more difficult? (I don't know. Not a musician.)