Do your kids play instruments?

One of my personal regrets is that I didn't learn to read and understand music better.   I was always good at playing music, but I couldn't really read it very well.  I would cheat and write the corresponding letters of the music notes beneath them, so I never learned to read the notes by sight.

 

It has been so long since I've done anything with music.  I have "play the violin" on my 50 before Fifty list.  So, I'm going to try that.  And then of course, I'll have to learn all of the technical stuff that I never learned the first time I played an instrument.  I also have "become more proficient in a foreign language" on my 50 before Fifty list and someone suggested I learn music as my language.  It is pretty foreign to me!

 

I would really like it if my kids wanted to play an instrument.  I asked each of them in their "Kid Talk" interview which instrument they'd like to play.  Logan said that he'd like to play the flute.  Jaycee said that she'd like to play a "Rock Star Guitar."

 

I would be more familiar with Jaycee's choice of instrument than I would be with Logan's.  I've never played a wind instrument in my life.  But, I did play the Baritone Ukelele (no laughing!), which has some of the same strings as an acoustic guitar.  It's larger than the ukelele that you might be thinking of. 

 

It seems like there are so many different types of guitars to choose from.  We have an acoustic guitar, but it was a pretty cheap one and I'm sure it doesn't stay tuned.  And some of the strings have been pulled off by now!

See. . . Logan does have some interest in guitars!  Maybe I could switch him from flute to guitar!

 But, when it comes down to the choice of what kind of guitar, there are also electric guitars, bass guitars and combination guitars which I had never even heard of before I started to look at guitars.  I think one of the neighbor kids has the best baritone guitar there is.  We can hear him practicing sometimes in the summer.  He could probably give us some tips.

There is also a fairly large music store down the street that offers different classes.  We went to the store on a field trip once.  It's overwhelming.  But, they offer all kinds of classes.  I think I'll take the kids and go check it out sometime.  Maybe we can get a better idea about which direction the kids want to go and see how much classes cost.  Plus, I can see if they offer violin  classes.  I'm sure they do.

Do you know anything about flutes or guitars?  What is the best age to start formal music training?  Is it better to start on an accoustic guitar and then move on to an electric, bass or baritone guitar after that?  Or do you think you could start on an electric one from the beginning?
 

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