What Instrument Should My Child Play?

Helping your child decide what instrument to play can be a challenge. There are numerous options, from string instruments like guitar and bass, woodwinds like saxophone and clarinet, percussion (drums), and keyboards to brass instruments like trumpet, trombone, and French horn. 

Some kids may be naturally drawn to a specific instrument, while others may be interested in music but don’t know where to start. As a parent, you want to help guide your child’s musical journey. This guide will compare and contrast a few different popular starting instruments, and hopefully give you some background knowledge if you are not a musician yourself! 

Terminology

We will use some musical terminology in this article to describe each instrument. If you get confused, you can refer back here!

Staff

The staff refers to the five horizontal lines on sheet music, with each line (and space between lines) representing a note. The staff is the foundation of sheet music and will be an essential part of your child’s musical education. 

Clef

On sheet music, the clef is the symbol furthest left on the staff. The clef dictates which notes are represented by the lines of the staff. Depending on the instrument, sheet music can utilize bass clef, treble clef, or both. It’s worth noting there are four clefs, the others being tenor and alto. Most beginners will be learning on the treble and bass clef.

Register

Register is used to describe the general range of pitches an instrument can achieve. 

Embouchure 

Embouchure refers to how lips, teeth, tongue, and facial muscles work to make sounds on a brass or woodwind instrument. 

Best Instruments for Beginner Musicians

Before we dive in, it’s important to remember that many of the instruments we will talk about here have different variants(for example, there are multiple types of saxophone), which are sized differently, play in higher or lower registers, and are used for different purposes. Some variants are considered more “beginner-friendly”.

Piano and Keyboard

The piano is a keyboard instrument that utilizes both bass and treble clefs. Played with both hands and feet, the piano is a great place for a new musician to start, since it provides an opportunity to learn reading music with higher and lower pitch ranges. 

Additionally, as a keyboard instrument, it can be easier to “see” where different notes are in relation to one another. This can help make learning to read music easier.

Brass Instruments

Brass instruments are played through a mouthpiece, with the sound coming from the vibrations of the musician’s lips “buzzing” against the cup of the mouthpiece. Brass instruments can be heard across nearly all genres of music, from jazz and classical to rock, blues, and more!

Trumpet/Cornet

The trumpet, and its sibling the cornet, are very popular instruments, particularly in school bands. The musician’s hands change notes by pushing down on valves in different combinations.

While available in several different registers, most beginners will start playing on a b𝄬 (b-flat) trumpet. Utilizing the treble clef, the trumpet can be an approachable introduction to new musicians interested in brass instruments. 

Trombone

The trombone is a brass instrument. Making sound on a trombone is the same as other instruments in the brass family, but instead of pressing valves to change pitch, the musician uses a slide mechanism to lengthen and shorten the distance the sound travels. 

The trombone is played in bass clef, placing it in a lower register than the trumpet.

Woodwind Instruments

While woodwind instruments utilize a mouthpiece, they differ from brass instruments in the way the sound is produced. Instead of the vibration coming from the player’s lips, the air passes over a thin piece of material. The resulting vibrations create the sound you hear while playing. 

For a beginner, it can sometimes be easier to start playing a woodwind instrument, since the embouchure required for achieving the “buzz” on a reed can be easier to learn quickly. 

Saxophone

The saxophone is a woodwind instrument popular in ballads, jazz, rock, blues, and more. Saxophones utilize a wooden reed in the mouthpiece to make sound, and the player presses keys in different combinations along the instrument’s body to change pitch. 

Saxophones are available in several different sizes. Larger saxophones have a lower register, while smaller ones are able to reach much higher notes. New players typically begin on the alto saxophone, which is easy to hold and plays in the middle register, utilizing the treble clef. 

Clarinet

The clarinet is a woodwind instrument that shares some similarities with the saxophone. Clarinets are made of wood and utilize a mouthpiece and reed to make sound. Like a saxophone, the clarinet employs keys that allow the player to change pitch.  The embouchure is nearly the same as a saxophone.

New students typically begin on the B-flat clarinet. Music for the B-flat clarinet is written in treble clef.

Flute 

The flute is another woodwind instrument commonly played by beginners and in school bands. Made of metal, the flute is a long cylindrical instrument with no bends or changes in diameter. 

Unlike clarinet and saxophone, the flute doesn’t use a wooden reed. Instead, the player blows air across an opening in the mouthpiece called the embouchure hole. Like other woodwinds, flutes have a series of keys along the body of the instrument that allow for different pitches to be played. 

Music for the flute is written in treble clef.

Which Instrument Should My Child Choose to Play?

While it would be great to give a simple answer, the truth of the matter is it depends. Some people are able to pick up certain instruments relatively easily but might struggle to learn others. If your child shows a particular interest in a certain instrument, let them try it out! It could be a good fit from the start. 

Your child’s music teacher will be able to help identify what’s working and what isn’t, as well as assess their ability to overcome the challenges of learning an instrument. They also may be able to identify what comes more naturally to your child. 

There are many instruments not mentioned here, including string instruments like violin, guitar, and bass, and percussion instruments like the drums.

Conclusion

It can be daunting to help your child decide what instrument they should learn, especially if you, as the parent, don’t have much musical background. Talk to your child’s music teacher, but also allow your child to explore and see what they are most drawn to. 

Ready to get your child’s first beginner instrument? Avoid expensive rental contracts and own a quality John Packer student instrument with Overture! Our program puts brand-new, high-quality instruments into the hands of new musicians at the price they were meant to be. Our buyback guarantee reassures you that no matter what happens in your child’s musical journey, you won’t be stuck with an instrument you don’t need.

Curious about renting vs owning? Head over to our blog and read more about the music rental industry and how owning with Overture can be a better option!