Good Instrument Choices for a Child Who Is Interested in Music

Posted on: 13 November 2020

When you have a child who is interested in playing an instrument, you have a couple of choices. While some parents visit a local toy store to buy a toy instrument, you also have the option of shopping at a musical instrument retailer. The latter is generally a better choice because it will allow your child to learn on a higher-quality instrument than what you'd find at a toy store. Musical instrument stores have a wide range of affordable choices for kids, so you can likely find something that will be of interest to your child and within your budget. Here are some good options for children.

Maracas

Maracas can be a fun instrument for children because of the catchy sound that they produce. Typically sold and played in pairs, maracas are often made of wood and some may have colorful designs on the exterior. This is an instrument that you shake — and there are many different ways to approach playing it. The maracas can help to give a child a sense of rhythm. For example, your child can develop a simple beat by shaking one maraca, and then the other, and so on. Another reason that the maracas are a good choice for children is that they're easy to play, which means that there won't be a major learning curve.

Tambourine

Another good choice for a musically inclined child is a tambourine. This is a percussion instrument that is available in many styles. While higher-end tambourines are made of wood, you can find affordable options that are made of plastic. A child can shake and hit a tambourine, causing the many small cymbal-like pieces to jingle together. Some tambourines have an open design, while others have a membrane that stretches across the frame — much like a drum. This provides more versatility, as your child can learn to drum on the membrane with their fingers while shaking the instrument.

Xylophone

You'll often find a few xylophones at your local instrument retailer, and this may be another choice that is appealing to your child. A xylophone has a series of wooden keys that your child can hit with a pair of sticks. Playing this instrument properly requires a little more finesse than the above two instruments, so this may be a better choice for a child who is slightly older. You'll also want to buy a book that provides an introduction to this instrument or seek out online videos that offer some instruction.

To learn more, visit a musical instrument store near you. 

Share