Getting really good on an instrument takes years of practice, and there are no shortcuts. However, some instruments have the advantage of being easier to blow, strike, or strum right out of the box. Your child is more likely to enjoy the instrument from the start if he hears immediate results, and he is more likely to continue his interest in music and take up other instruments once he has mastered one.
Recorder
The traditional ‘easy’ instrument for children has to be the recorder. It’s a great introduction to reading music and has the advantage that it’s as easy to play a note as it is to blow a whistle. It is possible to extend the complexity of a recorder by covering half the holes for jumping octaves and playing semitones, but most beginner’s books will stay within the comfortable limits of C major.
The recorder is also a great foundation to move on to the flute, saxophone, and clarinet (none of which made it to this list, as they’re so hard to get a sound out of).
However, there are two massive downsides to the recorder. First of all, it’s really disgusting. When was the last time you saw a tape recorder in a pop video? That means your kids may think it’s a bit of a useless instrument to play. It is highly unlikely that they will continue to play as they get older. Second, the standard recorder sounds horrible, especially when played by an inexperienced player. Tip: Bass and tenor recorders have a much fuller, deeper, warmer sound, similar to a clarinet. Choose those if you can, though remember that they’re not tuned to C major, so they’ll be a bit more difficult to learn.
the ukulele
It always makes me a little sad when I see a little boy with one of those toy guitars that light up with buttons you press to make noise. A three or four year old could easily learn the basics of the ukulele and play a real instrument instead of a fictional one! A ukulele is kind of a pint-sized guitar. Perfect for playing with little hands! You can get a note out of him right away and his son will feel like a rock star playing it.
A six or seven year old could strum a simple two chord song, by the end of the first lesson no problem. The other great advantage of the ukulele is that, like the guitar, you don’t have to learn to read music to play it.
djembe
If your child dreams of being a drummer, but you really can’t stand the thought of having a full drum kit in your house, you might consider a Djembe. The Djembe is an African drum with three hand positions, each giving a slightly different sound. Even if they don’t master the hand techniques right away, learning the Djembe will give your child rhythm, which is the fundamental foundation of all music, especially Pop, Dance, and Rock.
Djembes come in all shapes and sizes and it’s easy to find a child-sized one if you’re shopping around. The Djembe is also very portable, ideal for busking! And finally, the Djembe is the most sociable of instruments: it is unusual to hear a Djembe alone. If your child is looking for a fun and sociable hobby, joining an African drumming group is highly recommended. It’s a great way to instill discipline, team spirit, and camaraderie. And they get to make a terrible scandal!
Tuba
The tuba is arguably the best brass instrument for those kids who don’t have the time or inclination to become virtuoso musicians, as long as your child is old enough to carry one! Many parts written for the tuba are extremely simple to play, as composers tend to forget about the poor old tuba.
The music for the tuba is written in the bass clef, which is actually easier to learn than the treble clef, since it goes abcdefg from bottom to top.
What about the street credibility factor? It’s not just for marching bands, you know! The tuba is featured in Latin, Gypsy, Jazz, Funk, and Folk music, but finding such a band for your kids to play in your local area can be tricky!
Harmonica
The harmonica is one of those instruments that you can get a nice sound out of right out of the box. However, the sound you initially blow is usually a chord. Playing a single note requires a little more patience, skill and language training!
Actually, no theory is required, since the notes can also be ‘hole one, hole two, hole three…’. However, it could be an easy introduction to a scale (opt for a harmonica tuned in C major for simplicity). However, the harmonica is really a second instrument, let’s face it! A singer or guitarist adds an extra edge when playing the harmonica. Play harmonica and harmonica solo? A bit ‘blade’ as the children would say.
When it comes down to it, the most important thing is that you let your child decide for himself which instrument he would like to learn. If they simply don’t like a particular instrument, they won’t be enthusiastic about it and are therefore unlikely to master it. Learning to play an instrument takes a lot of work and practice. Would you like to be forced to practice something you hated? The same goes for your children.
The instrument that all children should learn, in my honest opinion, is the piano. A piano gives a child a solid foundation in melody, harmony, and rhythm. It is by no means easy. In fact, it is probably the most musically complex instrument, due to the number of keys and the fact that you have to play so many notes at once. A training on the piano is a training in music theory that will last forever and there are many very simple, yet amazingly beautiful piano songs.