Choosing a first instrument

Most families arrive having already half-decided, usually on the piano, and usually for reasons they have not examined. Here is what actually matters.

Why the piano is the common answer

It is the common answer because it is often the right one, for a reason that has nothing to do with the piano's popularity.

Every note is laid out in front of the child, in order, visible. Nothing must be found by ear before it can be played, and nothing must be held in tune. A five-year-old can press a key and hear the right note.

That means the child's attention goes to the music - to rhythm, reading, phrasing, listening - rather than to the physical struggle of producing an acceptable sound. Everything learned there transfers to any instrument taken up later.

It is also the instrument of harmony. A pianist sees the whole texture at once, which makes theory tangible rather than abstract.

The violin, honestly

The violin can be started very young, and small instruments exist for tiny children. It is a beautiful, demanding choice.

Be clear about what it asks. Every note must be found by the fingers with nothing marking the place, and the sound is produced by the bow arm, which takes time to become anything but scratchy. A child needs patience, and so does the household.

Violin also asks more of a parent in the early years than the piano does - more supervision at home, more attention to a posture the child cannot see.

For a child who wants it, none of this is a reason not to. For a child who is merely agreeable to it, the piano is kinder.

The others

Cello suits a child who loves the sound and has the size for it - the instrument is physically substantial and must fit.

Flute and other wind instruments generally wait until a child has the lung capacity and the adult front teeth. Eight or nine is usually early enough.

Guitar is popular and accessible, and small hands manage it well. It is a genuinely good first instrument for a child drawn to it.

Voice can be taught young with care. A child's voice is a growing instrument, and a teacher who does not know how to work with it can do real harm; that is a reason to be careful about the teacher, not to avoid singing.

What matters more than any of this

The child's own wish. A child who wants the violin and is given the piano because the piano is sensible will practise like someone doing homework.

Enthusiasm is not a small factor to be weighed against the others. It is the factor that determines whether any of this lasts past the second year.

What we would suggest

Let the child hear the instruments played properly, not on a screen. Reactions to a live cello are usually more honest than opinions expressed at the kitchen table.

Do not over-plan. A first instrument is not a life sentence; many musicians switch, and the musicianship comes with them when they do.

And come and talk to us. Which instrument suits a particular child - their hands, their ear, their patience, their age - is exactly what the Complimentary Music Assessment is for. A teacher listening to your child for fifteen minutes will tell you more than any article can.