Helping your child choose an instrument can be one of the most important decisions of their life. If they have the talent and desire, music could stay with them for a lifetime. If you and your kiddo don’t know where to start, consider their body type. Though this may change after puberty, choosing an instrument that fits their body is important for now. Another thing to keep in mind is cost; music lessons and instruments are not usually cheap, so finding the right “fit” becomes even more important.
Tall
Taller kids will be able to master larger instruments at a younger age than their smaller classmates. Instruments like the bassoon, the cello, viola, trombone, or tuba are great choices.
Small Lips
If your child has lips that are on the small side, consider the trumpet, French horn, or flute. The mouthpieces for these instruments are on the smaller side, so a small mouth is required to get the perfect sound.
Large Lips
On the other hand, if you child has larger lips, you could suggest the tuba. They will be perfectly suited for creating the intended sounds on a tubas mouthpiece.
Large Hands
Children with long fingers and large hands would make great piano or bassoon players. The fingering configurations for both of these instruments require large reaches, so kids with small hands might struggle, whereas kids with large hands should excel.
Long Arms
If you have a long-limbed kiddo, suggest they try the cello, bass, or bassoon. These large instruments require longer arms to reach around them, so a child with that feature would feel most comfortable playing them.
Strong Lungs
Kids who are really physically fit, especially swimmers, would excel at the flute or tuba. These instruments require the most amount of air to play, so kids with strong lungs or large lung capacities could play them without feeling uncomfortable.
Good Hand-Eye Coordination
If your child has strong hand-eye coordination, they would be great at playing the flute, trumpet, guitar or oboe. These instruments require intricate, fast fingering techniques that can get complicated for more awkward kids. Kids who are into sports or video games often are good at these instruments because they hone their coordination skills more often.
As you can see from this list, many of the instruments that work for specific body types are strings and brass. Most percussion and woodwind instruments are versatile and work for people of all shapes and sizes. If your child can’t choose, suggest something like a saxophone, clarinet, or drums to start.
These are just points to consider if you are overwhelmed by instrument options. Ultimately, allow your child to explore and experiment with any instrument that interests them. Even if it doesn’t work out, they tried! Many musicians also play more than one instrument, so trying different ones is a great place to start.
Bio –
This guest post contribution is courtesy of Your Music Lessons, which helps teachers and students connect for lessons all over the US. From piano lessons to bass lessons to saxophone lessons to flute lessons, we will help you find the instruction you need.
