Good second instrument?

[solimum]

DS is not a confident child and certainly wouldn't want to stand out so maybe not the bassoon?! I think something he could play in a group would be ideal.

Actually early bassoon parts in wind bands & similar groups don't tend to be very prominent, but do provide a vital bass line beneath all those flutes & clarinets. There are some gorgeous orchestral solos for more advanced players but they are certainly not as prominent as (say) trumpets

Don't rule out strings though - as another poster pointed out they are always in demand as you need so many more violins for an orchestra, and if he does take to it there is no reason why it should sound dreadful!

Can you take him to a local orchestral children's concert where he can hear and see the various instruments in action? Also visit the Associated Board forums http://www.abrsm.org/forum/ for detailed advice on particular instruments. Interestingly they have several tales of people who really wanted to learn instrument X as a child but were persuaded onto instrument Y for various reasons of convenience, only to now be returning to X as adult learners. If he shows interest and commitment to a particular instrument it is certainly worth trying to rent/ borrow for a few months to see how the enthusiasm develops

[katel]

My dd's second instrument is the saxophone. Huge fun, lots of opportunities to play in groups and tons of street cred!

[Marylou]

The flute or piccolo, definitely.

I say this as someone whose kids play trombone, double bass and percussion. They are all heavy and bulky and don't fit easily in the car. I dream of small instruments.
Sigh.

I'll second this!

Regarding drum kits - if you were considering this but are worried about noise. our son uses an electronic kit at home for practising through headphones. It's more compact than an acoustic kit, which is another plus. One drawback is that it's a pain to lug around, but at least our neighbours are still talking to us.

Violin - not such a bad idea, maybe - or at least a stringed instrument of some sort. I somehow got roped into playing the viola at school, and although viola players tend to be the butt of jokes in the orchestra they are often more in demand than violinists simply because there are fewer of them. It's a lower, more mellow sound than the violin. The downside is it's bigger and therefore heavier than a violin, and you have to learn to read music in a funny clef.

Regarding brass, I was told you have to be a certain type of person to play a brass instrument and whatever that is, my eldest DD is it. Took to it like a duck to water. Whereas my feeble attempts at playing her tenor horn always sounded very rude and left my lips feeling numb.

Another thing might be to find out where his own musical interests lie. If he has broad tastes then the guitar - like the piano - lets you play many different genres of music - classical, folk, jazz and rock. Not an orchestral instrument but one with plenty of potential otherwise. Techniques learned on acoustic guitar can be transferred to electric. Just a few more ideas FWIW.

[ourmaminhavana]

Have just woken up after election night and its aftermath and find that there are lots of good ideas here. Thanks everyone.

Yes, we do take DS to concerts Amber, but not usually children's ones as such. Will try to do so. Thanks for the link too.

Will reread the prospectus and find out what groups they run at the school.

Will also check if we can hire an instrument from somewhere. Do I ask County Council or school? would prefer not to bother the school yet, if poss!
Ed. Have now tracked down the LIncolnshire Music Society who hire instruments. Just making sure we don't need to be in one of their ensembles to qualify:)

I love the idea of personality profiling

[Amber]

I don't think I suggested children's concerts - I have never been to one. It was a proper grown up one which hooked DS on brass.

We have a county music organisation

www.gloucestershiremusic.co.uk

through which all things musical can be coordinated, including hire. I am planning to hire a sax myself so I can have lessons. I would be surprised if there is no similar thing where you are - try searching your county name plus 'music' and see what comes up.

To be honest though, I would make haste slowly - if he truly has talent it will out in the end, but 2 instruments means 2 lots of practice and as he moves to secondary school, he will be trying to keep a lot of balls in the air. There is no hurry!

[KB]

He could join school choir to start with - good way of getting to know others who enjoy music & chatting to others might help him decide the best way forward?

[ourmaminhavana]

Thanks. He's now tells me it wasn't the bassoon it was the cornet! He does seem to have thought about it.

[Posey]

Hi Ourmaninhavana, my DS is 11 and plays the sax. Just passed grade 5 with merit! She's played it since year 3 and went from grade 1 2008 to grade 5 in February this year (she missed all the in between grades out). She genuinely loves her sax and she also transposes the music from that to the piano (although no grade yet). She hasn't found it hard to learn but said that sometimes when she first started, her fingers couldn't "fly" round the keys. Apart from that she's never had a problem with it. Worth mentioning that there was one other girl in yr 6 who played sax when my DS started - there are now 8 of them in Juniors and 5 of them are in my DS's year. I reckon its a pretty cool instrument if that's anything to go by.

You should be able to hire an instrument via one of your local music shops (I believe that if your DC attends a state school the VAT is deducted from the cost of the instrument) or the county council (where we are) have a scheme whereby they loan the instruments to the children. We just bought a new saxophone for my DS (don't ask) and we did it with the help of an Arts Council grant which is available at most music shops. You pay a minimum of 10% deposit and then the rest is collected over 9 monthly instalments. They do a quick credit check on you in the shop and you walk out with your new instrument. Absolutely interest free - fab really.

Sorry, did I ramble a bit? Lol.

[Marylou]

We've heard of the Arts Council grant scheme too - we're thinking of using it for DD2, either for the electric violin she's set her heart on when she passes grade 5, or a banjo!

[ourmaminhavana]

Thanks yes, I'd love him to play the sax, but he doesn't seem too keen and that's the main thing. You're not rambling at all!
Yes, I found a county council body whom I've contacted re instrument hire, perhaps this wasn't clear from my last post.

Ed posts crossed, this was for Posey.