my son's alternative Xmas list :/

[Wriggley]

Okay so I am very pleased that my son is interested in music. I play piano and guitar and I got my son a proper drum kit when he was two.....

But he has told me for Christmas he wants a violin, trombone and a banjo :/

I can't play any of them properly I can get a few scales on the violin but that's it

Not really sure how to deal with these requests he's very good he's only asked for 3 things for his birthday and has stuck to the same 3 items for a few months now.

Now these are his requests for Xmas and I'm a bit baffled lol

He goes to a music class where he has the chance to play with real instruments so toy ones won't cut it but they are all quite expensive and not really suitable for his age.... One problem that is straight away an issue is the fact he does not have a definite preferred hand

Any bright ideas?

 

[happilyhappy]

I love his list but see your dilemma. Do you think he might accept a ukulele instead of a banjo as they are small enough little people?

 

[FAB mama]

I'm mostly music clueless. I only learned piano, but my DH took violin lessons as a child…probably not that young though. :/ Talk to someone in a music/instrument store maybe? Or the teacher of his class?

If it was me I'd probably consider one instrument if it could fit him, since like you said they are expensive.

 

[Bambi1985]

I was going to suggest a ukelele as well, small and fairly cheap but still a "real" instrument.

 

[emyandpotato]

Oh wow, I see your issue! How about getting him a ukelele as others have said and put a little note in an envelope on the tree saying that Father Christmas thinks he's a little bit small for a violin this year but if he still wants one by next year then he'll bring one, and he'll ask mummy and daddy if he can have lessons. I started violin at 6, so 5 might be a good age if he's really interested!

 

[motherofboys]

I would maybe go with one of them, or an alternative, similar instrument.

 

[Wriggley]

Yeah a Ukelele is a good idea... im going to wait it out a bit to see if he continues to ask for them. The trombone he has been mentioning for a little while because this is what his been learning about at his music class.

The Violin and the Banjo is quite new and its been because we have been at a Folk festival recently (still on going) and hes watched LOTS of different bands and seen a wide variety of instruments including the banjo and the Violin so he may stop asking for these (i kinda hope lol)

 

[JessdueJan]

My first thought was a ukulele too
I love his list!
DS1 had a ukulele, he got it from his uncle last Christmas and he loves it. He can't actually play anything proper yet but he loves strumming it while singing along xx

 

[Kiddo]

I play in a brass band and I'm not sure I would recommend trombone for a 3 or 4 year old. It's a great instrument but his arms will probably be too short to reach all the slide positions and I've heard it's not good for their teeth to play brass too much at that age. My 5 year old loves playing cornet but the number of different notes he can get out it is pretty limited.

Plus, trombones are very easily dented.

If it were me I would probably try to steer him in a different direction at this age.

ETA: I mean towards a different instrument, not away from music!

 

[Wriggley]

I play in a brass band and I'm not sure I would recommend trombone for a 3 or 4 year old. It's a great instrument but his arms will probably be too short to reach all the slide positions and I've heard it's not good for their teeth to play brass too much at that age. My 5 year old loves playing cornet but the number of different notes he can get out it is pretty limited.

Plus, trombones are very easily dented.

If it were me I would probably try to steer him in a different direction at this age.

ETA: I mean towards a different instrument, not away from music!

Thanks - yeah he can't even hold a trombone up by himself lol he's only a small lad lol! He has to have it held up for him.

He's had a handful of goes on the cornet and the trumpet but like you said getting notes out of them are quite hard for a 3 year old.

Think I'm going to introduce him to the ukulele and see if I can get him interested in this and hold off to see what he says nearer xmas

 

[tulip girl]

This ukulele just popped up on hotukdeals. I know nothing about them, so don't know if it's a good deal or not! But I remembered you were thinking about them x

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380975268020?clk_rvr_id=681574112423

 

[Wriggley]

anyone had any experience with phone instruments? they do a trombone but its not exactly cheap but its 800g and no brass so suitable for little musicians - tempted for my LO but quite pricy

 

[shambaby]

Does he have a harmonica? I know it's not the same, but it is a small 'proper' instrument, more managable at his age. Hayden has a plastic one he loves to play, and has had a go with a proper metal one, and can get some decent sounds out of it. We also have a kazoo they both love.

I would just like to add that we are not in any way a musical family, so they may be really silly suggestions!

 

[Wriggley]

Does he have a harmonica? I know it's not the same, but it is a small 'proper' instrument, more managable at his age. Hayden has a plastic one he loves to play, and has had a go with a proper metal one, and can get some decent sounds out of it. We also have a kazoo they both love.

I would just like to add that we are not in any way a musical family, so they may be really silly suggestions!

Not silly at all thank you for your input

We do have a couple of harmonicas already. We have:

Piano
Electric guitar
Drum kit
accordion
glockenspiel
harmonica
tambourines
triangle
maracas
recorder
cymbals

As well as lots of of other small percussion instruments

 

[Kiddo]

I've seen the pbone trombones online but not in real life. The main thing that would put me off is that your LO's arms may still be too short to reach all the positions. I believe they do a mini version but that is pitched in Eb rather than the usual Bb. Not an issue if it's just for messing about on but he could find pitching difficult if he moves on to a brass trombone in the future. Although in saying that I know many people who have moved from Bb instruments onto Eb and just needed a little practise to adjust to the different pitch.

As I say, I've never seen one in real life and am by no means an expert on trombone so don't take my opinion as gospel.

 

[Wriggley]

I've seen the pbone trombones online but not in real life. The main thing that would put me off is that your LO's arms may still be too short to reach all the positions. I believe they do a mini version but that is pitched in Eb rather than the usual Bb. Not an issue if it's just for messing about on but he could find pitching difficult if he moves on to a brass trombone in the future. Although in saying that I know many people who have moved from Bb instruments onto Eb and just needed a little practise to adjust to the different pitch.

As I say, I've never seen one in real life and am by no means an expert on trombone so don't take my opinion as gospel.

yeah i saw them and was put off by the Eb plus they only a tenner cheaper - i watched a couple of youtube videos about them they do look quite good. I know at 4 years old he's not going to notice the difference in sound but I will but i guess thats irrelivant

I will have a chat with his music teacher and see what he thinks - see if he's heard of them etc... but you are right his arms are probably not going to be long enough for a while yet :/