youngest age to start learning
markfromsf
year old twins. My youngest student prior to that was 8. He's
progressing nicely. I told the parents that 5 years old is probably
too young but they wanted to pay if I was willing to be patient.
These lessons are like no other, as their attention span bounces
violently from playing on the mouthpiece to eating noodles to
demonstrations of gymnastics. Believe it or not, after I split them
up and had them taking turns in 15 minute intervals, I had one of
these kids actually playing a nice whole note C, resting for 4 beats
and repeating a few times. Are their any trumpet playing parents of 5
year olds who can give me some advice about this situation? Is time
and money being wasted here? The other problem I see is that both are
going to be losing teeth soon which will negate everything I've
managed to teach them. Any comments will be seriously considered.
Martinis after the lessons help.
Mike Dennett
was about the minimum age for tpt teaching. That I would guess depends on
whether they are going to pursue the instrument or are just doing it for the
short term. I wonder if this also relates to how firmly their teeth are
anchored and whether the pressure of the mouthpiece could cause
developmental problems, similar to warnings against young kids weight
training as they are not physically ready for it.
Mike D.
"markfromsf" <markf...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:284f6ebd.04042...@posting.google.com...
Spencer Hager
My son is 5 and he has been messing around with me for awhile on the trumpet
and the mp playing seems to be the best as far as attention span and success
to date.
In my case, my son asked me to teach him and he is trying to focus and is
fairy motivated. At 5 that ain't easy. To be fair though, I must say that he
talks about the drums an awful lot and is constantly beating on the walls
and furniture. :-) We work on the siren and race car engine sounds on the
mp and he thinks it fun. Yeah, he likes to make fart sounds too. Oh boy!
He is playing my old med bore Reynolds trumpet and he is able to hold it ok,
but, for some odd reason plays well from low C to Pedal C. He very seldom
breaks up to middle G and only once did he even squeel out a note. My boy
simply understand rolling in or tightening of the lips. He has trouble
blowing his nose too and it may be a coordination thing. I've tried the
mmmmm and kiss settings and have tried the lip buzz and other things but for
now I'm happy he wants to be there buzzing the mp and playing the horn and I
just always make a big todoo out of anything he produces. The low C is
pretty loud now and then for such a little guy and his eyes light up and
that is really cool.
Lastly, he seems to enjoy getting his low C going and having me play over
him and since it is in C, I seem to diddle just fine and he tells his mother
how we played Blue's Clue's and Sesame Street or whatever and he comes back
for more. Right now, he is watching the Star Wars video series and we are
working on that tune.
Hope some idea's may come from this rambling,
Spencer
"markfromsf" <markf...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:284f6ebd.04042...@posting.google.com...
Spencer Hager
too large and I think he is playing like the trumpet is a trombone because
of the lg mp size. I'm thinking if he keeps wanting to play much longer I am
going to get him a really small mp dia. with a med cup to see if it will
help him buzz instead of flap his lips.
Spencer
"Spencer Hager" <zon...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c6931r$9cc1s$1...@ID-209855.news.uni-berlin.de...
William Graham
I had a similar experience trying to teach my 6 year old grandson....I don't
think that his changes in embouchure will have anything to do with the
learning process....Just developing their musical ear at that age is what's
important. I got my grandson to play the five notes from C to G inclusive. I
was working on getting him to play a simple melody using them, but we live a
state apart, and my wife and I had to leave. I had a cornet, so he could
reach the valves while his lips were still on the mouthpiece. I don't think
any age is too young, if you've got the patience for it.....IOW, YOUR age is
more important than their age......Keep up the good work......
Simon Richards
I'm no teacher, but I've always considered around 8 years old to be about
the minimum age to start (although there will always be exceptions to any
"rule"). I think that before this you are going to get problems with loss
of teeth and physical size (possibly mitigated by starting on cornet rather
than trumpet).
--
Dr. Simon Richards
http://freespace.virgin.net/sd.richards
P.H. Stuken
Doc
> I was recently contacted regarding teaching trumpet to a couple of 5
> year old twins.
I'm sure a lot of it depends on the kid in question. There's a
classical player named Carole Reinhart whose parents lived in my home
town and I became acquainted with her and her parents and took lessons
from her mother for a while when I was in high school. I would visit
with Mrs. Reinhart whenever I went down there until she passed away
recently. Some of Carole's family members played and she apparently
started picking up a bugle at about age 3 and blowing on it. She just
had a natural affinity for the horn for some reason, possibly
motivated by the typical "I want to do it too" manner of little kids.
I don't know how much substantive learning took place at that age and
certainly she didn't have the same embouchure at 3 that she had as an
adult but no doubt that early contact with a horn set some
neuromuscular gears in motion.
I've always heard that Doc started at about age 7.
Dave Lee
their own beater horn to blow. They do get a sound, with my little guy barely
able to hold up the cornet.
Now, my aim is to start my 5 year old on piano to learn music, and to keep her
interest in the horn in the meantime. Same for my son at 5 years old. This way
at the age when I think it is appropriate, I will offer the horn playing a
little more seriously.
Just my plan.
manitou910
around age eight.
He said this gave him an advantage from the start because most of the
kids doing music at school didn't start until around Grade Six.
If anyone's still interested, there's a long and extremely informative
interview with him at http://www.backstagestories.com
C.
Mike Stewart
very advanced mentally for his age. If he wasn't so VERY small I'm
sure he'd start to really develop some physical skills. He just
doesn't have much air to work with. As it is, he's still a lot better
at reading, counting and technique than a lot of 10-12 year olds I've
had who had the same amount of experience.
Mike Stewart
Spencer Hager
That's funny because my son picked up some of the notation and counting from
some Blue's Clue's video. He was pointing it out in my music books when we
were playing around on the horns. Sure enough, I checked it out and Ray
Charles is a character named Clef and is explaining rythm and notation
basics. Ray Charles is singing and jamming along with a piano and hime and
the cast make up a new song as they say.
Be Bop Bayyyyyyyyyy
Zoo Be Da Dayyyyyyy
:-)
Spencer
"Mike Stewart" <lamb9...@wideopenwest.com> wrote in message
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William Graham
"Dave Lee" <dave...@aol.comspamnot> wrote in message
news:20040423083205...@mb-m17.aol.com...
Sounds like a good plan to me.....I firmly believe that it's never too soon.
And, at that age (5) the instrument is immaterial. All you want to do is
develop their musical ear, and the knowledge that music exists, and is
important, and is fun. And, show them that the more they do it, the better
they will get at it, and the more fun it will be........
BT
"William Graham" <we...@comcast.net> wrote:
I remember lots of 5 and 6 year-old bugle players, back when that was
popular. Kids that young learn well in groups. The bugle lines were
social activities, primarily.
On the other hand, my 6 y/o doesn't show any interest in making
sustained music, and I don't try to push him.
--
www.bill-turner-music.com
fresh instrumental music
William Graham
"BT" <re...@my.website.yah?.com> wrote in message
news:reply-43BA40....@orngca-news04.socal.rr.com...
water.....and, if you let him swim for a few minutes every day, he will
never forget how, and be a swimmer all his life....I think that the same
thing must be true of music.....only five minutes a day would be
enough.....just as long as it's every day, without exception.......
Carl Dershem
news:64nic.15195$_L6.1183313@attbi_s53:
> They say you can get a newborn baby to swim just by putting him in the
> water.....and, if you let him swim for a few minutes every day, he
> will never forget how, and be a swimmer all his life....I think that
> the same thing must be true of music.....only five minutes a day would
> be enough.....just as long as it's every day, without exception.......
Yesm but fitting a baby into a trumpet can be very difficult.
;)
cd
--
The difference between immorality and immortality is "T". I like Earl
Grey.