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 As a parent, I am certain that that you will be dumbfounded by the sheer number of musical toys on the market. Most of us like the notion of introducing our kids to music, but which instruments should we buy? Does my 3-year-old child really need a $300 guitar? As a professional musician and dad of a toddler who is currently dealing with this matter, I am going to attempt to greatly simplify the procedure for you personally in ways that could save you money without compromising your child's musical explorations. My emphasis will undoubtedly be on presenting cool (wood, handmade, Fair Trade, Eco-Friendly) alternatives to the cheesy plastic instruments sold for the most part toy stores. I like the notion of finding instruments with stamina -- ones which have the potential to be played for a lifetime assuming which they survive the toddler years - or at least could be saved as keepsakes. That toy drum adorned with popular cartoon characters is not going have much use after age 5, and is destined for a landfill Virginia.

First thing I am going to accomplish is separate musical toys from musical instruments. For clarity, I am defining a guitar as any device that has an immediate correlation between a child's action and pitch. Like, hitting a drum, plucking a sequence, striking an integral, or blowing air through everything create a tone or pitch being produced. I will go one step further and say that there has to be some method to play a genuine melody (note for note) on the toy in ways that resembles a genuine guitar (excluding drums and percussion instruments like shakers). This really is difficult to include words, but it can be specific as you read on.

Working out of this definition, most Musical Tables, and Toy Guitars with no strings and a lot of flashy buttons do not qualify as musical instruments. I am not saying these toys are bad or useless (purists will vehemently disagree) - simply that they're not musical instruments. We have an activity table that I thought I'd hate, but as I observed my son discovering more things on it and "commanding it", I begun to see some value. At 2, he will make it play the 'Counting to Ten Song' and the 'Alphabet Song' as he sang along. Nevertheless, we try to help keep the flashy battery operated toys to a minimum.

I would mention that a number of the alternative instruments are handmade and imported. A several retailers screen these products to ensure that they are not manufactured with toxic materials. If you have questions or concerns about a particular instrument, please contact the store directly before buying.

I would also mention that article is just meant to be small guide to have you started in your search. Obviously, there's no method to cover every guitar on the market, but hopefully my research could save you lots of time and can help you make sound buying decisions (pun intended).

Avoiding Frustration may be the Key

For children under the age of 5, music should really be about play and the joy of discovery. You don't want to frustrate your son or daughter by introducing a musical instrument beyond their capabilities. Naturally, every child will probably vary with regards to developmental abilities, and you will need to discern whether a particular instrument is too advanced. In this instance, you can just put the instrument away and try again in six months or perhaps a year.

Percussion Instruments for Kids

The most obvious place to start is by using percussion instruments (shakers, drums, tambourines, etc...) being that they are the most primal and the most effective at providing instant gratification. However, most parents are unacquainted with the alternatives to the kiddie plastic stuff located on the toy isles. Remo Percussion features a cool line called "Remo Kids Percussion", and Meinl Percussion has a youngster line called "Nino Percussion" that has the best instruments in my opinion. The Nino product line definitely has stamina as instruments and keepsakes. Jamtown is a superb source for more eclectic Fair Trade instruments with a good type of handmade shakers and drums that are definitely keepsake worthy.

Plan Toys is definitely an environmentally conscious company that makes its toys from recycled rubber wood and colored eco-friendly dyes. They get big points for this. However, most of these instruments will not have much use beyond the toddler years. Their toy instruments tend to be more for the ages 1 - 3, and the best one may be the Solid Wood Drum. It may produce three different tones and is a superb exemplory instance of an early on instrument that can be played for a while. It can be a wonderful keepsake.

With respect to the child, drum sets often require motor skills beyond a toddler's capabilities to be played properly. However, if your son or daughter is interested in a drum set by all means do it - particularly when a family member already plays the drums and can instruct your son or daughter on the basics.

And let's not forget that empty boxes and pots and pans make great drums as well!

Also in the realm of percussion are pitched percussion instruments such as toy pianos, xylophones, and glockenspiels. These make great instruments for toddlers while there is an immediate correlation between action and pitch, and they only require the motor skills of touching or striking. The thing to look out for of this type is that there are many on the market that aren't tuned (the notes do not correlate to a scale) -- making them noise makers instead of instruments. The best way to analyze this really is to learn the comments from online retail sites. The feedback from parents of this type is invaluable, and the price difference between tuned and un-tuned is negligible.

Finally, the best percussion instrument for children may be the Kalimba. The Kalimba is definitely an African instrument that is played by plucking the tines or keys with the thumbs. It is also called a Thumb Piano or Mbira. You will find loads of import versions of Kalimbas online, but most of them do not claim to be child friendly and consistency/quality seems to become a big issue. I list a couple of good sources on my site. The Kalimba is another great exemplory instance of a musical instrument with staying power. You'll be able to play it for a lifetime.

Wind Instruments for Children

Purchasing a wind instrument for children under age 5 is really a little tricky because you wish to be sure they have the lung capacity and are old enough to know the concept. Unlike simply striking a percussive instrument and producing a tone, wind instruments require your son or daughter to blow and finger at exactly the same time. As a result, most wind instruments are recommended for children over age 3. Here again, I believe you can introduce it sooner particularly when a family member happens to play a wind instrument.

Unfortunately, you will find few alternatives to the cheesy plastic versions of trumpets, saxophones, and clarinets simply because the legitimate versions are beyond the abilities of all kids under 5. In addition, the actual versions could create problems with your child's developing mouth and facial structure.

Hip alternatives include the Suling flute and Ocarinas sold by Jamtown. They're recommended for children over age 3. I bought both of them for my 2 1/2 year old son, and they certainly were definitely too advanced for him. I'll try again when he turns 3.

Harmonicas may also be popular wind instruments for children, and they are tuned to a particular scale so there are no "wrong notes" ;.Hohner has been making Harmonicas for 150 years and is a good place to start.

String Instruments for Kids

String instruments are now quite challenging for children under age 5 so you wish to be cautious to not introduce them too early. Guitars and violins require a toddler to accomplish two actions simultaneously to generate a melody: fret the string with one hand while strumming, plucking, or bowing the string with the other. In addition they need a fair number of finger strength. Finally, even when your son or daughter can manage the first two actions, producing a musically pleasing tone is not easy.

For this reason, guitars and violins are not instruments that many children under 4 can progress on their own. They really require some kind of formal instruction, either privately or in a group Virginia.