Piano v Guitar lessons

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Parenting our children -> School age children

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother

Mistyrose

Wed, Sep 26 2018, 12:37 am

DD8 wants to learn to play an instrument but doesn't know which one. These are the main two we're considering. Any thoughts? We do have access to a piano for practice so the cost of an instrument isn't an issue.

daagahminayin

Wed, Sep 26 2018, 12:46 am

I would go with piano because she can take the music theory she learns from it and apply it to other instruments in the future more so than guitar.

amother

Violet

Wed, Sep 26 2018, 1:43 am

Agree that piano is the best gateway instrument, providing the broadest musical knowledge which can be applied to other instruments.

OTOH guitar is a more "social" instrument, as well as more portable, so if she either enjoys music with friends or feels she might need it for social enhancements, guitar is better.

newbie

Sat, Oct 20 2018, 2:49 pm

I would also say piano but only if she has a good teacher who teaches her music theory as well. Then she will benefit from that knowledge with every other instrument she might want to learn. A guitar is portable as mentioned so that’s a bonus. I’ve learned both as a child and benefited from both but my musical knowledge I got from the piano (reading notes, music theory etc).

singleagain

Sat, Oct 20 2018, 9:08 pm

Why not let her try each one for a certain set time before deciding. She might find she enjoys one over the other

Amarante

Sat, Oct 20 2018, 9:46 pm

Since she doesn't have a strong passion to learn the guitar, the best way to start is on the piano. With the piano it is much easier to learn basic music theory including how to read music.

I do think piano technique provides the basics for branching out to other instruments.

It is important to get a good piano teacher. I took piano lessons from about first grade and my mother located a woman in Brooklyn who was a graduate of the Julliard School who taught in Brooklyn.

When I was a teenager I decided I wanted to learn guitar and although I had to learn the physical aspects of guitar, I understood the theory - I.e. chords; keys. Also while guitar technique is not the same as piano technique all those years of scales; playing to a metronome; having hands doing different things made it easier for me to master the guitar so I could enjoy it.

amother

Mistyrose

Sat, Oct 20 2018, 10:48 pm

[quote="singleagain"]Why not let her try each one for a certain set time before deciding. She might find she enjoys one over the other[/quote
Basically because the local place I can afford makes you commit to a full semester (half year) at a time.

So you have all really sold me on the piano preference, but I think we'll end up with guitar because they offer group guitar lessons and only individual piano classes, and money is an object. If she seems to be catching on to music, we can always think about piano next year.

Page 1 of 1