Musical Instrument Advice

Post Reply New Topic

My son is math inclined and has an affinity for music theory. His fine motor skills are horrible, and he has sensory issues with high-pitched loud sounds, has low frustration tolerance and is very pain averse. We want there to be a high likelihood of success b/c we could use some success right now.

We would like to buy an (inexpensive-preferably) musical instrument. It is not as simple as asking him what he likes first because he answers, "I don't know," to almost all open-ended questions. I would rather narrow things down for him and give him a choice.

So far this is what we came up with:

Recorder-Cheap- but the sound might be too annoying for him.
Drums -I think you can adjust the sound level for electronic ones, but there would not be "note" practice and he is hyperlexic and likes the letters.
Guitar-We have guitars in the home already, but I think the motor skill aspect would make him frustrated, and the callus development part would probably make him cry and or give up.
Keyboard-We would probably need to buy him a small one.

So far based on this list we think maybe an electronic keyboard or electronic drum pad, but I was wondering if anyone else had suggestions/experience.

I forgot to add, he is 7 going on 4.

Yeah, I would recommend the keyboard if pain and sound is the factor. The bestcpart of a keyboard is that timbres vary, so he can choose any sound he wants. That is what I gravitated to. Pianos, keyboards and anything similar.

In general lower sound instruments are bigger, so more expensive.

You can get a plastic tenor recorder. Not as cheap as the normal one, but quite cheap anyway. And the sound it's not that higher. Though you had the check the hands are big enough.

http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Recorder-HY ... r+recorder

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgNqVCYXdTU[/youtube]

That's a bit difficult because all instruments that I know require fine motor skills and high frustration tolerance.

Anything piano-related is probably excluded, as it requires multiple notes to be played at the same time. High instruments such as the violin and the soprano recorder might not be a good idea, either.

Some woodwinds might work, though, such as the clarinet or the saxophone. Brass instruments require a lot of control over the mouth, so I'm not sure.

Can he get the chance to just try some different sorts of instruments? Concerning the costs, instruments can often be rented.

Thank you for the input.

A lower register recorder might be an option. I will have to price it out. I can have him listen to You-Tube videos like that one and can take him into the nearest city to Guitar Center and/or the regional band instrument chain, if need be. I think anything in the band category would be too expensive than we are looking to do. I think their rental plans are rent-to-own and I don't think we want to start with anything so ambitious.

I would rather buy something cheap and easy and then upgrade later, if he desires to. He would not be taking formal lessons as his temperament is not conducive to that. My husband would be teaching him in kind of an unschooling kind of way. So we want something, ideally that lends itself to exploration and being able to play something (very) simple relatively quickly.

As far as keyboarding goes, I think there is a simpler method than the classical method called "Piano in a Flash" that my husband might be able to modify for him, so it isn't as hard as classical piano. I am not the one that is music inclined so I don't know that much about it. I am tone deaf and have really bad motor skills, myself.

I am Ok with him learning it "the wrong way" and spiraling back to the "right way" later. Even if he develops a rigidity about it, and never learns the classical way, I am OK with it b/c it isn't like we want him to be a concert pianist or anything. I just want him to be able to apply the theory at least a little bit, gain some confidence, and have fun.

Edited to say my husband just told me the Piano in a Flash way does not involve music reading very much, so he will figure you out a different way to simplify the keyboard if that is what he picks. (I told you I had no idea )

Try the clarinet (low smooth timbre) or the cello. There are always fine motor problems but working with an instrument can help. With the clarinet your hands really stay in place and you just switch which fingers go down. The cello is different because it is a string instrument. I would email your local orchestra and see if any of the members would be willing to let your son get close enough to decide and let them explain their instrument to you and what is required of it.

Furrrgetz playing and practicing! Boring and frustrating if fine motor skills not good.

Instead, compose! Much moar moar moar fun.

My problem was not so much fine motor skills overall, but specific aspect of coordinating my two hands to play any musical instrument requiring two hands to do things at the same time, which most of them do. But I found piano easier than violin or guitar. The blowing instruments were also easier. But my musical outlet was in singing (no hands!) and composing (no hands!).

DS did really well with the recorder when the school offered it - moved up to a more complex woodwind instrument and instantly became frustrated that it was more difficult than blow-and-the-note-comes-out. We've given up on music for now, but I was glad he at least had the opportunity.

Put it this way: you can buy a cheap recorder, try it out, and it will be cheap enough to throw away if it doesn't work out. IMO, worth a shot.

We introduced many music "toys" inexpensive recorder, keyboard, drums, ukulele, harmonica, guitar, kazoo, xylophone, which we played with as exploring sounds and beats when our children were young like yours. My nt daughter began guitar lessons at 8, switched to keyboard for a while around 10 and found her instrument, the clarinet when she joined band at 11. My son with AS wasn't ready for lessons until 10. He did great with the piano for over a year with a fun and very patient, non traditional instructor. Unfortunately, he stopped teaching, and we haven't found a new instructor yet. If you can find a music therapist, it would also give your son a chance to engage the musical mathematical part of his brain without purchasing all the instruments yourself. Also, in California, my uncle had his kids in a great program that taught music in the same way kids play with toys, with the kids not choosing an actual instrument until they were 11 or so. All of his children, now grown, still love music and play instruments for fun. I think that instruments and music can become an integral part of our children's life with patience, allowing for slowere fine motor development, and an individualized approach.

Thank you for more great advice. We have a ton of instruments, so I can see what my son does this summer. I can pick up a cheap recorder, and see what he thinks of the sound, also. I was afraid the sound would freak him out too much, but I don't think testing it will traumatize him. If he is afraid of trying it, I can just put it away for now.

btbnnyr, we do have composing software, so he could probably compose without playing if he gets the theory well, enough. That is a great idea, and I will ask my husband if he can help him with that as well.

We purchased our NT son a keyboard from Costco Canada and they are relatively inexpensive keyboard with weighted keys. I like the keyboard as it does not take very much room. I think if we were to sell it would be easy as well as it is a beginner piano and there are always people starting piano lessons. And our 5 year old autistic daughter has been trying it but her fine motor skills do hold her back. She can kind of play hot cross buns but that is it. My NT son took the Music for Young Children program and I have been using the books on my autistic daughter as they have a nice slow progression.

Some Keyboards often have different types of sounds you can make instead of just a keyboard sound or piano sound
so maybe a keyboard with lots of effects on it could help.

A bass guitar is more expensive that a lot of what you list, but its low sounds and large pegs for tuning might suit him. They are often available used for a lower cost at music shops or on craigslist, and you can always hold off on the amp until you see how it works out for him. Also, they can be used to play rhythm or melody as opposed to only rhythm (like drums), which might suit him better if he continues his interest in theory.

Another option is to buy a Midi keyboard interface (though perhaps 7 years old is a bit younger of it). There's someones with 'half-heavy' keys (I'm sorry, I don't know the english word for it, but I think it's clear what I mean). You can connect it to the laptop by USB and there you can play any sound you want, and transpose it to a lower register without problems. And besides, he can use the Midi keyboard input with harmony teaching software or ear training software.

We have lots if insruments, and make them available for "noodling". Just playing around. My son likes to look up you tube videos of how to play favorite songs, and learn them. He doesn't like lessons and practicing.

He liked the drums (so we bought a traditional and electric kit), however I find that it requires more practice than he's willing to put forth - same as any wind or brass. He has been most successful with guitar and piano, and can make something sound like music fairly quickly.

He did recently trade me his Xbox for a midi, and is having lots of fun with it.