Wouldn’t it be great to come out of this extended stay at home with a lifetime skill? Introduce a new musical instrument to your child and watch them develop talents they can use forever.
Right now, we’re all looking to keep our kids – or ourselves – busy and entertained. By now, most of them are sick of the extra screen time! So we’ve turned to learning a musical instrument as entertainment and also a tool for learning, not just to make music, but also the importance of persistence and practice. While some instruments require in-person lessons (don’t attempt the violin, ok?), there are a few that can definitely be studied at home with some online input or even books. Here are some we can recommend:
Guitar:
Pros – Easy to learn the basics. You can have a nightly kumzitz!
Cons – Hard to master. Hard to play lead.
Lessons available: Great free series on Udemy and many more available for purchase like this bestselling series. Another solid beginner option is available here at Skillshare. You can sign up for a free trial to try it out. Yousician is another site that works well for guitar and other instruments.
Purchase Recommendation: Classical, also called Spanish (nylon string) guitars are easier for beginners to use than acoustic guitars (steel string), though they are played the same way. There are also size considerations based on height. If you have a lefty, you will need to make sure the guitar is strung appropriately, and some guitars are left- or right-handed specific so make sure to purchase the right model.
Full size (teens and adults): Amazon Basics guitar package
¾ size (8-12): Donner ¾ size Acoustic Guitar Package
½ size (5-8): Ibanez ½ size Acoustic Guitar
Ukulele:
Pros – Small and very portable. Easier to play than guitar.
Cons – Sound is not as rich as a guitar
Lessons Available: Check out the options on Skillshare (start a free trial to sample different courses).
Purchase Recommendation: Ukulele starter pack
Drums:
Pros – Cool factor. Great physical outlet.
Cons – The noise. Bulky and hard to transport. (Consider electronic drums – make sure to pay attention to recommended accessories.)
Lessons available: www.drumlessons.com is free and great for beginners. When you’re ready for the next level, an annual subscription to Drumeo has everything you need. There’s an app available that eliminates the need for browser access on a child controlled device.
Purchase recommendation: Ludwig Accent Series Drive Drum Set. Don’t forget drumsticks and noise blocking headphones.
Keyboard:
Pros – Plug in headphones and nobody else has to hear it. It can become a money-maker, even in the teenage years.
Cons – Quality equipment is expensive, though entry-level is very affordable.
Lessons Available: Udemy has lots of choices, though we can’t vouch for any specific ones.
Purchase recommendation: Yamaha Keyboard Package
Recorder:
Pros – Very cheap. Easy musical instrument to learn.
Cons – Limited range
Lessons available: YouTube channel by Mr. Erdogan is family-friendly with a very and simple teaching technique. The Team Recorder channel has more advanced tips from Sarah Jeffery.
Purchase recommendation: Soprano Recorder
If you’re looking for Jewish sheet music, we reached out to Note With Grace and asked if they’d be willing to share a coupon code and they said yes! They have an extensive selection of popular chareidi music, and if they don’t have the one you’re looking for, you can request that they write it up. Use code BCPNOTE for $5 off your first purchase – that will cover the price of some songs! They also have the full line of Play It Simple Songbooks.
Don’t know how to read music yet? Check out this lesson available on Skillshare.
Have you or your children had success with any online lessons? Please share in the comments below!
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