The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #134822   Message #3071540
Posted By: Rex
10-Jan-11 - 03:16 PM
Thread Name: Baby's First Instrument?
Subject: RE: Baby's First Instrument?
When my oldest son was going to be one year old, I wanted to build an instrument for him. But what can a one year old do? Beat a drum. So I hollowed out a log and cut up rawhide for straps and drumhead. I covered a stick with cloth and softer leather for the beater. He could work with that. At two years, I made what I call a foot harp. It is roughly the shape of a foot, light piano wire on zither pegs screwed into hardwood, anchored at the other end. The whole thing was 11 strings, I think, tuned in a pentatonic scale. Any sequence sounds good. That was also time for the xylaphone and the harmonica. (I concur MamaKat) At three I got a cheap two octave keyboard and disabled the rhythm and accompanyment buttons to discourage just having it play by itself. My younger son was born then and so repeat. They both play violin now, better than their ol man, and other instruments. It was a good start.

Rex