She's got rhythm - where to go from here?

Isabelle has a fantastic sense of rhythm for a 5yo - will repeat back to you quite complex and long rhythms with clapping - and recognises tunes by just their rhythm too even when she hasn't heard them for a long time...

So where do we go from here? She has a lovely indian drum but nothing to drum to really - can you get drumming tutorials where you copy rhythms suitable for this?

Both kids are generally quite musical and have a good 'ear' for music (Grace amazed the nursery workers by recognisably singing twinkle twinkle in tune at 10months old) and rhythm which is brilliant - I'm wondering about music lessons now I guess but don't really know where to go - help!

I play a fair few instruments, and i sing too, and started learning the cello at 5 so the same age as isabelle I would get her piano lessons if you can, because once you learn the piano, you tend to find it very easy to then pick up any instrument. You also learn how to read both trebble and base cleft which again will help with learning other instruments, and it gives you good finger spreading, finger dexterity, and helps with hand eye co-ordination. If you start doing the grades then she will get good at music theory, so singing tunes back, sightreading and other bits.
I LOVED my music. Even now, whenever i feel stressed just playing on the piano or having a good old sing song relaxes me. And as a bonus the grades can be added to uni applications and looks fantastic on them
the only thing I would say is that the reason I stopped was that the teacher I had was constantly pushing me through one grade and then the next and all I ever learnt with her was grade pieces and practiced and practiced until they were perfect and I got BORED big style. I would really recomend what ever instrument she learns, to make sure that she learns a good mix of fun things that she is interested in as well as doing grade work.

[MrC]

I'm not sure what kind of drum you have but you could try looking up djembe lessons. A Djembe is an African hand drum of various sizes. Playing them was really popular where we lived in France and there were quite a few people giving lessons. Our village sounded a bit like it was in Africa at times .

It is amazing the sounds you can get out of them. The technique is simple enough for any child (or even me ) to grasp. The skill comes in coordinating rhythm with use of different parts of hand and drum to produce great sound.

Personally I love it and have whiled away entire evenings just messing about with them, some guitars and a few nice friendly people (and some wine obviously ).

I'm not sure it's called the same thing in the UK though, the bits of Africa being painted differently and all that, but worth a try.

5 is a great age to start learning an instrument. Do schools still offer music lessons with outside tutors? If she is unsure which instrument she wants to play piano is a good bet as it provides a good technical foundation for other instruments also it sounds quite nice even when you are just starting out (which is a bonus to you!). Your local education authority should have a list of teachers in the your area. Is there a local youth orchestra/band near you they are also a good source of information on teachers. Sorry I'm a bit out of the loop on these things now having been out of the UK for so long. There used to be instrument loans schemes run by the education authority but again I'm not sure with all the cuts if they will have survived? Orchestras like the Halle often run children's concerts in the summer holidays which are really lovely (thats how I decided what instrument I wanted to play).
Sorry thats all a bit of a ramble
Sorry just had another thought, I'm not sure where you are in the UK but a lot of the larger brass/silver bands also used to run youth schemes and instrument loan etc.
Hope that helps a bit
Crossed with Ant good advice

I got my cello and clarrinette loaned to me through my schools, tho if you are planning on home ed soon then that wont be any help Like emma said, some orchestras will loan an instrument out too, tho obviously if she is learning the piano then you wont get a loan there I have a yamaha clavinova which si a touch sensitive electric piano. much lighter and more compact than a normal piano, but is touch sensitive so you can play the load and quiet bits of a piece of music, has all the pedles, and has 88 keys so the same amount as a grand piano. My parents bought mine second hand so you might be able to get something like that cheeper.
Another good place to ask if she picks up a smaller instrument is your local music shop. some sell second hand instruments.
Just had a quick google for instrument hire in manc, and found THESE. You can hire an instrument for 3 months and then get the amount you payed in hire off of the price of the instrument if she likes it.

I wonder if they still teach from Tune a Day books? Between myself and my brother learning 3 instruments each my poor Mother must have been ripping her hair out with the amount of times she must have heard 3 Blind Mice played very badly lol. It is a great thing for kids to learn both myself and my Brother started at 5 and both our jobs require us to read and understand music to a high level although neither of us ever pick up an instrument anymore unfortunately.

Have you seen that the Halle do concerts and workshops - http://www.halle.co.uk/family-concerts.aspx

Well my first instrument was the recorder but I started Piano aged 7 so I agree - trouble is we have NOWHERE to keep a piano for practicing... really nowhere...
Even to keep a proper sized keyboard really...

I LOVE the idea of djembe lessons though...

I think she's a little young for woodwind lessons to be honest and I'm not sure she's got the dexterity for that yet...

It's more her rhythm I'm keen to explore at this stage...

Have you seen that the Halle do concerts and workshops - http://www.halle.co.uk/family-concerts.aspx

Ooooooh they look ace!

Have you seen that the Halle do concerts and workshops - http://www.halle.co.uk/family-concerts.aspx

Wow, they look awesome