The purchase of musical instruments in kindergartens can quickly become a Chinese headache. Should you prefer xylophones, metallophones or drums? Or would you rather opt for wind instruments such as flutes and trumpets for children?
And why not opt for one of the latest developments in the music industry: the reed drum?
An inventory of the pros and cons of these five instruments once they get into the hands of our little ones.
Xylophone and metallophone: learn sounds and colours!
Xylophones and metallophones have several advantages for them:
- Learning the sounds,
- learning colours,
- they last over time.
The blades of xylophones and metalophones are usually coloured or have self-adhesive coloured circles. These coloured circles make it possible to materialise the point to be struck with the mallets.
They also allow children to become familiar with colours while discovering sounds. They usually have between 8 and 18 tones.
Their resistance is also an important asset. It is known that children between 1 and 3 years old are not very careful with instruments. That is why, in any case, they should not pick up anything fragile or dangerous.
The drum and the sound like a wave
The drum has a great advantage compared to other instruments. It can be used to show children that sound is a wave.
Even if they don't fully understand the concept, they can understand sound for what it is: a wave. If they put rice on the membrane and watch it bounce when the drum is beaten, they can understand the sound for what it is: a wave.
This visualisation of the effects of sound also makes it possible to draw an analogy with the functioning of the ear, and of the eardrum in particular. Being three years old and knowing that the eardrum is a membrane is possible thanks to the membrane of the drum.
The only drawback of this instrument is precisely the fragility of the membrane. If a child walks backwards and falls down when sitting on it, the membrane breaks.
The same applies to those who have the bad idea to use the stick as a spear.
Trumpet flutes do not increase lung capacity
Don't go out and buy flutes and trumpets with the idea that doing so will increase the lung capacity of the little wolves.
It is an idea that often appears in the collective subconscious: players of wind instruments would have a better lung capacity than the average person.
Only: Although Usain Bolt is now recognised in the world of music, it was not his trumpet playing that won him his gold medals in the 100m dash. Nor, for that matter, anyone but him.
To prove it, researchers tested the flute players, and it turned out that their increased breathing capacity was actually a whistle [1].
Now all that remained was to compare the flute players with the trumpet players. This was done by another team to show that their respective lung capacities were not exceptional [2].
The main problem is not so much the intrinsic quality of these wind instruments, but their sound when the little smurfs blow on them.
We all know what a racket these improvised orchestras make. There are better instruments for the composure of the caregiver, especially the Tongue Drum.
The tongue drum: beautiful sound, beautiful resistance
The tongue drum is an instrument of the new generation. A beautiful discovery of the 21st century (2007), it belongs to the percussion instruments like the drum.
It is a pentatonic or heptatonic idiophone that produces very soft sounds and a particularly deep rhythm, very suitable for meditation.
Like the drum, it does not need to be tuned and requires no special care. Once purchased, it will last a lifetime.
Its great durability makes it the perfect companion for children, who can take it anywhere thanks to its small size and relatively light weight.
The numbering of the steel reeds, integrated directly into the instrument, allows a first contact with the numbers.
It is the smartest choice among the instruments we have just discussed, along with xylophones and metallophones.
Try our tongue drum now by clicking here.
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[1] Breathing mechanics of professional flutists, Cossette, 24. Abril 2008, doi: RMR-04-2002-19-2-0761-8425-101019-ART11.
External link: https://www.em-consulte.com/article/151339/mecanique-respiratoire-des-flutistes-professionnel
[2] Respiratory function in wind players, Bouros, Protogerou u.a., Materia Socio Medica, 30. Oktober 2018, doi: 10.5455/msm.2018.30.204-208.
External link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6195392/