Posted by Marc (216.224.155.210) on September 04, 2000 at 22:50:35:
In Reply to: Children and Harmonicas posted by Carol Ann Blooding on August 24, 2000 at 13:32:33:
: I have heard that the Harmonica is a great 1st music instrument for a child to play. Any advice on this?
: Thanks for your help.
Hohner makes a 4 hole harmonica called the "rainbow harmonica". It only plays one octave, and the holes are color-coded. It comes with a song book of simple beginner songs, with each noted listed in the color of the hole, making it easy for the kids to figure out. I taught a group of cub scouts (age 8) to play several songs -- they were able to perform in public within 1 month! I think this is a very easy and useful tool to introduce children to music. Whether they continue to progress, however depends on their own level of interest and motivation. This is highly dependent on the child's individual taste, as well as their age and level of maturity.
Good Luck!