I have an 8-year-old that wants to play flute. She’s quite small for her age (definitely not big enough for even a regular Boehm flute) so here’s my plan so far…
Purchased a melody harp. Daughter is learning tunes and basic rhythms. Now tells me when melody harp is out of tune.
Plan to start her on whistle (I play) shortly. Figure she can learn to play by ear and by reading music.
When she grows a bit… purchase a keyless simple system flute in F and find a teacher (Portland, OR). Ideally a teacher who plays folk and classical.
I have seen small children play flute before. There are also a few makers out there who make the hole spacing and size very easy for small hands. I don’t know if you want her to learn on an F flute, just for the reason of note recognition. Maybe a D fife?
You can get Boehm flutes with a re-curved head which reduces the arm stretch which is the main problem for small people. But if you want to emphasise the trad side then something like one of my Simple Piccolos would be ideal for learning simple system fingering on a transverse instrument, directly transferable to a larger instrument in due course, and not unhelpful if she goes to Boehm either.
Also Sweetheart makes reasonably low priced flutes in A, Bb, C and high D.
These are a good deal easier to finger than an F flute. Quite good instruments.
Here’s a 7 year old kid playing a curved head flute. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhWAeBCty7k
If it wasn’t for the fact that I figured out this song because of him, I’d give him a good roughing up.
Good luck with your daughter. You must be proud as all get out.
The Boehm piccolo players I know practice with some form of ear protection, or at least tell me a person should. A quick Googling seems to show piccolos (all seem to be talking about metal Boehm models) generating as much as 120db. Would this be the same for a cylindrical simple system instrument?
120 db is probably the max on a optimal note. The dynamics are such that I can blow it softer and in tune than a whistle. I am sure if you are doing old “stars and stripes” for a band you want to be assertive on the short stick, and earplugs would seem to be prudent, I’m not as sure for first octave relaxed playing. Earplugs are cheap, easy to use, and kids ears are a bit more sensitive. With good embouchure (rather than using brute force to hit D3) I’d think that the risks and precautions would be the same for the whistle in the range their likely to play. I have a pair I use depending on what I’m working on.
…but I’m sure someone else will have a more precise answer.
I think I.D.10-t has it pretty much handled. Perusing the piccolo pages in the NFA’s Flute Pedagogy book gives the earplug advice for the third octave and above. Piano is actually harder in any of the octaves. Jem has said his picc’s are optimized for the first two octaves. . .roughly corresponding to what Terry McGee has to say about his 12.5 mm. conic bore ‘folk’ piccolo. Jem’s piccolos can get LOUD, but control is always good. . .
I haven’t done (am not equipped to do) any scientific measurements, but subjectively I don’t think there is anything to worry about. If you play the demo clips linked from my CP (all done just with a mobile phone cam, no sound processing at all other than the on-board peak-control) at maximum volume output on your computer, that will probably be significantly louder than in the flesh. You could also compare them to my other YT clip on a “real” piccolo, which includes some 3rd 8ve playing. The range is the same as a standard D whistle, as has been pointed out. Sure, my piccs, any decently made piccs, are louder than most whistles, but not to the extent of being likely to damage hearing, and certainly not in the main part of the range (as used for trad music). A beginner is unlikely to get the maximum out of them in any case, even though s/he would inevitably blow more coarsely (harder but less focussed) to begin with. Then, as good embouchure and control is learnt, there is no need for (nor probably wish by) the player to play at maximum possible volume in normal circumstances.
“Small” being, of course, the name of my Jem piccolo. He’s a much travelled fella, prone to going on adventures (he decided to travel off in the Volkswagen that my pal had for review, and then the nice people at Volkswagen found him and sent him back ).
Ok. I’m clearly having a bad day. At home briefly and have checked sources. Not only did I misuse a big word, I misremembered Pooh! Rabbit’s smallest relation was called Alexander Beetle and he wasn’t lost, he just abandoned the Expotition. Ah, well. I’m sure I recall a kidilit character called Small from something or other. Wasn’t the Disney travesty of Pooh, was it?
Ha! That’ll teach ya!