[HANASHIR:13499] Re: Learning Instruments

[sholom <sholom...>]

> Start with piano to give the kid a general knowledge of music, chords,
> etc.

I can't agree with this strongly enough!

I have a vague recolletion, somewhere, that Charlie Parker (considered one
of the greatest jazz sax players ever) was told by a mentor to stop sax
and learn piano for a while, and then go back to sax, as it would improve
him tremendously.  All the jazz horn greats -- Dizzie Gillespie, Miles
Davis, Sonny Rollins, drummer Art Blakley, etc., learned piano.

Is there any other instrument where you can *see* an octave?  Where you
can *see* the difference between an all natural scale (C) and others? 
Where you can *see* chord structures?

I started learning piano around age five, and went to guitar at age 9, and
became a guitar song leader.  But even though I've now been playing guitar
for 3+ decades, I understand _chords_ because of my piano playing.

(And for song leading -- some songs just sound better with a piano than
with guitar -- it's great to be able to switch).

FWIW,

Sholom




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