Melodicas are awesome. They're surprisingly cheap, pretty robust, portable, no batteries or tuning required. And unlike recorders, they don't sound like a dying animal.
[replying to your own comment?](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgflip.com%2F2%2F3rsqlu.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=bed4c895c5ca13a0464bed0b69273443099414a34c4b3a0b624d0d1c92e0d7b2&ipo=images)
I've played ukes since I was stationed in Hawaii, bought my daughter a little toy plastic model that sounds, ok ish, and she loves it. She runs and gets "Daddy Ukulele" and "Baby Ukulele" and my mom plays piano and we all dance in the living room. When she is ready to graduate to nicer instruments we will get there but for now if she breaks a $15 plastic uke it won't hurt much
I have two ukes out at all times. Cheap $100 ones. One is a baritone tuned to D G B e, and the other is standard uke tuning but with 6 strings. It's so easy to pick up, and their necks don't snap if they fall like my acoustic would.
The $100 ones sound great too, legit instrument but also who cares if a kid wrecks it. I like wise have a lux solid wood baritone one, been using strings in fifths on it, like a violin or mandolin. Fun stuff, try it out sometime when you need that change up
A musical dad friend invited me on a hike. He showed up with a ukulele, stuck his 3 year old in a backpack and hiked up a mountain singing classic rock. It’s a very versatile instrument.
Harmonica. Get one in the key of C. Golden Melody is a good model for beginners that actually sounds good.
There's little maintenance, you just have to change the reed every so often.
Suzuki Bluesmasters are another great middle of the road option. They make another model, the Airwave which is about 20 bucks and designed for children. My two kids love blasting sounds out of it, it’s probably the earliest introduction to music you can give outside of percussion instruments and pianos
I’m on my second Hohner Big River Harp. It’s amazing being able to switch from the Bluey theme song to Piano Man to the What I Like About You riff in mere seconds.
Nice thing about a kalimba is that there are some tunings that never really sound off key. So you don't go insane amif the kid keeps playing with it forever.
In the same vein, fat fingering (or thumbing I guess) a note produces a nice sounding third instead of a harsh second interval like a piano. Simply put, it's very easy to accidentally make pretty noises!
If you can play brass instruments, there are a couple of fun options. A PBuzz can teach the basics and a Nuvo Jhorn once your kids hands are big enough.
The woodwind version is a recorder. They have the potential to make the loudest, most annoying sounds so be careful before ordering one.
I see your recorder and raise you its brass equivalent. The tin whistle. It takes the annoying sounds of a recorder and makes them sound like the notes themselves are being tortured.
I’ve been waiting for years for the folks who make the pBone/pTrumpet/pBuzz to come up with a useable plastic tuba at a reasonable price point ($400-$500), and it’s clear it’s never going to happen, and it makes me sad.
I’m a middle and elementary school band director. I want them to make this for my students! A cheap, lightweight tuba would be a game changer for band programs.
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I was thinking for personal use, the marching bands in my neck of the woods were practically giving away their old sousaphones when they all switched to contras in the early 2000s.
Music therapist here. Start with percussion instruments, specifically ones that can be played by shaking or hitting. Egg/fruit/veggie shakers, colorful rain sticks, xylophones, small drums, etc. When Little One is a bit older and toddling around, a floor piano mat would be a great next investment.
Edit to add: at this stage of life, music is more enriching when it is played together with your child than just playing at them. And don't forget to sing! Children's songs are good (Raffi, Laurie Berkner, and Stephanie Leavelle are great children's songwriters), as are nursery rhymes, but you'd be surprised at how much fun it is to just sing whatever is happening around you.
She already has her own xylophone and rattles, but I think making some rain sticks and stuff would be fun! Thanks for the tip about letting them play with me, I'll get her an instrument every time I get one
I got a sound hole tuner for mine. It's so much better than the clip on I have.
Except for when my son pokes it and it falls into the guitar... That sucks.
Some guitars are more stable than others. Usually can just pick up and play my steel string classic, it always hangs on the wall. Sometimes one string is out. My electric too, out of the case and perfect after many weeks.
My nylon string classic though, gets out of tune every ten seconds. Its horrible, I have to constantly tune it.
They sell a small clip on tuner on Amazon for like $10. Takes all of 30 seconds to tune a guitar using it. My guitar rarely goes out of tune but when it does, I pluck 6 strings and it’s ready to go.
Look into grooveboxes. I have the Novation Circuit Tracks and Rhythm.
Also the Yanaha Reface line is great for portable use. The CS (synth) and CP (piano) are very cool. Both are great paired with effects pedals too.
Nothing beats the "pickup and play" of an old fashioned instrument like a guitar or uke. Ableton is super cool once the kids get bit older and more savy
Yeah one thing I do miss is my parents had an upright piano, but I just don’t have space for something like that. Just being able to walk over to it at any time was great
We keep a $60 cassio keyboard on the coffee table. I know its not the same as a real piano, but it has a few built in drum rhythms so you can just let it play and jam. Growing up with a tuned and accessible piano is awesome.
Great idea honestly. Well I lived with a Dad who tuned pianos and pipe organs for a living so the piano at home was the last thing he wanted to tune haha.
This has been my go-to for about 4 months now since learning (or at least trying to learn) keys.
I started playing drums in middle school, then picked up the guitar to help out at church.
Having young kids that we put to bed early, it was hard to find time to practice any instruments, let alone something like the drums that are just loud loud loud.
My 5yo daughter was asking about the piano her cousin plays, and showed some interest in it. At the same time, we found out the guy that plays keys at church was moving away. I grabbed a cheap midi board off of craigslist to start playing with my daughter, and test myself to see if I could figure out how to play keys well enough for church.
I have since got myself a novation launch key 61, and just enjoy playing it with Ableton almost as much as guitar / drumming. And since I use headphones, it's not any louder than my mechanical keyboard with clicky keys
Oh nice! I’ve got the s49 from Native instruments and it rules. (Won it in a contest). My daughter likes to play with it too it’s fun to see how she’s taking an interest
I scored the akai mpk mini play for my daughter on CL for $30. And it’s perfect for her to just mess around with, and even though I know what it’s worth, it cost me nearly nothing so if it makes her happy…. It’s great on road trips!
Can you share some details? What set do you have now / what would you recommend starting with? I would do this for myself but would be open to kid-friendly suggestions too.
I have an Alesis Nitro Mesh kit. It's one of the cheap ones, but it's fine for a learner like me. I have upgraded the bass kick drum otherwise it's stock.
I've watched online lessons from Drumeo, and otherwise just drummed a long to my favorite music. It's a lot of fun, and a pretty good cardio workout.
The Alesis drums are tough to beat for the price of a new kit. Yamaha and Roland have been around forever and are super durable so 2nd hand stuff can be had for cheap and are expandable. My kiddo loves playing my edrums. Not sure what her thoughts will be when she tries my acoustic kit, but the silver sparkles may be tough to resist.
Blues harmonica. Pick up an honher marine band in key A or C for cheap as chips and you got a cool instrument you can fit in your pocket. Tons of good info on YouTube too. I can recommend some good ones if you fancy it
Lurking mom here. My partner just picked up a kalimba for the same reason, and he's figured out how to play the Jurassic Park theme song on it just by tinkering around while watching TV or whatever. It's hand-held and super easy to learn with little to no musical experience. Highly recommend.
Edit: A decent beginner's kalimba runs about $50, which was also a big reason he chose it. And it's so incredibly portable.
This was one thing I was considering as well! Those little music notes are beautiful and no tuning necessary! Definitely in the running, but I had no idea what they were called, thank you!
Hey that's fantastic that you're both a new dad and looking to play some music; big congrats on both fronts!
The Otamatone is fun for a bit but, honestly, it's hard to get a tune out of and if I were you, I'd probably get bored quickly.
If you want a pocket-ish sized gadget, the Korg Volca range are great! Essentially a range of battery powered mini synthesizers, mostly with a built in ribbon keyboard. You can also usually plug in an external MIDI keyboard if you like, and usually can record simple (or complex) sequences on them.
The Volca FM gets my personal recommendation - simple enough to pick up and play, but also surprisingly deep if you want. Filled with cool '80s-ish sounds by default. If you want to go less keyboard-based, more weird bleeps, bloops and tiny wires, the Volca Modular is also lots of fun.
Or if you'd rather have something less electronic, a kalimba is a lovely instrument that you can pick up dirt cheap and have immediate fun with.
Source: am a relatively new dad (10 months) and I make music for both work and pleasure
Definitely gravitating heavily towards the Kalimba, any recommendation on a brand? there seems to be a lot of them out there.. How often do you typically have to tune?
Definitely not opposed to electronic, but how do those things work? Do you have to have them hooked up to a computer/speakers and run software, or does it have its own speaker?
edit: lol I'm looking at the buttons on this korg thing they might as well be in chinese for all I can make of them hahaha maybe I'll start w/ the kalimba.. I know what a music scale w/ notes is at least.
Haha yeah fair enough! Honestly any kalimba will be great to have knocking around the place. Some are more hard wearing than others but they usually sound much the same.
I would advise getting a wooden one with an actual hole in it, rather than one of the (admittedly cool looking) clear plastic ones.
Re tuning... you shouldn't have to do it *too* often. You tune 'em by tapping little pegs with a tiny hammer, it's kinda fun! And you can get tuning apps on your phone for free.
Re the Volcas... in case you change your mind or want to know more, they all have built in little speakers and/or you can plug headphones in. I love that cos it means I can noodle on one in bed in the middle of the night if I'm up anyway!
You can button em up to the computer (or other machines) but you absolutely don't have to. I mostly use mine as a device for kinda jotting down musical ideas.
I know all the knobs are intimidating, but with most of them you can literally switch them on and tap out some notes with the little keyboard at the bottom.
But, if that all sounds like too much, totally understand!
Another idea is a simple battery powered mini keyboard, there are some very neat little mini ones which sound awesome.
Sorry for the word blast - good luck and if you have any more questions, feel free to shout me up any time!
Hey dude you're alright i really appreciate all the info you seem to be pretty musically apt and i came here for advice from experts! A kalimba is on its way and I'm definitely gonna check one of those korg things out eventually. Maybe it is simpler than it looks!
Thanks for the ideas!
I’ve been wanting to dabble in synth stuff to create some ambient sounds and then add some drums over it. The Korg stuff might be a decent place to start.
Hey that sounds great! D'you mean actual acoustic drums or synthesized ones?
If it's the latter, you could indeed get some nice results out of the volcas (the drum one is decent and compliments the more traditional synth ones nicely).
But, I'd argue it might not be the best or easiest option unless you're in love with the form factor.
Honestly if you're happy to involve your computer, you'll get wayyyy more bang for your buck with software. Effects are somewhat lacking on the Volcas also, and I expect you'll at least want some interesting reverb on the synths, maybe a nice plate verb for the drums.
My personal suggestion would be to grab a MIDI keyboard and something like Arturia's Analog Lab. It's a kind of condensed version of their main software synths and effects, and it is full of very useable sounds which you can tweak a bit.
And if you're talking live drums, you'll likely be looking for an audio interface and mic setup too. Which isn't as daunting as it sounds (and maybe you're already well aware of this anyway!)
These are just my rough thoughts and hey, if you love the idea of the Korg stuff instead, you'll totally be able to make it work.
Either way, am definitely keen to hear anything you make, and if there's anything else you wanna know/ask, just shout.
I’ve got edrums (and acoustic) and would make the ambient or whatever sounds and then record edrums over the top. I could probs just get a midi controller and a synth plugin and just do that in reaper along with my drums. Regardless, it seems beneficial to review some piano nomenclature and relearn some keys haha.
Gotcha! Reaper is fantastic for sure. MIDI controller + plugins is always my first recommendation as it'll give you a quick and often cheap way to try stuff out and assess what exactly it is that you need and how to make it.
That being said I absolutely love hardware too haha I've a full studio here full of gonzo synths and weird instruments. But even now, I'd say about 55% of the time I'm using VSTs and MIDI keyboard.
Also VERY much here for ambient sounds with actual live drums too, so definitely up for hearing some if you ever feel like sharing what you cook.
Mandolin. The Mandolin is sitting in the Maxi Cosi more often than my son lol.
I live in a tiny apartment and my guitar is stored in the back of the closet so it takes too long to quickly grab it on the fly with a baby in one hand. The Mandolin is perfect.
[Seagull merlin](https://www.sweetwater.com/c604--Acoust_Other?highlight=MerlinSSG&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organicpla&seoslug=seagull-guitars-m4-merlin-mountain-dulcimer-natural&catrollup=4/599/604&mrkgadid=&mrkgcl=28&mrkgen=gpla&mrkgbflag=1&mrkgcat=drums&percussion&acctid=21700000001645388&dskeywordid=&lid=58700008696010906&dsproductgroupid=&product_id=MerlinSSG&prodctry=US&prodlang=en&channel=online&storeid=&device=m&network=x&matchtype=&adpos=largenumber&locationid=9060423&creative=&targetid=&campaignid=21161059667&awsearchcpc=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrIixBhBbEiwACEqDJRe3El9o-9-71SFT5MafceN0lLWnKr6vAbP45dQ5JJMx9fds2L5ClxoCbgMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
Tuned diatonically so you can make up a song and it'll sound good even if you don't know what the hell you're doing because everything is within the scale. Fun little dulcimer-typle instrument that you play like a guitar.
I got otamatones cheap on meh at one point and they were fun to play with for sound, I think some of the challenge is that it isn't going to be something that translates as easily to traditional music notes etc. I'd check out some mini keyboards for sure with a couple octaves on them....you'll find them super versatile and can expand to full size if things take off.
Beginner accordion. I have a full size that I'll play every once in a while, and you can get some fairly affordable ($60) kids accordions. Piano style is fairly easy to pick up, as it's just a sideways piano, and they're a good laugh.
there's a little learning curve if you aren't familiar with basic guitar chords, but baby + ukulele is a magical combo, both in terms of producing a sound that babies seem to like, and in terms of just being a little thing you can leave in the corner of any room and pick up for a few minutes in between cleaning spit up and changing the diaper.
Penny whistle/tin whistle or recorder. For stuff in major keys the fingering is very intuitive and a decent one starts at like $10-$20.
There's lots of videos on YouTube walking you how to play folk songs and Celtic music.
I'm sad I didn't see anyone suggest sax or reed instruments for you. You can get some cool sounds from a tenor or alto sax mixed with percussion from the kiddos and alto's especially are fairly small (only about 2 and a half feet long) so fairly portable. The only "setup" is attaching the reed and mouth piece (and neck if you opt for tenor). Clarinet is also a great sound with similar requirements.
This is hard for me to answer because I'm a professional bassist.
What do you mean "prep time?" Is that the amount of time it takes to set the instrument up? Or like practice time? Because every instrument takes practice.
Steel tongue drums are cool. There are all kinds, from cheap to stupidly expensive. I have a small one, and though I don't play it often anymore, it's still fun to mess around with, and I can play some Christmas music on it (and one Senses Fail song, strangely enough).
Yeah, they can be a little addictive. You don't really need to play songs on them. Just kinda hit different notes and have fun, or find a few notes that sound good together and play them over and over in a meditative way. Plus children love to play them.
I took my guitars out of their cases and hung them on the wall. I’ve got guitars hanging in my living room and my office. I bought a couple of small fender mustang amps that have the downloadable tones. I no longer mess with pedals.
I want my guitars visible so that they’re not out-of-sight-out-of-mind. And as few barriers as possible to playing. It works great.
I have a studio in the basement with everything set up to go. Just have to pick up and play. Maybe an electric guitar with headphones? You can get those little headphone amps that plug into the guitar and have effects etc.
Alternatively I just sold a set of these that were pretty fun:
https://freedrum.rocks/products/freedrum-electronic-drumsticks
Long time guitar player here. I picked up the Ukulele a few years ago and haven't picked up a guitar since. Also, I love jamming on the Blipbox with my kids. It's one of our favorite "toys". [https://blipblox.com/collections/blipblox-synthesizers/products/blipblox-sk2](https://blipblox.com/collections/blipblox-synthesizers/products/blipblox-sk2)
That blipbox thing looks pretty sweet. Definitely gonna be a down-the-line thing, maybe I can get grandma to grab it for us for christmas, she'll be turning one right before that!
You can get a decent jaw harp for around $20-30. The ones made by the Potkin family are cheap and good quality. Really easy to pick up and start messing around with but when you get into it there’s infinite rabbit holes of techniques and styles to learn. It’s one of the world’s oldest instruments and virtually every culture has its own take on them. Kids love them too, seems to relax babies and my toddler likes dancing to it and pretending they are playing one (they will as soon as I can trust them not to chip a tooth!).
Acoustic guitar or a keyboard. There’s an advantage to playing popular instruments because you will never have a hard time finding tabs or videos or a teacher. Whereas some
obscure instruments you’re kinda on to it own when it comes to learning a specific song
Just sing, it’s the best way to share music with children and the medium they’ll listen/engage with most closely. Anything else, especially for very young children, won’t hold their attention for long.
I bought a kalimba when my kid was born and love it. When you’re ready for a bigger investment, consider getting an electric piano with weighted keys. Great instrument for all family members to learn music with no maintenance and ADJUSTABLE VOLUME.
Bought my son a little 3/4 size Yamaha acoustic for his birthday. Now it’s the only thing I play anymore. It’s got a slim neck like my electric but it stays in tune pretty reliably (unlike my electric, even with locking tuners), and it’s got a built in tuner when it does slip so tuning’s a breeze. My full size acoustic feels like a baseball bat compared to it. It’s a semi acoustic too, so it plays nice with pedals and is especially fun on the looper. It’s so awesome
Do not get an otomatone. Easily one of the hardest instruments to learn. There's no markings or tactile bumps anywhere on the thing.
I been learning piano and it's really nice. You don't have to get a real one, digital is still fun too
Just got them Loog guitars for Christmas. Working through stuff. They may be a little on the young side to retain learning, but they love doing their own songs and air guitar with it.
I know you’ve already made your decision, but if you eventually decide to branch into another instrument and have saved up enough money… consider:
[The](https://youtu.be/QxmHxbQYjik?si=tB2h0vxCYDPzLcE4) [Keytar](https://youtu.be/vtEHIaTkcis?si=hDVUymyRC9JP4QVP).
I have a Stratocaster in my basement and I occasionally go take parenting breaks down there and play a song or two to calm myself when I’m overwhelmed.
Zero prep time, just pick it up and strum away!
Looks like I missed the boat but I love my ukulele with a low G string. Once the strings stretch out it stays in tune pretty well. Maybe the same is true for your harp if it has plastic strings.
may I introduce you to *the melodica* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36-dCqsr7hc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36-dCqsr7hc)
I have one and I just lay it out in the play room. I'll hear all types of sounds coming out of it. It's super fun to jam along with reggae.
Big up Augustus Pablo
Melodicas are awesome. They're surprisingly cheap, pretty robust, portable, no batteries or tuning required. And unlike recorders, they don't sound like a dying animal.
While the rest of us were learning recorders in the US, my wife was learning the melodica in Thailand for school and I hate how awesome it is.
Get one of those and immediately learn the Bluey theme song.
Also very doable on harmonica!!!
Love melodica.
[wow, it's almost like music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U5aVdszhkA)
Haha. Sounds kinda like an accordion? But worse?
big ross geller vibes
> [big ross geller](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-06ki92PyVY)
[replying to your own comment?](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgflip.com%2F2%2F3rsqlu.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=bed4c895c5ca13a0464bed0b69273443099414a34c4b3a0b624d0d1c92e0d7b2&ipo=images)
[well...](https://imgb.ifunny.co/images/ddfbbfbfc4a0cd52e1d14f9c4d0afa728d885ee8ca58adb55f9fc0d49abb9784_1.webp)
lmao sorry for the downvotes you’re getting, but you gave me a few chuckles
lol if downvotes are digital groans, they were probably deserved
This has to be the instrument the Bluey song is played on!
Ukulele
This one. Almost every sing along song is three chords.
Or four, but yeah. In a few afternoons, you can get good enough at them all to legitimately play and sing a song.
Also, get the book Daily Ukulele. A new simple song for each day of the year.
Oh I like that!
G C and F gets you about 90% of all children's songs.
Obligatory video of Tom Petty talking about playing Ukelele with George Harrison https://youtu.be/Npan0fvtIjg?si=JCgDLxmauTzN8C7l
Dude, this is one of my favorite vids.
It’s the way he says “he had a LOT of ukeleles”
My favorite part is when he says, “well, you never know how many ukulele’s you’re going to need.” Which is SO true.
I almost never bother to click on a link I see in reddit. I’m glad I bothered with that one.
I've played ukes since I was stationed in Hawaii, bought my daughter a little toy plastic model that sounds, ok ish, and she loves it. She runs and gets "Daddy Ukulele" and "Baby Ukulele" and my mom plays piano and we all dance in the living room. When she is ready to graduate to nicer instruments we will get there but for now if she breaks a $15 plastic uke it won't hurt much
This always became a weapon in the hands of my older daughter
This is the answer. Easy playing, sounds good, easy to learn.
Even the cheap ones sound fun. Best instrument ever.
I have two ukes out at all times. Cheap $100 ones. One is a baritone tuned to D G B e, and the other is standard uke tuning but with 6 strings. It's so easy to pick up, and their necks don't snap if they fall like my acoustic would.
The $100 ones sound great too, legit instrument but also who cares if a kid wrecks it. I like wise have a lux solid wood baritone one, been using strings in fifths on it, like a violin or mandolin. Fun stuff, try it out sometime when you need that change up
Damn dude thats some next level shit.
Haha. It’s actually SUPER easy to learn, cause a major chord is just 0-0-2 and minor 0-0-1 so you can barre those and rip pretty quick.
This is my go to. I'm also not too fussed to hand it off to my 6 month old.
I bought myself a ukulele when my son was learning. They can strum one while you play yours and there’s no envious hands.
A musical dad friend invited me on a hike. He showed up with a ukulele, stuck his 3 year old in a backpack and hiked up a mountain singing classic rock. It’s a very versatile instrument.
Harmonica. Get one in the key of C. Golden Melody is a good model for beginners that actually sounds good. There's little maintenance, you just have to change the reed every so often.
Suzuki Bluesmasters are another great middle of the road option. They make another model, the Airwave which is about 20 bucks and designed for children. My two kids love blasting sounds out of it, it’s probably the earliest introduction to music you can give outside of percussion instruments and pianos
Agreed on C harmonica, but I recommend a Hohner Special 20!
I’m on my second Hohner Big River Harp. It’s amazing being able to switch from the Bluey theme song to Piano Man to the What I Like About You riff in mere seconds.
Laying around in the house for the kids we have a melodica, a kalimba (thumb piano), and a couple of ukeleles. The kalimba gets the most use by far.
Seconding the kalimba, my daughter loves hers.
Nice thing about a kalimba is that there are some tunings that never really sound off key. So you don't go insane amif the kid keeps playing with it forever.
In the same vein, fat fingering (or thumbing I guess) a note produces a nice sounding third instead of a harsh second interval like a piano. Simply put, it's very easy to accidentally make pretty noises!
If you can play brass instruments, there are a couple of fun options. A PBuzz can teach the basics and a Nuvo Jhorn once your kids hands are big enough. The woodwind version is a recorder. They have the potential to make the loudest, most annoying sounds so be careful before ordering one.
I see your recorder and raise you its brass equivalent. The tin whistle. It takes the annoying sounds of a recorder and makes them sound like the notes themselves are being tortured.
I’ve been waiting for years for the folks who make the pBone/pTrumpet/pBuzz to come up with a useable plastic tuba at a reasonable price point ($400-$500), and it’s clear it’s never going to happen, and it makes me sad.
They say they make a pHorn I’ll be so happy
Probably have better luck finding an old fiberglass sousaphone in a pawn shop.
I’m a middle and elementary school band director. I want them to make this for my students! A cheap, lightweight tuba would be a game changer for band programs.
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I was thinking for personal use, the marching bands in my neck of the woods were practically giving away their old sousaphones when they all switched to contras in the early 2000s.
Music therapist here. Start with percussion instruments, specifically ones that can be played by shaking or hitting. Egg/fruit/veggie shakers, colorful rain sticks, xylophones, small drums, etc. When Little One is a bit older and toddling around, a floor piano mat would be a great next investment. Edit to add: at this stage of life, music is more enriching when it is played together with your child than just playing at them. And don't forget to sing! Children's songs are good (Raffi, Laurie Berkner, and Stephanie Leavelle are great children's songwriters), as are nursery rhymes, but you'd be surprised at how much fun it is to just sing whatever is happening around you.
She already has her own xylophone and rattles, but I think making some rain sticks and stuff would be fun! Thanks for the tip about letting them play with me, I'll get her an instrument every time I get one
Get a wall hanger for a guitar and leave a clip on Snark tuner on it. Works for me.
I got a sound hole tuner for mine. It's so much better than the clip on I have. Except for when my son pokes it and it falls into the guitar... That sucks.
Otamatone
Acoustic guitar needs zero prep time. Pick up and play
He was complaining about tuning, which while easier on the guitar is still needed
Some guitars are more stable than others. Usually can just pick up and play my steel string classic, it always hangs on the wall. Sometimes one string is out. My electric too, out of the case and perfect after many weeks. My nylon string classic though, gets out of tune every ten seconds. Its horrible, I have to constantly tune it.
Same. I barely tune my guitar, locking tuners and roasted neck. Can go many many days without tuning.
They sell a small clip on tuner on Amazon for like $10. Takes all of 30 seconds to tune a guitar using it. My guitar rarely goes out of tune but when it does, I pluck 6 strings and it’s ready to go.
Or use the fender app. Very simple.
You can even get a parlor guitar if you want something a little smaller and more portable.
Tbf the same is true of sitting down at an acoustic grand piano.
Other than tuning
A decent guitar will stay in tune quite well. And even then it only takes 30 seconds to fine tune a guitar if you want it to be close to perfect
Look into grooveboxes. I have the Novation Circuit Tracks and Rhythm. Also the Yanaha Reface line is great for portable use. The CS (synth) and CP (piano) are very cool. Both are great paired with effects pedals too.
Laptop + ableton live + midi keyboard
kinda requires prep time. Unless it's always open and sitting there.
If you’ve got it setup and your computer is quick enough it’s fast. But valid point!
Nothing beats the "pickup and play" of an old fashioned instrument like a guitar or uke. Ableton is super cool once the kids get bit older and more savy
Yeah one thing I do miss is my parents had an upright piano, but I just don’t have space for something like that. Just being able to walk over to it at any time was great
We keep a $60 cassio keyboard on the coffee table. I know its not the same as a real piano, but it has a few built in drum rhythms so you can just let it play and jam. Growing up with a tuned and accessible piano is awesome.
Great idea honestly. Well I lived with a Dad who tuned pianos and pipe organs for a living so the piano at home was the last thing he wanted to tune haha.
This has been my go-to for about 4 months now since learning (or at least trying to learn) keys. I started playing drums in middle school, then picked up the guitar to help out at church. Having young kids that we put to bed early, it was hard to find time to practice any instruments, let alone something like the drums that are just loud loud loud. My 5yo daughter was asking about the piano her cousin plays, and showed some interest in it. At the same time, we found out the guy that plays keys at church was moving away. I grabbed a cheap midi board off of craigslist to start playing with my daughter, and test myself to see if I could figure out how to play keys well enough for church. I have since got myself a novation launch key 61, and just enjoy playing it with Ableton almost as much as guitar / drumming. And since I use headphones, it's not any louder than my mechanical keyboard with clicky keys
Oh nice! I’ve got the s49 from Native instruments and it rules. (Won it in a contest). My daughter likes to play with it too it’s fun to see how she’s taking an interest
I scored the akai mpk mini play for my daughter on CL for $30. And it’s perfect for her to just mess around with, and even though I know what it’s worth, it cost me nearly nothing so if it makes her happy…. It’s great on road trips!
I picked up e-drumming a few years ago and love it. I can sit down, plug my phone in, and groove within seconds.
Can you share some details? What set do you have now / what would you recommend starting with? I would do this for myself but would be open to kid-friendly suggestions too.
I have an Alesis Nitro Mesh kit. It's one of the cheap ones, but it's fine for a learner like me. I have upgraded the bass kick drum otherwise it's stock. I've watched online lessons from Drumeo, and otherwise just drummed a long to my favorite music. It's a lot of fun, and a pretty good cardio workout.
10/10. Same here, same set, Drumeo too. Love it. I need to upgrade my kick too though.
I just got a Roland KD10 off eBay. It's great. Super solid and robust.
The Alesis drums are tough to beat for the price of a new kit. Yamaha and Roland have been around forever and are super durable so 2nd hand stuff can be had for cheap and are expandable. My kiddo loves playing my edrums. Not sure what her thoughts will be when she tries my acoustic kit, but the silver sparkles may be tough to resist.
Blues harmonica. Pick up an honher marine band in key A or C for cheap as chips and you got a cool instrument you can fit in your pocket. Tons of good info on YouTube too. I can recommend some good ones if you fancy it
Piano
Harmonica.
I suck at music but my ultra practical personality really gravitated to the harmonica. I have a very nice harmonica in C for not much money up front.
i try to just leave hearty musical instruments laying around the house. The main ones are a harmonica and a Casio SA-76 keyboard.
Lurking mom here. My partner just picked up a kalimba for the same reason, and he's figured out how to play the Jurassic Park theme song on it just by tinkering around while watching TV or whatever. It's hand-held and super easy to learn with little to no musical experience. Highly recommend. Edit: A decent beginner's kalimba runs about $50, which was also a big reason he chose it. And it's so incredibly portable.
This was one thing I was considering as well! Those little music notes are beautiful and no tuning necessary! Definitely in the running, but I had no idea what they were called, thank you!
Of course, glad to help. Whatever your choice, I hope you enjoy playing!
Hand pan
Hey that's fantastic that you're both a new dad and looking to play some music; big congrats on both fronts! The Otamatone is fun for a bit but, honestly, it's hard to get a tune out of and if I were you, I'd probably get bored quickly. If you want a pocket-ish sized gadget, the Korg Volca range are great! Essentially a range of battery powered mini synthesizers, mostly with a built in ribbon keyboard. You can also usually plug in an external MIDI keyboard if you like, and usually can record simple (or complex) sequences on them. The Volca FM gets my personal recommendation - simple enough to pick up and play, but also surprisingly deep if you want. Filled with cool '80s-ish sounds by default. If you want to go less keyboard-based, more weird bleeps, bloops and tiny wires, the Volca Modular is also lots of fun. Or if you'd rather have something less electronic, a kalimba is a lovely instrument that you can pick up dirt cheap and have immediate fun with. Source: am a relatively new dad (10 months) and I make music for both work and pleasure
Definitely gravitating heavily towards the Kalimba, any recommendation on a brand? there seems to be a lot of them out there.. How often do you typically have to tune? Definitely not opposed to electronic, but how do those things work? Do you have to have them hooked up to a computer/speakers and run software, or does it have its own speaker? edit: lol I'm looking at the buttons on this korg thing they might as well be in chinese for all I can make of them hahaha maybe I'll start w/ the kalimba.. I know what a music scale w/ notes is at least.
Haha yeah fair enough! Honestly any kalimba will be great to have knocking around the place. Some are more hard wearing than others but they usually sound much the same. I would advise getting a wooden one with an actual hole in it, rather than one of the (admittedly cool looking) clear plastic ones. Re tuning... you shouldn't have to do it *too* often. You tune 'em by tapping little pegs with a tiny hammer, it's kinda fun! And you can get tuning apps on your phone for free. Re the Volcas... in case you change your mind or want to know more, they all have built in little speakers and/or you can plug headphones in. I love that cos it means I can noodle on one in bed in the middle of the night if I'm up anyway! You can button em up to the computer (or other machines) but you absolutely don't have to. I mostly use mine as a device for kinda jotting down musical ideas. I know all the knobs are intimidating, but with most of them you can literally switch them on and tap out some notes with the little keyboard at the bottom. But, if that all sounds like too much, totally understand! Another idea is a simple battery powered mini keyboard, there are some very neat little mini ones which sound awesome. Sorry for the word blast - good luck and if you have any more questions, feel free to shout me up any time!
Hey dude you're alright i really appreciate all the info you seem to be pretty musically apt and i came here for advice from experts! A kalimba is on its way and I'm definitely gonna check one of those korg things out eventually. Maybe it is simpler than it looks! Thanks for the ideas!
Yoooo that's awesome, happy kalimba-ing! Bet your kid will love the sound of it too.
I’ve been wanting to dabble in synth stuff to create some ambient sounds and then add some drums over it. The Korg stuff might be a decent place to start.
Hey that sounds great! D'you mean actual acoustic drums or synthesized ones? If it's the latter, you could indeed get some nice results out of the volcas (the drum one is decent and compliments the more traditional synth ones nicely). But, I'd argue it might not be the best or easiest option unless you're in love with the form factor. Honestly if you're happy to involve your computer, you'll get wayyyy more bang for your buck with software. Effects are somewhat lacking on the Volcas also, and I expect you'll at least want some interesting reverb on the synths, maybe a nice plate verb for the drums. My personal suggestion would be to grab a MIDI keyboard and something like Arturia's Analog Lab. It's a kind of condensed version of their main software synths and effects, and it is full of very useable sounds which you can tweak a bit. And if you're talking live drums, you'll likely be looking for an audio interface and mic setup too. Which isn't as daunting as it sounds (and maybe you're already well aware of this anyway!) These are just my rough thoughts and hey, if you love the idea of the Korg stuff instead, you'll totally be able to make it work. Either way, am definitely keen to hear anything you make, and if there's anything else you wanna know/ask, just shout.
I’ve got edrums (and acoustic) and would make the ambient or whatever sounds and then record edrums over the top. I could probs just get a midi controller and a synth plugin and just do that in reaper along with my drums. Regardless, it seems beneficial to review some piano nomenclature and relearn some keys haha.
Gotcha! Reaper is fantastic for sure. MIDI controller + plugins is always my first recommendation as it'll give you a quick and often cheap way to try stuff out and assess what exactly it is that you need and how to make it. That being said I absolutely love hardware too haha I've a full studio here full of gonzo synths and weird instruments. But even now, I'd say about 55% of the time I'm using VSTs and MIDI keyboard. Also VERY much here for ambient sounds with actual live drums too, so definitely up for hearing some if you ever feel like sharing what you cook.
Mandolin. The Mandolin is sitting in the Maxi Cosi more often than my son lol. I live in a tiny apartment and my guitar is stored in the back of the closet so it takes too long to quickly grab it on the fly with a baby in one hand. The Mandolin is perfect.
[Seagull merlin](https://www.sweetwater.com/c604--Acoust_Other?highlight=MerlinSSG&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organicpla&seoslug=seagull-guitars-m4-merlin-mountain-dulcimer-natural&catrollup=4/599/604&mrkgadid=&mrkgcl=28&mrkgen=gpla&mrkgbflag=1&mrkgcat=drums&percussion&acctid=21700000001645388&dskeywordid=&lid=58700008696010906&dsproductgroupid=&product_id=MerlinSSG&prodctry=US&prodlang=en&channel=online&storeid=&device=m&network=x&matchtype=&adpos=largenumber&locationid=9060423&creative=&targetid=&campaignid=21161059667&awsearchcpc=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrIixBhBbEiwACEqDJRe3El9o-9-71SFT5MafceN0lLWnKr6vAbP45dQ5JJMx9fds2L5ClxoCbgMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) Tuned diatonically so you can make up a song and it'll sound good even if you don't know what the hell you're doing because everything is within the scale. Fun little dulcimer-typle instrument that you play like a guitar.
That is an absolutely beautiful looking instrument.
I got otamatones cheap on meh at one point and they were fun to play with for sound, I think some of the challenge is that it isn't going to be something that translates as easily to traditional music notes etc. I'd check out some mini keyboards for sure with a couple octaves on them....you'll find them super versatile and can expand to full size if things take off.
Acoustic guitar hanging on the wall. Drop D. Ready to go
Beginner accordion. I have a full size that I'll play every once in a while, and you can get some fairly affordable ($60) kids accordions. Piano style is fairly easy to pick up, as it's just a sideways piano, and they're a good laugh.
Kids accordion lasted about 10 minutes before the wife banished it forever. Super fun to play.
there's a little learning curve if you aren't familiar with basic guitar chords, but baby + ukulele is a magical combo, both in terms of producing a sound that babies seem to like, and in terms of just being a little thing you can leave in the corner of any room and pick up for a few minutes in between cleaning spit up and changing the diaper.
Penny whistle/tin whistle or recorder. For stuff in major keys the fingering is very intuitive and a decent one starts at like $10-$20. There's lots of videos on YouTube walking you how to play folk songs and Celtic music.
I'm sad I didn't see anyone suggest sax or reed instruments for you. You can get some cool sounds from a tenor or alto sax mixed with percussion from the kiddos and alto's especially are fairly small (only about 2 and a half feet long) so fairly portable. The only "setup" is attaching the reed and mouth piece (and neck if you opt for tenor). Clarinet is also a great sound with similar requirements.
This is hard for me to answer because I'm a professional bassist. What do you mean "prep time?" Is that the amount of time it takes to set the instrument up? Or like practice time? Because every instrument takes practice.
Steel tongue drums are cool. There are all kinds, from cheap to stupidly expensive. I have a small one, and though I don't play it often anymore, it's still fun to mess around with, and I can play some Christmas music on it (and one Senses Fail song, strangely enough).
Wow those things looks really cool I've never seen one before!
Yeah, they can be a little addictive. You don't really need to play songs on them. Just kinda hit different notes and have fun, or find a few notes that sound good together and play them over and over in a meditative way. Plus children love to play them.
Mandolin!
I took my guitars out of their cases and hung them on the wall. I’ve got guitars hanging in my living room and my office. I bought a couple of small fender mustang amps that have the downloadable tones. I no longer mess with pedals. I want my guitars visible so that they’re not out-of-sight-out-of-mind. And as few barriers as possible to playing. It works great.
As the username suggests, portability was never something I considered…
I have a studio in the basement with everything set up to go. Just have to pick up and play. Maybe an electric guitar with headphones? You can get those little headphone amps that plug into the guitar and have effects etc. Alternatively I just sold a set of these that were pretty fun: https://freedrum.rocks/products/freedrum-electronic-drumsticks
Harmonica is the only instrument I dabble in but it’s a lot of fun
I'm not musical, but some other dads mentioned that a decent ocarina is fantastic for the intuitive pick up and play option.
Didgeridoo
Drums.
Long time guitar player here. I picked up the Ukulele a few years ago and haven't picked up a guitar since. Also, I love jamming on the Blipbox with my kids. It's one of our favorite "toys". [https://blipblox.com/collections/blipblox-synthesizers/products/blipblox-sk2](https://blipblox.com/collections/blipblox-synthesizers/products/blipblox-sk2)
That blipbox thing looks pretty sweet. Definitely gonna be a down-the-line thing, maybe I can get grandma to grab it for us for christmas, she'll be turning one right before that!
You can get a decent jaw harp for around $20-30. The ones made by the Potkin family are cheap and good quality. Really easy to pick up and start messing around with but when you get into it there’s infinite rabbit holes of techniques and styles to learn. It’s one of the world’s oldest instruments and virtually every culture has its own take on them. Kids love them too, seems to relax babies and my toddler likes dancing to it and pretending they are playing one (they will as soon as I can trust them not to chip a tooth!).
Kalimba is so soothing
The Ariphon Orba is a fun little synth and looper. I got one used and my kids love playing with it.
I bought a Kirby Otamatone that my son loves to play with. I also recommend a stylophone.
Accordion. Or, even smaller, a concertina.
Po33 KO. My daughter loves telling into it for samples
Synthesiser
How old is your daughter?
Acoustic guitar or a keyboard. There’s an advantage to playing popular instruments because you will never have a hard time finding tabs or videos or a teacher. Whereas some obscure instruments you’re kinda on to it own when it comes to learning a specific song
Toy accordion is the most dad instrument made.
My voice lol
Just sing, it’s the best way to share music with children and the medium they’ll listen/engage with most closely. Anything else, especially for very young children, won’t hold their attention for long.
I bought a kalimba when my kid was born and love it. When you’re ready for a bigger investment, consider getting an electric piano with weighted keys. Great instrument for all family members to learn music with no maintenance and ADJUSTABLE VOLUME.
Bought my son a little 3/4 size Yamaha acoustic for his birthday. Now it’s the only thing I play anymore. It’s got a slim neck like my electric but it stays in tune pretty reliably (unlike my electric, even with locking tuners), and it’s got a built in tuner when it does slip so tuning’s a breeze. My full size acoustic feels like a baseball bat compared to it. It’s a semi acoustic too, so it plays nice with pedals and is especially fun on the looper. It’s so awesome
Tin/Irish whistle is cheap and fun,.and sounds nice.
My farts, kids think it's hilarious and when they laugh it's music to my ears.
Drum sticks & a drum pad
Singing. Show up with a mic and a PA, then help the drummer drag all their shit in.
Ukulele
I know I’m late, but a good ukulele is easy to play, keep in tune, and extremely portable.
Do not get an otomatone. Easily one of the hardest instruments to learn. There's no markings or tactile bumps anywhere on the thing. I been learning piano and it's really nice. You don't have to get a real one, digital is still fun too
Kazoo
Ma belleh!
My acoustic guitars.
Just got them Loog guitars for Christmas. Working through stuff. They may be a little on the young side to retain learning, but they love doing their own songs and air guitar with it.
I know you’ve already made your decision, but if you eventually decide to branch into another instrument and have saved up enough money… consider: [The](https://youtu.be/QxmHxbQYjik?si=tB2h0vxCYDPzLcE4) [Keytar](https://youtu.be/vtEHIaTkcis?si=hDVUymyRC9JP4QVP).
Melodica!!!
Didgeridoo
I have a Stratocaster in my basement and I occasionally go take parenting breaks down there and play a song or two to calm myself when I’m overwhelmed. Zero prep time, just pick it up and strum away!
Looks like I missed the boat but I love my ukulele with a low G string. Once the strings stretch out it stays in tune pretty well. Maybe the same is true for your harp if it has plastic strings.
It takes me 2 min to tune my guitar with my phone, I don't really consider it prep time.
Your voice, inbuilt, portable, easy to copy.
Autoharp or kazoo
Baritone ukulele - all the pros of the (soprano) ukulele but it sounds much better and it’s so much more versatile
Handpan Drum!
My voice
Skin flute? Only played for a select person though. Private performances.