Article Source: https://www.abc.net.au/education/what-is-the-best-musical-instrument-for-your-child/102371184

As parents grapple with making the right or best educational decisions for their children, the questions about learning a musical instrument will often come up.

Not just one question, but many.

Should I encourage my child to learn an instrument if they don’t seem to have any musical talent? What is the best age to start my child learning an instrument? Should I get them private lessons or will they get the opportunity at school? And if they do, will it be as good or better than a private teacher? Is it vital that my child learns a musical instrument at a certain age? And if I don’t start them when they are younger, have I let them down as a parent?

The research into music learning and brain development that I work with has given us a deeper understanding of how music learning can enhance cognitive capacity and function, but it has also added to the list of questions parent look to ask.

A very common question I get asked is: which instrument is the best one to learn for my child’s cognitive development?

Which instrument is the best?

To a point, neuromusical research has compared the different impacts that learning specific musical instruments can have on brain development, particularly through childhood.

Research has found that those students who learned harmony instruments — including the piano, organ or guitar — performed better on cognitive tests.

Drummers have been found to have thicker fibres connecting the front half of their brain’s hemispheres, which promotes cognitive flexibility and adaptability.

Learning a musical instrument in a group has been found to have a positive impact on language development and possibly executive functions in childhood.

However, this research has not highlighted a stand-out musical instrument to learn in order to enhance cognitive development.

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