Singing towards musicianship

A fun way for young children to discover their musicality is to play singing games.  These can be as simple as throwing a ball or beanbag back and forth while singing the words, or as complex as passing an object around a circle while singing.  Children naturally sing in a musical way, meaning they usually have the right inflection and phrasing, even if they haven't acquired tuneful singing yet.  When children know a song well enough to sing it while engaging in an activity, such as throwing a beanbag back and forth to a partner, they are able to then keep the tune going in their head while figuring out how to play it on the instrument.  They usually can slow it down in order to connect their fingers with the right notes in places where the melody and rhythm moves faster.  This skill is very helpful in building confidence to learn other songs that might not have words or the lyrics are unknown.  I often tell my beginning parents that daily practice is important, but it won't always involve the instrument.  Sometimes, you just have to sing and rock back and forth, or tap your knees, or throw a bean bag, or march around the room.  Whatever it is, include singing in your practice routine and watch your children get excited about learning and playing their songs.