I just bought a mini bass for my first grandkid. (he just turned one)
I’m 58, only discovered the joy of bass about 2 and a half years ago. My one and only regret is that I did not get started earlier, when all I had was time! None of my friends played, their were no high school groups (at least that I knew of), so I never had the exposure- although I have loved music my whole life.
I hope to retire (or semi-retire) in about 5 years, and along the way, my plan is to keep expanding my music room so that when the little ones come to visit they will have an opportunity to make noise. Maybe they take to it, maybe they won’t- and I certainly don’t plan on pushing the agenda. But I just think if I have a few mini instruments around, at least they will have options.
I’ve been looking for a mini bass for awhile because I saw one or two pop up on Reverb in the past. This Greg Bennett Corsair has been around for several years, but I could only find one retailer (and it was overseas) that still sells it. Didn’t want to go higher than $200, and this came in at about $190 I think.
Seems to be pretty solid and looks great. Only weighs a little over 5 pounds and I think its about 25.5 inches. It looks tiny, even compared to my short scales- so its really what I was hoping to find.
Decided to pull the trigger now, and just keep it boxed up for a few years until little Leo shows any interest. (or perhaps if I am blessed with additional grand kids in the near future)
I was afraid if I waited 5 years or more, could run the risk of having to spend more $$$ on future prices! Keeping it a secret for now, I am sure my family would think I am crazy.
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If he becomes enthused about it, you have given the gift of a head start in music. If he doesn’t, nothing lost. You never know what direction kids are going to go, but I can say for sure how great it is to give them every opportunity you can to help them succeed.
Bravo to you!
My grandson expressed some interest in learn a musical instrument and although it’s not a bass, I got him this Ukelele when I was in Hawaii last year. They need to be encouraged.
Just to talk a bit about my experiences as a bit of a spoiled child in my early upbringing: I am a second child so my parents already had a bunch of stuff. Also I’d say my parents were upper middle class with no monetary issues to worry about (as long as they stayed married). My mother was very very veryveryVERY keen on us, my brother and me, learning instruments.
Our toy collection included a ukulele, a xylophon, a glockenspiel and even a real violin. My mother had secret hopes for the violin.
She send us to something called “music school” which should help develop musically. We did lessons as kids in which we clapped syllables, played songs on the glockenspiel, learned rythm. My brother went on to learn keyboard but quit after 2 years. I never continued anything apart from trying to learn guitar at 18. There again - my mom immediately paid for private lessons.
While it is really nice to be supported in any way I want looking back and thinking on it not having to do or prove anything to get all the doors opened might have something to do with quick loss of interesting/never really putting time into it. It rarely felt like I was doing it for me and a bit pushed onto me, except for the guitar thing.
That’s just my perspective I wanted to share. If there’s motivation and interest coming from him - great. Just don’t be dissappointed if it doesn’t happen.
Sure - It’s a Jekyll/Hide thing. As soon as I pick up that bass I immediately become extemely bratty. “But I don’t wanna start cooking. I wanna play bass. wuäh wuäh wuäh”
There was a time when I had an entire music room filled with instruments when my grandkids were young. I think they were about 7 when I started breaking them in on youth sized guitars and bass (even though I didn’t know bass back then)… I even started my own kids on instruments at an early age back in the early 80’s…
Now my music room is minus several electric guitars, acoustic guitars, numerous keyboards, and at least one classical guitar. The instruments they have of mine now are not really cheap either… Not overly expensive, but each grandkid (mine are all in their late teens and early twenties) has watched me play each of those instruments over time. They’re always excited to talk music with me which is so damn cool, and will always call or text me with a music question… Even cooler…
So, was it too early to purchase an instrument for your grandson?? Not only NO, but HELL NO!.. Expose it to him early on. Let him hold it and sit next to you while you are playing yours… Let him see how you enjoy playing, and how you enjoy him there with you holding the same thing that his gramps has. Priceless…
I forgot about the grandparent privilege in my post. It was different for me because it was coming from the parents but as granpa you are allowed to spoil away! (while getting irritated/annoyed glances from your children wondering why they weren’t spoiled like this! - at least that’s the kind of interaction I usually observe)
Still a good idea to wait until the interest develops naturally.
@juli0r - it’s not about the instrument… It’s about the bond.
A grandparent will always look at a grandchild much differently than they did their child. A grandchild will always look at their grandparent differently than their own parent… It’s not about the instrument. It’s how you use it.
Wow, thanks for the insight! You are describing exactly what I have been envisioning, so im glad to hear how things have worked out in your experiences. I’m just an overly excited first time grand dad and looking forward to what the future might hold.
My two cents of experience with my son (now 3 year old) is, kids simply don’t interact with objects like we do…
We got him a strider bike as soon as he started walking but he would simply turn its wheels with his hand all day long dragging it everywhere. Now at 3 years old he is a pro of that bicycle but the thing was super durable… Survived unspeakable treatment that I wouldn’t want any musical instrument to suffer.
I also got him a ukulele which he rarely touches even now.
That bass will sure come in handy if they develop interest but you should also be ready for it getting dragged around like a little car or used as a stick!
Personally I am looking forward for him to develop even the slightest interest on a drum set so that I will have solid ground on bringing this home the same day…
I mean come on… We already have a bassist in the family
I was cleaning out the spare bedroom closet yesterday in preparation for the arrival of my daughter’s family for the holidays and discovered this little guy, a Squire Bullet.
This was my daughter’s guitar probably 18 years ago. She watched her older brother play, but then never did really bond with it. So now I have a mini Strat and a mini bass for the future grandkids to beat up! As my musical journey progresses and some of my own tools are becoming more $$$, it will be nice to have something to put in little hands without worrying about damage to my my own toys! (And at the same time encouraging the joy of music and being creative )
Haha, yes, electronic drums are next on my list to conquer… er, at least to bang on. Bass, guitar, synth, recording tools, etc- drums are a logical step. Now if I can only convince the wife!
I started playing piano at age 4 1/2, so its never to early to encourage, and honestly, my one piece of advice is don’t force it, let them feel out what they think is cool, what they like, I played piano for probably 8 or 9 years before I picked up my next instrument, (sax), and then it wasn’t until I was 16 that I picked up bass, and the only reason I did that was because I saw everyone played guitar and it was over rated and over used. so everyone is different, and it takes time
I always kept decent sounding instruments around sitting out for the kids. They knew which ones were fair game and which ones needed adult assistance (or those were hidden). My first daughter never touched any of them. If I played she liked it, but they may as well have been hot lava for her. Last week she asked me about chord notation so she could pass her high school music class. Then she plays for me a song she wrote for her friend, which she dismisses as not really being anything. I asked her what one of her favorite songs is and then showed her how what she just learned for chord notation makes the structure of the song. She downloaded a little synth onto her phone and could play along To her favorite song with chord tones. That was interesting to her.
I would always keep lots of creative supplies available of different types. The first daughter chose rather to sit and draw and color.
The second daughter had one of those hammer and peg things and would hit it with steady rhythm at 18 months. For this one I luckily found a percussionist preschool teacher who would come over and just jam rhythms with her. She will roughly play drums along with me on Seven Nation Army now. She didn’t have much melody interest until I played a tune she likes to sing and then she came over and wanted to learn it on the piano.
I treat it like fishing. Throw something out and see if they go for it.
