In most German states summer break is slowly coming to an end and soon it’s back to the classroom. And honestly if I think about it I’d love to be back in school again… our favorite subjects back then? Music and sports… obviously!
If you’re interested in electronic music production instruments and or singing you’re in the right place. On audio.tips musicians and producers can find useful personal tips for every budget.
Studio equipment for kids teens and beginners in music production
You’re young and want to get into electronic music production or learn more about what it’s like to work as an audio engineer? On audio.tips we share practical guidance and real-world tips for anyone who wants to dive deeper into music production songwriting mixing and mastering.
If you want to make music on a PC or Mac you’ll need music software (a DAW = Digital Audio Workstation). If you also want to record singing rap or instruments you’ll need an audio interface a microphone and closed-back headphones.
On our Thomann landing page you’ll find the best studio equipment recommendations for kids teens and beginners:
If you want to learn more about setting up your own home recording studio and understand audio interfaces microphones and more take a look at our studio equipment guides for beginners and newcomers to digital music production:
- Entry studio equipment guide
Young people have it easier….
Kids and teenagers usually learn new languages or instruments a bit faster than adults so start early.
As a music producer you don’t have to be a multi-instrumentalist but you should know what a scale is and develop an ear for harmonies and rhythm. After all when you’re in the studio you want to understand what a singer is trying to explain or notice when a drummer is playing the agreed rhythm too slow.
Pick an instrument that fits you and that you can identify with. Piano or guitar are super versatile and let you play in many different kinds of bands but traditional instruments and electronic instruments are popular too.
Useful ips for parents kids teens and beginners in music production
We had a detailed phone call with the helpful team at Thomann and got a lot of useful tips for kids teens and parents. Here’s an overview of Thomann’s best back-to-school options:
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Guitar bass and ukulele
- Ukulele: suitable for kids from around 4 to 5
- Classical guitar and electric guitar: suitable from around 6 to 7
Click here and scroll down a bit to enter the age and find a suitable guitar: Acoustic guitars for beginners
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Drums and Percussion
- Bongos djembes frame drums (and pots and pans 😉) can work even for very young kids
- Junior drum kits for kids can be played from around 4 to 7 (hearing protection recommended)
- From around 8 and up bigger drum kits with 18" and 20" bass drums are a better fit
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Piano & Keyboards
- Keyboards with velocity-sensitive keys are suitable for kids around 3 to 5
- For kids a keyboard may feel easier at first because the keys have little or no weighting
- Digital pianos and grands with fully weighted keys and hammer action are suitable from around 6 to 8 (best case the child can already read music or had early note training in kindergarten)
- A stool and an adjustable (!) keyboard stand is enough as accessories
- Keyboards should not sit on a table and should be at a comfortable height for playing (parent tip: headphones)
- Learning to read music and scales happens at school with private teachers in music schools or with colorful key stickers for keyboards and pianos
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Wind instruments
- Wooden recorders can be played from around age 3
- Flutes with a curved headjoint are suitable from around age 5
- Kid-friendly saxophones are available from around age 8 (earlier is not recommended because children’s teeth are still developing and a stable set of teeth is needed)
- For trumpets a stable set of teeth matters too and they’re usually suitable from around age 7 to 8 at the earliest
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String and orchestral instruments
- With string and orchestral instruments size matters and arm length matters too (stretch out the left arm and measure from the collarbone)
- Small 1/16 violins can fit kids around age 3 to 5 (roughly 35 cm to 45 cm arm length)
- Teens and young adults can go for a full-size 4/4 violin
- For cello it’s not just arm length but also finger length
- Kids around 3 to 5 can start on a small 1/16 cello while kids from around 9 and teens can move up to larger cellos
- For double bass you also need to consider eye height—1/16 double basses are usually suitable from around 118 cm to 125 cm eye height
- 4/4 electric violins are suitable for kids and teens around 9 to 11 with an arm length of about 60 cm
- 4/4 electric cellos and electric basses are more for adults teens and kids from around 10 to 11
For instruments for very young kids that are made of plastic or include plastic parts make sure they have a CE certification. Ideally get advice on site or simply ask our friends at Thomann directly. You’ll find the right department contact on the product page.
You’re born with talent as a musician…
…you hear that all the time but it’s rarely the full truth. Musicians practice too — especially in the beginning. They practice their techniques every day even when it’s exhausting. If you want to achieve something you’ll have to give up a few things and that can include skipping the occasional party because you’ve got band rehearsal the next day. Stay true to yourself — life will reward you for it.
Learn notes and piano in a playful way with keyboard stickers
With TasTutor keyboard stickers you can practice and learn scales in a playful way using the printed color scale. The best part is that over time you stop relying on the colors and keys and you internalize the scales through playing and practice.
You can order TasTutor keyboard stickers here via the official webshop:
The stickers fit any digital piano and keyboard with up to 88 keys.
Keyboard stickers for DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations)
A DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is software for producing music and editing and recording audio. For digital music production you’ll need a DAW and a computer.
Some of the most popular beginner-friendly DAWs include:
There are also a few free DAWs (with limited features but still useful). If you want to learn more about DAWs check this out:
Summer break in Germany
If we’re doing this then let’s do it properly. We’re not letting anyone take away the anticipation so here are the calendar dates for summer break in Germany.
Stick to our recommendations so by the next summer break you can already listen to your own songs 😎🎸
Summer break Germany by State:
Baden-Württemberg 27.07 - 09.09
Bavaria 31.07 - 11.09
Berlin 13.07 - 25.08
Brandenburg 13.07 - 26.08
Bremen 06.07 - 16.08
Hamburg 13.07 - 23.08
Hesse 24.07 - 01.09
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 17.07 - 26.08
Lower Saxony 06.07 - 16.08
North Rhine-Westphalia 22.06 - 04.08
Rhineland-Palatinate 24.07 - 01.09
Saarland 24.07 - 01.09
Saxony 10.07 - 18.08
Saxony-Anhalt 06.07 - 16.08
Schleswig-Holstein 17.07 - 26.08
Thuringia 10.07 - 19.08
Want to learn more about music production? Check out our studio equipment guides or our audio software guides and discover our news and deals.
