Drums and other musical instruments serve most often as “noisemakers” rather than as musical instruments for the young child.  However, rhythm instruments, and even spoons on a table, can be used effectively to stimulate music learning.  It all depends on you.  When a child is simply “banging,” there is no musical “thinking.”  It is therefore just banging.  When a child is “banging along” with music, he cannot also attend to the music, as doing the two things at the same time requires greater development.  Pitched instruments, including keyboards, add still more complexity, as they add the tonal dimension on top of the more immediate rhythm.

“Noisemakers” are very attractive to the young child and can actually get in the way of music learning.  Once the child has experienced the fun of “noisemakers,” especially if he has “played along” with singing or dancing, he is likely to want to play the “noisemakers” on a regular basis with music.  It can be hard to then take the “noisemakers” away from the child to direct the focus back to the music.  A child might feel that he is “part of the band” with a drum or shaker, or playing along with a loved one at the guitar or piano, but there is more “role-playing” going on than there is music learning.  Such communal activities can stimulate interest in music activity, which is helpful, or perhaps foster bonding or participation, which are also desirable, but they won’t do much for music learning.  As long as you know the difference between instrumental activity for fun and for music learning, any activity with musical instruments for entertainment, role-playing, bonding, “noisemaking,” participation, or pure fun is just fine.  These goals can be accomplished, however, while also stimulating music learning, making play with musical instruments far richer for music development.

You can use rhythm instruments to effectively stimulate “rhythm babble”—meaningful attempts to articulate rhythm, however imprecise they might be.  Make the rhythm instrument available only occasionally, and use it in the context of CCS Rhythm Activities.  Chant one of the rhythm chants on “Bah,” and then add a drum or rhythm sticks or shaker to your chanting.  Use a chant in Duple meter one day, Triple meter another.  If you always chant when you play the drum, sticks, shaker, or spoons on the table, your child will do the same, chanting as he plays the instrument, or, playing the instrument to accompany your chanting.  The rhythm instrument, or even spoons on the table, will then actually become a musical instrument for your child, stimulating music babble rather than noise making.  If you use a drum or sticks or shaker only occasionally as a special treat, and only in conjunction with a rhythm chant on “Bah,” your little one will, in time, initiate music babble with the drum, sticks, shaker, or spoons and grow into more developed musical activity with the instruments.  Your child will “play music” rather than just playing with musical instruments, as your child will understand that the music of the instrument is an extension of his “musical thinking.”  We should all be so wise!