I have read on a number of forums about ADHD children benefiting from learning to play a musical instrument.

Has anyone found this to be true?

The reason I ask is that our son, 11, has just saved up and bought himself an electric guitar.
We are not a musical family, although we all like music we can't read it, but he does seem to be able to concentrate on getting a noise out of it.
We have bought him a beginners book on reading music and are hoping that we can channel his spare energy into something useful.

I'm not a parent, but from what I have seen in myself, and others I've known...whether ADD or not....

It benefits in MANY ways.

1. Gives them something to do...especially if they are really into it, they'd much rather be practicing their instrument than getting into trouble.

2. Useful tool in building self esteem.

3. Useful in helping create new "connections" in the brain....they learn more and more about music....thus opening up a whole world in knowledge in the arts...etc...etc...ack does that make sense.

4. Who knows, maybe it'll become his passion...and he'll buy you a mansion when he's a famous, successful rock star :D

5. It could even give him and his friends more to do and talk about than things they shouldn't, ya know? And he could be an inspiration to other kids to do something creative and fun.

At the worst, it can be a passing interest, but even still, if not given the chance to explore it, then how would it be known? heh

Just my 2 cents

OH, just something else I wanted to add... Not exactly ADD related, but related to your post.

My hubby's cousin has 3 sons who are in a band. The band has 5 kids total ranging from 8 - 13 years old. They've been in this band for about 2 years now.

From what I understand, the kids didn't really have a big interest in anything (even music) but their dad took it upon himself to get them into this. He bought them all sorts of equipment, got them lessons, etc,....and supported them all the way in learning, etc....

Today, 2 years later, those kids can't get enough of it. They play gigs almost every week around and about. All you hear them talking about is music and all that good stuff. They are constantly striving to learn more...I've heard these little boys talk amongst themselves and their friends.

And all this because their dad gave them the opportunity and supported them 100%.
Guess this could apply to other interests as well as music.

I would also like to hear about parents' experiences. My daughter was learning to play the french horn for a few months but gave up because although she liked the private lessons, she abhorred the band practice. Too much noise (she said) and also some harassment.

My nephew is 11 and ADHD. My sister told me he absolutely LOVES "Guitar Hero" and has taken that passion to the real thing. They bought him a guitar for the holidays and he loves to play.

However, speaking from personal experience as a musician and ADDer, I don't expect an ADHD child to embrace the music theory component because it is tedious and doesn't have instant gratification. If music is an absolute passion with your child and they have "the gift", then they just might hyperfocus on the theory part. For most ADDers though, it's like asking them to learn calculus during their free time.

absolutely YES; it channels energy, you have to do "two things at once" to play an instrument anyway, and, it provides friends with similar interests.

My now 12 1/2 yr old son (ADHD Impulsive and Inattentive) has played trumpet since 5th grade and loves being the band. He can't wait until next year when he can do the marching band. He also did singing in 3rd and 4th grade, and was part of the recorder group in 4th grade.

It's been a great confidence booster for him also.

He loves to play Guitar Hero, and is currently teaching himself to play the drums.

He LOVES music and it's a great outlet for him to express himself and use up some of his energy.

:o)

every instrument i've ever gotten into, whether good at it or not, i have given up on either out of sheer disinterest, boredom, or finding that i don't want to put the effort into harder lessons.

however, music provides an unexplainable comfort for many people, especially with ADHD (perhaps it clears the mind, or covers the clutter, whichever.)

i think all kids should play around with the arts - just to see where it takes them.

i would suggest starting with instruments that don't require doing multiple things at once. guitar could be too complicated, reading/strumming/holding chords, but something like trombone or trumpet could be something 'easier' to boost their interest in music - and then they can learn more instruments with a sense of confidence.

when my boy didnt want to take adderal for his adhd I finally decided I would get him the drum set he had been bugging me about. No he didnt want lessons didnt care about that. Eventually he started playing on his friends quitars and keyboards also he is now quite an accomplished drummer and enjoys playing with several different bands in the area.

Another thing i got him interested in is the computer and he uses it to compose and record for different bands in the area also.

kattsqueen (DS is now 24 and considering revisiting treatment for his add)

Ps. all self and peer taught not lesson one

i would suggest starting with instruments that don't require doing multiple things at once. guitar could be too complicated, reading/strumming/holding chords, but something like trombone or trumpet could be something 'easier' to boost their interest in music - and then they can learn more instruments with a sense of confidence.

those are also good because they're quick to assemble and you don't have to worry about reeds or bows, etc. - but whatever they have an affinity for is the best!

Here is my experience with a couple instruments.

In 7th grade or so I started playing guitar. I did lessons and everything, which honestly I didn't get much out of. All I really did to learn guitar was look up tabs and learn to play them. Since, I have played it on and off, never really getting any better. I don't have to attention span to sit there and just mess around on it. I get bored with it fast. I can play some somewhat comples songs very well though. I have great rhythm, my friends even complimented on it. So I never really got very good at guitar.

One of my friends who is ADD got decent at guitar, then tried drums and got really good at those really fast, much better than he was at guitar. One of my other friends is real ADD and he is great at drums as well.

As far as Guitar Hero goes, I don't like the game at all. I can't focus on it enough.

DD begged for piano lessons as a Kindergartner. We got a keyboard and arranged lessons. She hated practicing her scales and simple songs. Probably because she'd already figured out how to play the theme from "Titanic" by ear! She lost interest in going to lessons, but continued to play the keyboard on her own through elementary school. In 5-6 grade she played the viola. In 7th grade she switched to clarinet. She played quite well and got the highest marks in UIL competitions (1's). She dropped that after junior high and got into choir. She's been in choir through high school. The great thing about vocals is that you can't ruin your instrument and it's easy to practice in the car or the shower. :)

I played trumpet & then french horn starting in 6th grade & thru 3 years of college. Being ADD made it a little tough to sit still during long rehersals sometimes (particularly starting out), but marching band was great (HS & college) as it required having to do numerous things at once (play, move, watch your location, listen, etc) which is great stimulation for an ADDer. (not to mention excercise!)

I would not be surprised to see a study done someday that shows there's more ADD in marching band than previously thought. Afterall, ADDers are creative, high-strung folks who need the structure the band provides. (How many ADDers were called "geeks" (aka: "band-geeks"))??

I've tried all the brass instruments back when I was in high school marching band and decided the trombone was the best, but I refused being bossed around and marching all over the place.

And that was that.

My child who was just diagnosed takes piano and it is great - we are now finding out that she is gifted and just couldn't show it until she started her meds.

I was introduced to piano lessons when I was young, but I couldn't sit still. I can play by ear, so I've been playing the piano since I was 7. I also play drums.

Music would really help make connections, and its one of the activities you can do to recruit both hemispheres of the brain. When I practiced drums or piano, the hardest part was site reading but learning to pick up notes or anticipate the next notes before playing it was a task in itself, but it really helped my short term attention span. Even though I lacked in the ability to plan out my next actions, I was able to refine my reflexes to anticipate the next notes or plan out sections of a time for me to focus on.

Any instrument that requires reading music and performing it accordingly, whether it be with dynamics or rhythm will help train short term focus.

Musician of some 30 years standing here - saxophone, clarinet, flute, vocalist, arranger, failed pianist, beginner-quality trumpeter.

One thing to watch, I think, when beginning an ADD child in music is whether they want to start with notes on paper or whether they show a play-by-ear ability. I don't know music education very well, but I do know that in my case, a good ear plus ADD made it very hard to learn to read music at sight. It was a case of heightened difficulties in concentration, visual and abstract processing, plus diminished returns from being able to play and learn anyway - but only by ear.

As a result, I still have major blocks to sight reading - and sight reading is more important than ever today. Music is highly professionalized on all levels. Someone who develops real talent on an instrument but needs more time than others to play the part right will find many, many fewer places to play. They'll think it's because they aren't good players, and many may give up.

And the really sad part is, professionals will probably encourage them to give up. There are no - zero - helping strategies for music reading with ADD. All even the best teachers will tell you is to keep banging your head on it.

I don't know if it's fundamentally incompatible on a brain level - I suspect not - or whether the music ed community simply doesn't care. I suspect the latter. Music is not traditionally a humanistic endeavor, or one where there is much time or energy for self-care.

tl;dr all the posts here... but I feel the need to say this if someone else hasn't already:

DO NOT FORCE THE KID INTO LEARNING TO READ MUSIC.

At least, don't make them believe they have to learn to read traditional bar staff notation to do anything with a guitar... or any instrument for that matter. Once they piddle around with it and become more comfortable, they may want to learn it instead if HAVE to learn it. And guitar tablature is super-easy to grasp. Just support them when they "learn something new". And it really never hurts for them to get a REAL guitar hero. Someone they absolutely adore the works of. Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen, Paul Gilbert, Jimmy Page, Steve Vai, Alan Holdsworth, MAB: a few of the more well known ones. Or whatever kind of music you all listen to. And encourage the broadening of musical styles in his listenings.

Musician of some 30 years standing here - saxophone, clarinet, flute, vocalist, arranger, failed pianist, beginner-quality trumpeter.

One thing to watch, I think, when beginning an ADD child in music is whether they want to start with notes on paper or whether they show a play-by-ear ability. I don't know music education very well, but I do know that in my case, a good ear plus ADD made it very hard to learn to read music at sight. It was a case of heightened difficulties in concentration, visual and abstract processing, plus diminished returns from being able to play and learn anyway - but only by ear.

As a result, I still have major blocks to sight reading - and sight reading is more important than ever today. Music is highly professionalized on all levels. Someone who develops real talent on an instrument but needs more time than others to play the part right will find many, many fewer places to play. They'll think it's because they aren't good players, and many may give up.

And the really sad part is, professionals will probably encourage them to give up. There are no - zero - helping strategies for music reading with ADD. All even the best teachers will tell you is to keep banging your head on it.

I don't know if it's fundamentally incompatible on a brain level - I suspect not - or whether the music ed community simply doesn't care. I suspect the latter. Music is not traditionally a humanistic endeavor, or one where there is much time or energy for self-care.

As far as learning to read music (I have a good ear and was a prof singer) I could not - I had a hard time reading anything - my child, I don't pressure - I think she's learning at her own pace and that is great because I have a half scholarship for her so it doesn't hurt too much financially and plan on her being in Piano as long as she lives with me.