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Is musical talent inherited?

by ShayB
6 replies
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I have 4 kiddos (3 bio and one sd).

I play 5 musical instruments reasonably well, and I can dabble on a few others.

My ex was also musically talented. (One of his few talents, but anyway...:rolleyes

The oldest boy cares nothing about learning an instrument.

The girls have tried several instruments and desperately want to learn, but they simply don't "have it." They will be able to play, but they don't have the....I dunno...the "grace?" Maybe that is it. Their music sounds stilted.

Anyway, the 4 year old picked up his sister's keyboard and has been playing all day! And it isn't making me run from the room! He is actually just picking the dang thing up and playing it reasonably well.

How can kiddos from the same basic gene pool have such different levels of musical talent?:confused:
  • Profile picture of the author ThomM
    Neither of my parents played any instruments, though my father taught dance in his younger days.
    I had an uncle who sorta played the organ, which he learned after he retired for something to do.
    I started playing drums at 10 after a failed attempt to learn guitar at 5.
    Music was always played in the house so I grew up listening to Dorsey, Miller, Krupa, Rich, etc. When it wasn't big band it was waltzes.
    Hearing that music made me want to be a part of it.
    I don't know if the talent is inherited, but I do know if you have the talent or not, if you don't have the desire you won't play.
    So the question should be is the desire to play an instrument inherited.
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    • Profile picture of the author ShayB
      Originally Posted by ThomM View Post

      Neither of my parents played any instruments, though my father taught dance in his younger days.
      I had an uncle who sorta played the organ, which he learned after he retired for something to do.
      I started playing drums at 10 after a failed attempt to learn guitar at 5.
      Music was always played in the house so I grew up listening to Dorsey, Miller, Krupa, Rich, etc. When it wasn't big band it was waltzes.
      Hearing that music made me want to be a part of it.
      I don't know if the talent is inherited, but I do know if you have the talent or not, if you don't have the desire you won't play.
      So the question should be is the desire to play an instrument inherited.
      I don't know - one has no desire. The others do. Go figure. :rolleyes:
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  • Profile picture of the author Star69
    I don't know if it's inherited or not, but you either have musical talent or you don't. There is no way to learn it. (You can learn to play an instrument and read music but that doesn't mean you'll be any good at it unless you already have the talent.)

    I am very musically talented. I write my own songs, compose music and play numerous instruments, brass, woodwinds even drums, as well as strings and keyboards.

    But my little brother has trouble carrying a tune even it was in a bucket. Not musically inclined nor talented at all.

    But he's an avid hunter and fisherman, even ties his own flies, whereas I might go fishing once every few years or so, and hunting? Never.

    Our parents never played any musical instruments, but mother could sing quite well and father always whistled.
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  • Profile picture of the author Audrey Harvey
    My dad was a bagpiper, as was his father and his uncle. I started learning the bagpipes when I turned 30, and picked it up so quickly I was marching with a pipe band within months. It's not the easiest instrument in the world. I wondered a bit about "genetic memory" at the time:

    Genetic memory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Audrey
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  • Profile picture of the author cj9253
    My dad played the guitar and my uncle played the acordoin.

    I started on the clarinet and taught myself to play the piano. I also took up the tenor sax for a year. (I haven't played in years but I used to be really good.)
    My sister played the flute and the violin.
    My Brother played the trumpet.

    I can't wait until the end of the year when I get a house thats when I will have my baby grand piano back. I loved playing the piano the most.

    Genetics? could be! I don't know for sure. I also agree with Thom that you would still need the desire.
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  • Profile picture of the author Li Weng
    It's not.

    In primary school, my music teacher's son was tone deaf.
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