Kids Learning Guitar - 7 Important Tips.

hello everyone, as a newbie i am 50 yrs old , . practice needs to be looked at as fun. if it becomes dull,boring,stale any one would lose interest,just like anything else. as for younger kids.they can try practicing during t.v commercials, leave the guitar out,practice in groups with other kids (really good to do). short times but more frequent practicing. .also depends on the childs maturity ,not so much their age. some kids are 10 going on 5

For five years I had a guitar shop in the Chicago area, J Guitar, until the city tore the building down for a parking lot. I taught a lot of kids, and found that one of the big issues for them was the size of the guitar. I didn't like to take kids too young for fear they would have a bad experience, and then never pick it up again. I started my own kids on the piano at age five, so they would learn theory, and they moved into guitar when they were 8, and still kept up with the piano.

There are some nice 3/4 and 1/2 size classical guitars available which are easier on the fingers, and much easier to hold. Kids love them.

I also sold a lot of baritone ukeleles, which are tuned like the top four strings of the guitar. they could learn the basics on the uke, which would then transfer to the guitar once they moved up. Ukes are cool too.

good advise Griff....thanks...later.

cowboy

Hi Grif Thanks for those good suggestions about children learning Guitar, its was great , & i would suggest the learning practices you suggest be applied to almost to any age.
I use the 10 min practice then a break, then another 10 minute practice etc to help me learn how to play the guitar,
This was suggested to me by my local guitar teacher & it works .
I am a 77 year old learning slowly to play the guitar,.& God willing i will finish the course
Thanks again, & keep it coming.
Regards, Ken Lloyd

we defentliy need new books for kids between 7 and 14 some kids are i teacher have learning problems, so some times books dont work

Thanks Griff, Im wanting to teach my Grandkids. I really appriciate you, Marty , Dan, and Steve for all your help and advice. You guys do a great service for freeI hope to soon buy some meterial from all four of you gentelmen . Again thank you all very very much I absolutely love guitar and all muscial instruments.

Hi Griff,
Very good information overall. A couple of things came to mind as I was listening and because of my being in the Seattle-Tacoma area, the music variety is high. So, this actually creates pockets of "what's current" being as varied. That being said, I think what interests the younger set may be influenced by "what's current" in their area.

Having a 7 year running karaoke gig (Awesome sound, by the way) I find the younger groups still grasping to what would now be considered "Classic" Blues and Rock. It will never go away.

Other thought, you mentioned keeping the practices short, I heard that and thought to my self... that is a great idea. What popped into my head is the parent child thing about putting things away. A piano is always there and if placed in the appropriate location in the home, the student could pass by it 20 times a day and tinker a few minutes as they pass by. Guitars on the other hand, that's one of those items that most parents zero in on the "put it away" factor. So maybe a comment to those parents would be to have them keep that guitar out and accessable all the time to increase the potential for just picking it up as they pass by to get those quick licks in. I know if there is an interest, the mind is running even if the fingers are not.

Great stuff, I unfortunately don't focus enough on my guitar but when I do, your video lessons are always easy to follow and I do retain a lot of what you are putting across.

Thanks

I'm 67, so my kids AND grandkids teach ME things on the guitar! lol Great info none the less. Thanks Griff.

This is excellent info. Helped me understand my "attempt" to teach my daughter guitar. Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge. Dave