I often get asked from subscribers and students about lessons for kids. In particular, if any of my courses are suitable for kids and grandkids.
I’ll be the first to admit that my courses probably are not the best for kids. The one exception to that might be Beginning Blues Guitar, but only if you have a kid that is actually into blues.
I’ve definitely taught a LOT of kids over the years. And there are some things I’ve noticed to keep in mind with kids…
Here’s the link for the Kids Rock course I mentioned in the video.
If you have any other resources you’ve tried and had success with, please add them in the comments section below…
12 replies to "Kids Learning Guitar – 7 Important Tips."
Just added this blog to my favorites. I take pleasure in rendition your own blogs and too wish you retain them arriving!
Hi there,
I am 56 yr old from the Netherlands Learning to play myself. But my son started some years ago at about the age of nine. I didn’t play myself (was learning the harmonica at that time.) So I had to bring him to a teacher. All was okay until at a certain point when he started to loose interest.
A while later he had stopped the lessons and almost stopped playing all together, what disapointed me because he had some talent.
Now here’s the thing.
At a certain point I had decided to learn the guitar myself also, and when I started playing my first fragments of songs, this where songs that he never learned, he wanted to show me that he could play them better than me. He just couldn’t stand the old man getting the better of him,….haha
Truth be told,….he does. 🙂 but hey he’s got a headstart.
Now he is 15yrs old and still playing and showing me new stuff he learned. Now I am sure that when he is ready to start seriously learning, he will be ready for it, and has a good basis.
Now all i want is to get him hooked on the blues like me, so we can play together some day.
This is a great post, particularly since my 13 y.o. daughter just asked me about learning to play. I think the advice about keeping the sessions short is right on. We happened to have a 3/4 size guitar around that is a good fit for her, so one of the first things i did was to put it out on a guitar stand so it is accessible and she can easily pick it up and practice without having to deal with putting it away every time. My wife happened to find a groupon discount on online guitar lessons so we decided to give that a try. I really didn’t fully appreciate just how good BBG is until I looked at the alternative!
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