Children's Guitar Lessons
Is the Guitar the Right Instrument for my Child to Learn?
If you're considering allowing your child to attend guitar lessons then it would be wise to consider a few things, namely:
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Will your child have time to practice?
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Do they enjoy listening to music?
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Do they have an adequate attention span to attend lessons?
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Are you willing to manage your expectations of their progress?
Paving the way for your child to get the most out their guitar lessons will be pivotal to both their enjoyment and progress as they come to terms with both the cognitive and physical aspects of learning a musical instrument under the guidance of a guitar teacher.
Choosing the Right Guitar
Choosing the right guitar at the right size will be essential for your child otherwise it could spell the end of their interest if they feel that that the instrument is either too small or too large. Even though I do not teach classical guitar, these forms of guitars are ideal to learn regardless of the musical genre as they have are available in several sizes and have nylon strings which are kinder to young fingers than steel strung guitars.
Classical Style Guitars
Various sizes of classical style guitars available.
Important: The age to sizes stated are for guidance only and will depend on your child's physical stature and their rate of growth!
Although sizes are suitable for 4-6 yr olds, I normally take students from 9 yrs of age.
Acoustic guitars are available in different sizes ranging from 'Parlour' up to 'Jumbo' and steel strings are just one of the characteristics.
Electro-Acoustic guitars have built-in pick-ups to amplify the sound and can be plugged directly into PA systems or amplifiers where the sound can be treated with many effects such as reverb, delay, chorus, flanging, EQ and compression.
Many young students start on more user-friendly classical style guitars before progressing onto acoustic guitars.
Acoustic/Elecro Acoustic Guitars
Important: The age to sizes stated are for guidance only and will depend on your child's physical stature and their rate of growth!
Electric Guitars
Electric guitars open up a whole new world as they tend to be easier to play in terms of the strings being closer to the neck of the guitar and the width of the neck being slimmer.
Although the sound can be manipulated by exotic digital effects to a huge degree, you can't replicate the warm sound of an acoustic guitar as the sounds resound from within the hollow body.
If you wish your child to specifically learn on an electric guitar, many companies offer 'starter' packs which comprise of:
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Guitar
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Strap
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Amplifier
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Lead
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Plectrums
What will a Child be Expected to Learn?
Remember, a child's brain will be like a sponge and totally open to the learning process so it's a great time to introduce them to the fundamentals of learning how to play the guitar. From the outset, learning will concentrate on:
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Posture
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Holding a plectrum
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Tuning the guitar
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Replacing strings
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Reading TAB & chord charts
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Strumming technique and patterns
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Open position chords
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Using a metronome
Learn and Play Some of the Most Famous Songs Ever Written
Learning as little as 15 open chord shapes will open up a catalogue of famous songs which were written using these types of chords. These include carols, nursery rhymes, riddles, jingles, lullabies but it doesn't stop there! These very same chords have been used to compose 1000's of popular songs and classics which have featured in the charts over the past 50-60 years. Which ones I hear you ask?
Here's a small selection:
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Knockin' on Heaven's Door - Bob Dylan
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Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
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Mull of Kintyre - Wings
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Sweet Home Alabama - Lynard Skynard
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Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
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Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
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Hotel California - Eagles
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Wonderwall - Oasis
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House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
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Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
All these songs use open chords as the basis for their arrangement with other more 'fiddly' and complicated musical passages placed over the top of them. After mastering the fundamentals, attention will be turned to other subjects which include, scales, arpeggios, harmony, theory, finger-picking and all the other topics which make up the learning lexicon of guitar lessons.
The Essential Accessories
To create the ideal practice environment, you would ideally have several accessories which you can read about on my Guitar Practising Tips page.
To Consider...
Most children who don't practice of their own volition will see it as a chore and give up in early years which would be such as shame. Praise such as 'That sounds wonderful, how do you do it!' is much more preferable to dangling financial carrots as children should be allowed to develop a natural passion for music which will serve them for the rest of their lives. The joy from playing in a band, learning a song you love or just playing in front of friends and family will be something that is special - one of the biggest regrets of many adults being that they didn't learn to play a musical instrument earlier in life.
Top Tuner Tip
Regardless of the type of guitar your child will learn on, ensure they have a guitar tuner as it's a nightmare trying to learn on an instrument which is out of tune and will definitely not help with regards to confidence or recognition of pitch.
Advances in technology have meant that tuners can be clipped to the headstock of any guitar using the reverberations through the wood and are relatively cheap considering the accuracy and piece of mind they offer.
Learning via the Rockschool Syllabus
Although most students prefer to learn at a leisurely pace, you can choose to follow the Rockschool syllabus for acoustic or electric guitar attaining grades one through to eight. For whose thinking of following a degree in music, grades qualify for UCAS points.
Guitar Lesson Prices
£16 - Half an Hour (Individually) | £22 ea - Half an Hour (Two people)
£24 - Full Hour (Individually) | £30 ea - Full Hour (Two people)
These rates are for lessons taught from my home. Home visits are possible but subject to availability, address & subsequent costing
What they say...
“My 9 year old son is a total beginner and is thoroughly enjoying his lessons with Dave. He’s learning simple songs and chords and his confidence is growing enormously. Dave has a patient, encouraging manner which my son responds to very well. My son looks forward to each lesson and is keen to practice what he’s learned after every lesson (not the same story with his school work!) An excellent tutor..”