Selecting Your Child's 1st Guitar - What You need to Know
Selecting Your Child's 1st Guitar - What You need to Know
If you're thinking of obtaining your child his or her initial guitar, how do you know if you're choosing the proper 1? As a professional guitar instructor, I've taught several children to play the guitar. Some have started as young as 4, while other beginners have gotten began while within the tweens and teens range.
Parents and teachers usually have questions about the best way to make the appropriate option when buying their child's first guitar. I have collected the questions I have been asked the most, and developed the following guide. For each question below, there's also link to a video you might watch for a lot more data at the end of the article.
In this article, we'll cover these essential questions:
Is my child ready for a real guitar?
What size ought to the guitar be?
Acoustic, or electric? Which is best to begin with?
What price range need to I be looking in?
What brands are very best?
What if my kid is left-handed?
Is my child ready for a real guitar?
Some kids make it obvious: they love music, and they are genuinely interested in learning to play the guitar.
But for other kids, the guitar may be a lot more of a toy or a prop for pretending to be a rock star. There's nothing wrong with this, but if you suspect your kid is not particularly serious about really buckling down and learning to make music, then you may wish to save your pennies and skip purchasing a real guitar for proper now.
If your child shows genuine interest in music, then a real guitar is the method to go.
Even if they're quite young, a real guitar, correctly sized, will be capable of making sounds that they'll be able to manipulate and learn from in a real way.
What size ought to the guitar be?
You can find essentially 3 categories of guitar size, with some variation within every class. Basically, you want the player's correct arm and shoulder to fit comfortably around the guitar, without causing shoulder strain. And you want the left hand to be able to reach to the end of the neck comfortably, so the child can effortlessly make notes and chords.
To maintain it easy, follow these guidelines:
For a little child, (ages three to 6) look for a 1/2 size guitar, or even a ukulele.
For a medium-sized kid (ages 7 to 12), look for a 3/4 size guitar.
And for a big kid (13 and up) or an adult, a full-size guitar is in all probability the very best choice.
Acoustic, or electric: which is very best to start with?
Opinions vary on whether beginners really should begin with an acoustic or an electric guitar.
My personal experience as a guitar instructor has convinced me that the very best indicator of which kind of guitar to start with comes directly from the child.
Has he or she shown a strong interest in a specific style of music? Does he or she ask for a specific type of guitar?
In my experience, the kids who are learning on the type of guitar they are most personally excited about are the children who are the most motivated to practice and to learn much more.
If you opt for an electric guitar, I would suggest obtaining a starter package, which consists of a modest amp and cable. That way you do not need to worry about picking out the necessary accessories for your child to start playing.
If your child has not expressed a preference as to whether or not he or she would like an acoustic or electric guitar, a, I would suggest beginning them on an acoustic guitar.
What price range should I be looking in? What brands are greatest?
You do not need to invest an arm along with a leg on the initial guitar. Actually, you really shouldn't spend an arm and a leg on the initial guitar, in case it turns out to be only a passing interest.
That said, look for starter guitars that are real guitars, made by real guitar manufacturers. Avoid low cost guitars that have been cranked out by a generic factory someplace.
Why? If the guitar does not function well at a fundamental level, it will lead to frustration and discouragement on the component of the learner.
You ought to be able to get set up for a maximum of $200. In several cases you can do just fine for a whole lot less.
What if my kid is left-handed?
I suggest that all beginners discover on a standard guitar, whether or not the player is left-handed or right-handed.
When learning guitar, just like most any other musical instrument, both hands have plenty to learn the best way to do. Both hands will likely be developing strength, abilities, and coordination. No considerable advantage is achieved by using a lefty guitar. In reality, I believe it presents a disadvantage.
Learning on a standard (as opposed to a lefty) guitar insures your child is going to be able to access 95% of the guitars he or she comes across in life. Playing spontaneously at a friend's house or party, attempting out the shiny new guitars in a guitar shop; these activities are open to those who play standard guitar.
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