A lot of parents want to know how and when to start guitar lessons for their kids. Here are a few main points we tell those parents who call our music school with questions.
We Have a Guitar, So Where Do We Go From Here?
First response on our end is the question, “How old is your child?” And then, “Is it a full size guitar?”.
There is a right guitar fit for different children. A full-sized guitar wouldn’t be appropriate for an eight year old, for example.
Oftentimes, the parents aren’t sure and in that case, we just have them come in for a first lesson and check out the situation ourselves. From there we can assess whether the guitar that the student has is the right size or whether another size would be better suited for the student’s size.
We Don’t Have a Guitar. Is There One You Recommend?
Yes! Any guitar on Amazon that has a lot of reviews and 4 or more stars will do fine for a beginner’s guitar!
We highly recommend getting a guitar kit that includes a tuner, guitar case, a guitar pick, etc. Students will need all of these gadgets anyway.
Guitar Lessons Kids or Ukulele Lessons for Kids?
Sometimes, for our youngest of students, we recommend purchasing a ukulele and taking ukulele lessons for starts. Ukuleles are smaller, simpler, and have one less string than a guitar.
Especially if the child is very young and the parent wants to put in as little financial investment as possible to see whether the child is serious or not, a ukulele is a good way to go.
It’s easy to transfer from ukulele lessons for kids to guitar lessons too, no problems there.
Is There A Ukulele You Recommend?
Our answer is the same as guitar, any ukulele on Amazon with lots of reviews and at least 4 stars is great for a beginner’s instrument.
And just as we recommend with the guitar, we recommend getting a kit with the ukulele that has the carrying case, tuner, etc.
I’m Afraid My 5yr Old Won’t Sit Through a 30min Guitar Lesson.
No worries there! We have worked with all ages and levels and have found that breaking up the lesson with music games that teach musical concepts is the way to get the most out of 30min with our youngest students.
This way, the time is fun and interactive and not all focused on the instrument.
We are even able to incorporate games and activities with our guitar lessons for kids as well!
If you feel like your guitar teacher is losing your students’ attention and not incorporating learning games to break up the lesson time, don’t be afraid to make the suggestion!