Beginner Guide, How To Play Guitar
What Is the Best Age to Learn to Play Guitar?
Your child wants to learn the guitar, he may be looking forward to improving himself on this instrument.
So what will you do? Where will you start? What help will you get? What are the first steps you should take?
Keep calm and start researching now! Since you are reading this article, it means that you have already started your research from somewhere.
Many children want to learn to play an instrument such as the guitar. Their innate curiosity, imagination and desire to learn trigger this even more.
Such natural factors help your child learn guitar quickly and create a bond with the instrument.
No matter how enthusiastic your child is, he may have trouble learning the guitar on his own. At this point, hiring a private guitar teacher can be much more beneficial. Children can progress much faster with guitar private lessons.
1. Is There an Age to Play the Guitar?
“Is there an age to play the guitar for beginners?” You don’t need to search. The answer is very simple. Your child doesn’t have to be a certain age to start playing the guitar. As long as he can hold the guitar and place his fingers on the frets, he can start learning the guitar whenever he wants.
Generally, it’s best when kids start learning guitar when they’re around 6 or 7 years old. Younger children may not be physically mature enough to play the guitar (their fingers may not be strong enough to press and play the strings). At the same time, they may not have the intellectual maturity for the discipline and concentration required by guitar lessons.
Children need to have a sense of coordination before they can play chords and learn more advanced techniques such as fretting, fingerpicking and chord sequences.
Let’s not forget that learning the guitar has many benefits for children. In other words, guitar education for children can enable them to acquire many different skills at an early age.
2. Benefits of Learning Guitar for Kids
Of course, the biggest benefit of teaching your children the guitar will be that they meet a different world. With a wider community of guitarists; They will develop rhythm guitar and lead guitar, improvisation, arpeggios, musical ear and other guitar skills. They will be able to play songs they love and that you love too, and by knowing basic chords, rhythms and guitar techniques, they will be able to understand guitar songs and guitar music much better.
If they are really keen on learning the guitar, they will grow up with great skill. Among guitarists, they will be experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated. Some of the best guitarists are those who develop muscle memory from an early age.
They will also develop a love of music that starts at an early age and will continue forever. That’s why even when a certain barred chord or a new song pushes them, they won’t give up as long as they have that love in them.
Are There Necessary Skills for a Child to Start Learning Guitar?
Your child should have at least the basic skills and abilities to learn an instrument such as the guitar and should be comfortable taking lessons from an adult or older child.
Even if you find a very experienced, fit and good guitar teacher who has taught before, your child will not learn everything in a day or two. However, we should not forget the fact that children learn something much faster. They will listen carefully to their guitar teacher.
Their brains will perceive what has been taught, and they will enjoy learning new things. The earlier your child starts learning, the faster they can correct their mistakes and master more advanced guitar techniques as they grow up.
It is very important to have three basic things to play the guitar: discipline, patience and interest. And it will be beneficial for your children to learn them in other areas as well.
Because learning the guitar isn’t just about putting a few fingers on a certain fret or anywhere on the guitar. It is truly an intense and formative learning experience.
3. First Steps to Teaching Your Child to Play the Guitar
Before making any plans, you need to find out if your child is genuinely interested in learning. If you’re confident that he’s motivated and serious about it, you’ll have no reason not to let them try playing the guitar, especially with all the benefits that come with it.
Try to introduce your child to music. If you love music and play an instrument yourself, play it for your child and answer their questions.
Is Your Child Ready to Start Learning Guitar?
Once you know your child is really into the guitar, you need to discover which instrument is right for them. Introduce your child to the world of music and give him the chance to try different instruments, including the guitar, and choose from different songs.
When you introduce your child to music in this way, he or she will start to get an idea of various types of music. While listening to music, he may begin to hear different sounds, play himself, and perhaps become more interested in a particular instrument.
Understanding the Different Criteria of Learning Guitar
The most important thing is to assess whether your child is genuinely interested and motivated to learn the guitar, whether it is a fad that arises mostly because of his friends or what he sees on TV. Playing the guitar isn’t like loving Pokemon: It takes hard work to successfully play a guitar chord or a string of chords, learn how to use a guitar pick, or learn how to tune a guitar.
Learning the guitar is a serious undertaking and requires a certain level of discipline and maturity. Your child should understand that guitar lessons at a beginner’s level will have an impact on his schedule and his life: No one learns to read sheet music or play perfect songs on the acoustic guitar overnight.
Talk to them not only about music lessons and guitar lessons, but also about things like music theory, which is a general foundation for learning guitar. Is your child ready to take online or face-to-face guitar lessons, go to one lesson a week?
Obviously, there are other ways to learn to play the guitar, but your child may need the help and guidance of a professional to learn the basics of music theory, how to hold the instrument, and how to overcome common mistakes.
Choose the Right Guitar Before Starting Lessons
Once your child has passed all the tests and proven sincere in his desire to learn guitar, the next step will be to purchase a guitar.
There are specially made guitars for beginners and for children of different ages. You should also get your child’s opinion when choosing the guitar. Instead of buying a very cheap or highly preferred guitar, playing a guitar that he likes will motivate more.
When buying a guitar, you should also consider what type of music your child wants to play. Of course, you can start with classical guitar, but if you are determined about rock music, you can start with electro directly.
Don’t overlook the fact that your child’s guitar will be the center of his new musical journey and should be something he enjoys.
4. Finding the Right Teacher for Your Child
Finding the right guitar teacher; It’s a very important step not just for kids, but for anyone serious about learning guitar.
guitar teachers; It always helps students to grasp the basics of the guitar, learn their first songs, guitar solos and learn different techniques.
The better your technique is at the beginning, the better it will be throughout your life. Because the way a person plays open position chords or the way they put their fingers on the guitar strings gives information about how to continue their guitar journey.
A good teacher is the best way to ensure that your child’s guitar career is built on the best foundations.
Make sure you find a teacher who knows how to work with children. Not every guitar teacher can easily teach children something. You can view the profiles of our guitar teachers on Superprof and see if they have given guitar lessons to children before.
5. How Many Guitar Lessons Should Children Take?
This is a question many parents often ask about their children’s music lessons. It is very difficult to answer because there is actually no answer to this question!
A guitar teacher can assist you at every stage of your guitar playing journey. Yes, working with a guitar teacher is essential for beginners, but even the most advanced guitar students turn to guitar instructors time and time again. This is very important because students value the support given by teachers so they can keep moving forward.
Unfortunately, learning the guitar is not a very fast process. It can take a long time to grow into a self-learning musician. This is not something that will happen in a period or even a year.
So don’t be impatient!
