It's Never Too Early: How to Help Your Child Learn to Play Guitar

Have you noticed that your kid has affinities for music? Do you think he or she has the potential to learn playing an instrument? Learning music is a wonderful thing. Kids tend to learn things easily and if you let them learn music, you’d do a wonderful job. Kids who are learning music tend to have better social, artistic and academic results.

If you’re wondering what sort of instrument your kid would love (and that would be within your budget), you might want to start with something smaller that would be interesting and attractive for them. Guitars are a good instrument, to begin with.

Kids guitars are specially made in a smaller size so your kid will have no troubles holding it. To make it even more attractive, the instrument can come in any colour your kid prefers. So, if your kid’s favourite colour is green, get a kids green guitar.

Let’s check a few tips that will help your kid progress into a little rock star.

Depending on your kid’s age, it’s essential to pick an instrument that won’t be heavy for holding. If your kid is three or four years old, they would see the guitar as a toy. You can pick one with three strings so your kid won’t get confused and could easily learn how to play.

When it comes to small children, it’s crucial that you don’t force the instrument to them. Let them see it as a toy that produces lovely sounds when they drag their fingers through the strings. It should start as play, so your child would love to return to their favourite guitar.

Unless you’re a musician yourself, hiring a guitar teacher would help your kid learn the basics. Now the essential thing about music teachers is that your kid likes them. We’ve all heard stories about strict music teachers who make kids feel uncomfortable. The point is your kid should want to attend the lessons.

In the end, you’ll get the quality based on the price. There are many excellent musicians out there who are not the best teachers. What use your kid will have from a person who isn’t able to share the knowledge in a way that is understandable for a child. The music teacher should be your kid’s role model. Your kid will learn the best when they have fun. So, be careful in your selection, unless you want your kid to abandon the instrument soon.

Children take on your musical tastes, especially when they’re younger. You can start by playing quality music in your car while taking your kid to school. Listening to the radio talk shows is not going to help your kid start loving listening to new music. Turn off the radio and make a great playlist that your kid will listen to. Maybe your kid wants to listen to modern hits, but slowly expose them to good music from all decades that feature great guitar sounds.

Most guitar chords are a great challenge for the small fingers of a five or six-year-old, so the chords should be adjusted for them. Your kid shouldn’t have a hard time playing. Simplified chords and easy strumming patterns are an excellent beginning. Your kid would be better of starting to learn an easy song. First, they should listen to the original song several times so they can get used to the melody.

With a good teacher and with dedication, your kid will learn to play the song by themselves. Encourage them to sing along while playing. Baby steps lead to great steps, so let them take enough time to learn. Encourage their success even if it’s a small one. Kids’ guitar lessons begin with G, Em, C and D Chords. Many songs can be played with these chords (literally anything from modern music to classic rock). What’s important is that the chords are adjusted to the kid's age.

Your kid's guitar teacher will start teaching them easy and short melodies mainly from familiar songs kids love to hear. This is a wonderful way to start. Practising simple melody lines and using only one string will assist the dexterity of their playing.

Patience is the key. Be patient with your child and celebrate their small steps. Kids learn fast so don’t be surprised if they have a mini-concert in front of you shortly after they started learning how to play. Your kid must be having fun. This way they won’t connect learning the instrument as something they have to do, but rather something they want to do.

If you know how to play, play along with them. If not, make sure both of you enjoy some great music together. Listen to music regularly and let them listen to various genres. Present them the music you love and let them explore their music taste. Once you buy the kids guitar, place it in a visible place so your kid won’t forget about it.

And finally, practice makes it perfect. Allow them to experiment and encourage them to use the guitar even if they know how to play e couple of chords only. Invest in a guitar that is suitable for your kid. We suggest you pick a guitar that has three strings so your kid won’t get confused or frustrated while learning how to play it. It should be proportional to their age (pick a smaller size if you have a young kid). Remember, it’s all about your kid. Let them pick the model and the colour they want, whether that's a kids green guitar or one with fun patterns.