Kid Guitars
Archive for the ‘Acoustic’ Category
Those who don’t know any better might associate the word “slur” with the incoherent ramblings of someone who’s had too much to drink. To the seasoned musician, however, the word has an entirely different connotation. Slurring is a technique used by classical guitar players; it’s basically the same as what an electric guitarist would call hammer-ons and pull-offs.
The technique can be performed easily on kids guitars; like anything else, it just requires some practice to perfect. To perform a hammer-on, the fretting fingers should be holding a note after a single pick. Then, without a second pick, a few fingers are used to slap out the next note on a higher fret. Pull-offs are achieved by literally pulling a few fretting fingers off the fretboard to reveal a lower note that’s already being held by a single finger.
If you’ve seen the hilarious faux documentary “Spinal Tap,” you might remember that the titular band turns all of its amps up full-blast. In fact, they aren’t even satisfied with the “max” setting, upping the ante to 11. While this idea makes for good comedy, it’s hardly the recipe for success as a new guitarist. Balancing the equalizer settings on childrens electric guitars amps can mean the difference between pristine sound and a muddled mess.
To set the equalizer, begin by switching to a clean, clear sound without reverb. Switch the bass, mid and treble settings to zero. Fine-tuning the bass settings requires that you strum a power chord featuring the lowest two strings. Crank the dial up until you hear an audible swell in noise and keep the setting where it is. Repeat this process with the middle two strings for mid and the highest strings for treble. You’ll need to start the process anew if you switch rooms, as the new venue will feature different acoustics.
Music therapy emerged as a viable form of psychiatric treatment in the U.S. during the height of World War II. Ever since, many licensed therapists have sworn by the beneficial effects of music on a troubled psyche. A music therapy session can take many forms, including allowing the patient to compose his or her own piece. According to the Psychiatric Times, the therapy is often used children suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.
It should come as no surprise that something as simple as the strum of acoustic childrens guitars could make a measurable difference from a psychiatric standpoint. After all, many people rely on music – both as listeners and active participants – to calm down at the end of a busy day. There’s something about the rhythms and the melodic tones that affect us at a primitive level. Children don’t need to understand these principles to benefit from them.
Considering the vast amount of guitars on the market today, it’s not always easy to determine which instrument is right for your child. For starters, take the kid’s age into account. If he or she hasn’t yet reached the age of 9, a ¾ scale guitar is probably the best bet. That way, you can ensure that the child can reach the necessary chord fingerings it takes to make music.
If possible, take the time to try out a few acoustic guitars for kids before buying. Pay close attention to the tonality and sustain of each instrument. You can get a feel for the tonality by comparing a few different guitars and selecting the one that sounds best to your ears. Sustain is determined in part by the width of the strings. Wide strings can sustain a note for a longer duration.