Kid Guitars
Archive for the ‘Electric’ Category
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.
Parents can instill all of the discipline and rules that they want on a child, but the fact remains that kids’ attention spans are limited. If they aren’t constantly being challenged and engaged by what they’re learning, it’s easy for them to lose interest. This is especially true for the childrens guitar – practices aren’t always fun, but a practice regimen is obviously for the child’s own good.
As such, try mixing things up from time to time by encouraging the child to display some creativity. Mandate that she adds some improvisational parts to a song she’s already learned. Adding some variety to a routine can be liberating, and it can keep the creative energy flowing when the imagination would otherwise be stifled. In time, your child will learn which chords sound good in sequence and which ones just fall flat.
Giving up the guitar has always been one of my biggest regrets. I started playing the instrument in junior high school and kept it up through college, when life got in the way. My first job out of school was so demanding that I had to budget my free time very carefully. In order to spend time with my fiancée, the guitar-playing habit had to go. Fortunately, I have the chance to reconnect with the instrument vicariously through my son.
He just turned 11 and has been clamoring for an electric guitar for several months now. With his birthday right around the corner, there was no question about what present to get him; all I had to do was find the childrens guitar suitable for a beginner. After mulling over the advantages of electric and acoustic models, I decided to get him an electric ax. Most of his favorite bands play electric, so I figured he would be more motivated if he could emulate his heroes.
Guitarists and the Struggle to Read Music
Very few children pick up an instrument and display the desire to read music right away. For most, the thrill of strumming the guitar and exploring its sonic possibilities is enough to sustain them for a few hours if not a few days. At some point it does become important for parents to impose some order, but it doesn’t hurt to allow a child to learn a few songs by ear. Then move on to standard musical notation.
Be patient with the child and let him take all the time he needs to become comfortable with the kids electric guitar. Take a look at the staff and the notes on a piece of standard notation and you’ll notice that the coding is very piano-centric. While the language of standard notation matches up perfectly with a keyboard, transcribing guitar notes is much less intuitive. It’s only natural for guitar players to lag behind when reading music.
When most children express a desire to learn the guitar, they often imagine themselves playing extended solos in front of adoring fans. In truth, the best rock songs are almost always together by a solid rhythm guitar player – an unsung hero who provides the backbone for the song. Rhythm playing might not be as glamorous as the solo spot, but it’s a crucial part of any traditional rock song structure.
In between practicing with his electric childrens guitar, have your son sit down to listen to a few examples of quality rhythm playing. Start off with something obvious and heavy on riffs – maybe some early period Who. Pete Townshend was a competent enough solo player, but most critics would agree he was best known for laying down some great rhythms and allowing Roger Daltrey’s voice and Keith Moon’s drums to do the inventive stuff.
In recent years, music-themed videogames such as the “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” franchises have garnered plenty of attention from kids of all ages. The games seem to be just as popular among preteens as they are among slacker college students. Among older musicians and music shop owners, there are two schools of thought regarding these games – one positive, the other negative.
It remains to be seen whether these guitar-playing games will act as a feeder system for kids to learn the genuine instrument. Generally speaking, electric kids guitars remain the best way for children to hone their skills at an early age. Playing a videogame and playing a real electric guitar are two very different skills, and proficiency with one doesn’t necessarily translate to the other.
When my son got his first electric guitar, he was immediately filled with glee. He probably imagined himself jamming out some classic rock staples with minimal effort. Then came the first shock – the guitar barely made any sound at all without an amp to go along with it. The second shock took some time to set in. It turned out that playing guitar is relatively easy but mastering the instrument is a lifelong challenge.
We remedied the first problem by purchasing a mini amp that complemented electric guitars for children. Resolving the second issue to hours and hours of practice, during which time I would offer a few tips and teach my son a few new chord progressions every week. He worked diligently to replicate the styles of his favorite guitar players – Duane Allman and Eric Clapton. By the end of the first year, he was playing jazz guitar in the junior high band and loving his newfound passion.
Just like all masters of their craft, the best guitarists in the world make even the most difficult musical feats look simple. This can be a bit misleading for a young child who’s just picking up a kids electric guitar for the first time. Why is it so easy for Eddie Van Halen and Slash to churn out jaw-dropping solos when most people can’t even play a few notes correctly? Children should be reminded that even their idols had to begin by putting a few chords together.
A chord is a set of notes that are strung together to play a melody. This effect can be achieved through one of two primary methods: plucking or strumming. Chords are broken up into two main categories – minor and major – which are easy to distinguish by ear. Minor chords have a melancholy sound that’s commonly associated with ballads, while major chords are used in rollicking, upbeat numbers.
The Allure of the Rock and Roll Lifestyle
From the time that they’re old enough to watch MTV, many children become obsessed with learning to play the guitar. When you think about it, it’s really no different today than it was 40 years ago, when the Baby Boomer generation grew up idolizing the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix. Guitar players are undeniably cool – they get paid to play music, after all – but it’s not easy to pinpoint the precise reasons why.
Maybe it’s the adoring fans who fawn over every new record and hang on every word printed in magazine interviews. Perhaps it’s all the attention they receive from the opposite sex. Just as likely, it’s the perception that professional musicians have beaten the system somehow – they’ve managed to avoid a boring day job, preferring to make money on the strength of their creativity and style. An electric guitar for children is like a ticket to an exciting new lifestyle.
Many parents are surprised to learn that their kids’ ability to learn to play guitar has little to do with actual musical talent. In fact, it has much more to do with capturing and holding the child’s interest. In order to achieve this goal, try think back on the way your mind worked when you were a child. Did you care about the technical aspects of music, or did you “just want to rock?”
By keeping the lessons fresh and fun, you can hook your kid into learning to play electric childrens guitars in no time at all. First of all, mix in some songs that your child already knows and loves – this will boost his incentive to learn them. In other words, don’t focus too much on classic rock riffs if your kid is more familiar with modern top 40 radio.