Kid Guitars
Archive for August, 2009
Last year, I bought my son a guitar for his birthday. He loved the gift, but like most kids he had no concept of a guitar’s delicate nature. When he was getting ready to take his guitar on a plane trip across the country, I noticed he had simply thrown the instrument into a camping backpack with total disregard. That’s when I clued him in on a few vital maintenance tips.
First and foremost, the strings should be removed anytime the guitar is taken on a long-distance trip. Otherwise the guitar can be put through unnecessary tension, bending at the neck with disastrous results. The instrument should always be stored in a clean, dry place – such as a children guitar case – when it’s not in use. Even the slightest bumps can nick the paint or even dent the body of the guitar, so you’ll need to find adequate protection.
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.
It’s a common misconception that children should begin their music lessons with a normal-sized guitar because they’ll grow into it. In order to truly maximize their productivity and minimize the learning curve, childrens guitars should be tailored to the unique specifications of each kid. Remember that he or she will be sitting still for the duration of the guitar lessons – frustration can set in if the guitar feels too large and unwieldy.
As a general rule of thumb, any child age 11 or younger should start with a three-quarters sized guitar. The scale length is also a significant factor; this refers to the measurement of the neck from one end to the other. When the frets are closer together, it’s much easier for young kids to form chords.
To say that I come from a musical family would be a gross understatement. Although there are no truly professional musicians in our ancestry – at least not to my knowledge –practically every aunt, uncle and cousin has some sort of pet instrument that emerges during reunions and gatherings. I’m a huge proponent of the electric ax, so it’s probably no wonder that I’ve been teaching my 9-year-old the ropes.
We’ve already made plans for Thanksgiving, and it looks like the whole family will be down in Florida. Since we’ll be taking our musical show on the road, I thought it only appropriate that my son should get a kid guitar case. He’s so concerned about his guitar warping or getting wet outside in the rain that he practically insisted on getting a case. We’ve got a lot of practicing to do before my son shows off his talents for his proud family to see.
Selecting the right electric guitar for your child isn’t always easy. Unless you’re a music whiz yourself, there are very few aesthetic distinctions about a given guitar that will tip you off as to its quality. But sound quality, comfort, price and features should all be weighed into the selection process. With that in mind, take the following considerations into account before making the ultimate decision.
First of all, find a guitar model that “feels right” – try to imagine that your child will be sitting down with the guitar for an hour or more at a time. Is it likely that he or she will be able to stick with it? Those odds increase if the guitar is comfy. The next and perhaps most important feature to consider is features. Electric guitars for kids don’t need to be overly technical or covered in confusing knobs and buttons. Simple and straightforward is the way to go.
As a parent just looking for an adequate drum set for your kids, you might not be thinking about the importance of keeping the drums tuned. You might not have even been aware that drums COULD be tuned. But have no fear; it’s not a matter of life or death. Still, if you want to instill good maintenance habits at an early age, you should at least familiarize your child with snare-drum tuning.
The sound of a drum is determined by the tension of the skin as it lies across the drum. You can turn the lugs of the drum clockwise to increase tension and counterclockwise to decrease it. Be aware that if you tighten the drum too much, it will be easily broken with a well-placed stick strike. And we all know that kids are all too eager to bash their kids drum set as hard as possible until they learn better.
If your child is interested in playing the guitar, don’t automatically say “no” just because you think all guitars are expensive. It’s true that adult-sized guitars can cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars, but kid-sized guitars are much less expensive – under $100 in some cases. Guitars for kids are much better for kids to learn on anyway, since they are smaller, lighter and every part of the guitar fits their hands. They also come in fun colors, patterns and styles, so you can find one that fits your child’s personality.
If you don’t want to spoil your child by giving him whatever he wants, try a collaborative method of purchasing the guitar. Make a deal with your child that he can “pay” for half by doing a certain amount of chores or by earning money through babysitting or a paper route. This will teach your child about work, responsibility, and earning and managing money, as well as give him a sense of pride in knowing that he earned his guitar. Look into discount kids guitars to find the most reasonable prices to minimize the impact on his workload and your bank account.
In tough economic times, cities and states are forced to make budget cuts, and school budgets are eventually cut as well. One of the first programs that are cut at schools is the music program. Some may see music education as expendable and not important compared to math, science, history and English, but the benefits of music education are valuable beyond book knowledge. Early musical training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning and helps develop spatial intelligence. Studies show that kids who study the arts do better on standardized tests, like the SAT, and achieve higher grades in high school.
If your child’s music program has been cut or reduced and they no longer have the opportunity to learn how to play an instrument at school, be proactive to ensure that they still get a musical education. Invest in a fun instrument that’s easy to learn how to play: a guitar. There are plenty of guitars for children available to fit your child, and instructional books and simple songs are easy to find at a local store or online. Your child will delight in his or her ability to play music on the guitar, and will reap the benefits of a musical education that they may not have access to at school.