Kid Guitars
Archive for September, 2009
For decades, children have had a fascination with the guitar. Along with the piano, it’s one of the most often used instruments among soloists, and the airwaves and music videos are rife with guitar music. Some people enjoy the pageantry and posing, others the crisp, melodic tone. Unfortunately, many children end up practicing the instrument alone in garages or bedrooms, afraid that their inexperience should be revealed to an audience.
In truth, the full potential of kids guitars can only be unlocked when they are played with some form of accompaniment. The Beatles didn’t just stumble upon their talent and success overnight; rather, they spent tens of thousands of hours honing their act. If kids don’t have the luxury of strumming their guitar alongside a drummer, a metronome is the next best option. It will keep the child’s playing on track and give him a benchmark for timing purposes.
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.
Many children demonstrate an interest in playing percussion from the moment they hear that drums are taught in band class. Others pick up the knack from an older brother and his guitar band. Still others show a natural rhythmic talent through dancing and impromptu drumming on household items like a tabletop or a tin can. In any case, that rhythmic ability can grow exponentially with the help of kids drums.
Of course, there’s more to playing the drums than just beating the skins with a blunt object. Kids should be taught to pay close attention to the condition of the drum heads so that they can be changed when needed. The life of a drum head depends on the frequency and intensity with which it’s struck. Generally speaking, double-ply drum heads sound bigger and have shorter life spans than single-ply heads, which have a ringing tone.
It’s no secret that successful drummers must have an impeccable sense of rhythm. No matter the musical genre – rock, jazz, bossa nova, etc. – the drummer is responsible for keeping the rest of the band in step. While lead guitarists can easily get off track with their noodling solos and excessive posing, the drummer is always there to reel them back in with a steady beat.
That’s not to say that drummers can’t have some fun of their own. If your child is just learning to play kids drums, make sure he or she takes the opportunity to display some creativity. Drum fills occur in between the structured rhythm parts, and they are almost always improvised on the spot by the drummer. Take your child to a live show and point out the moments when the drummer institutes a fill. In its own way, the drum solo or fill can be just as exciting as a guitar solo.
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.
Creativity for youngsters with kids instruments
Most kids today have a lot of energy and often don’t know the best way to channel it. Sports can be a wonderful outlet for them. But for the youngster with untapped creative juices, playing an instrument can help teach them discipline while nurturing the artist within, Why not consider kids drum lessons? (provided you can also give them a sound proof studeo).
Familiarize Kids with the Parts of a Guitar
It’s not abnormal for kids to arrive at their first guitar lesson with a total dearth of knowledge about the instrument. One school of thought argues that it’s best to start with a clean slate – that way the child hasn’t learned any bad habits and her tendencies can be molded according to the instructors wishes. That might be true, but it’s still essential that kids know something about the anatomy of the guitar in order to prevent future embarrassment.
Above the neck of the guitar, one will find the headstock, which in turn bears the tuners. The neck itself is home to the guitar’s frets, and the six strings run along its length to their terminal points in the headstock. The dots that are strategically positioned on the neck’s surface between the frets are known as position markers. The sound hole lends acoustic kids guitars their noise-making capability.
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.
It’s only natural for kids to move quickly from one activity to another, so it’s up to parents to emphasize the importance of guitar care and maintenance. The electric guitar is particularly susceptible to damage when the user is negligent, so it pays to keep close tabs on the instrument’s storage and treatment when not in use. Hard shell cases are adept at protecting childrens electric guitars from scratches, bumps and punctures.
Guitar stands are often overlooked, but their benefits are quite obvious upon closer inspection. While most kids and even adults simply lean their guitar against a wall or piece of furniture after playing, this practice can prove destructive. The guitar could easily tip over of its own volition or be knocked down by an errant foot or a passing pet. A stand keeps the guitar upright and secure – ready to be played whenever your child is ready to practice.
Kids don’t always treat their property with the respect and care it deserves, and who could blame them? When you’re a child, you’re too full of energy and enthusiasm to notice the fragility of objects such as musical instruments. It’s therefore important for parents to instill a modicum of respect for the child’s guitar. Since these instruments are generally pretty serious investments, they should be cared for in the proper way.
A hard-shell kids guitar case represents the best way to protect the instrument from potential damage. A few drops and dents won’t make much difference to the musical integrity of the instrument, but those minor problems can really add up over time. They are particularly helpful during car trips and plane rides, when it’s no longer practical to keep a guitar out of its case.