Kid Guitars

Rock and rap have long been the dominant forms of popular music here in America; every once in a while you’ll hear a novelty song or a particularly catchy piece of world music pick up some steam on the charts, but those instances are few and far between. By listening strictly to Top 40 radio or chart-topping mp3s, a young guitarist is deprived of the influences that went into creating rock music as we know it.

The most obvious forerunner to rock was blues music. When kids pick up childrens electric guitars, they should be encouraged to learn a few blues licks. Blues is structurally simple but emotionally complex – one’s vocals and method of playing guitar make a huge difference. Still, it’s possible for a total amateur to create serviceable blues songs in a relatively short period of time. When the kid becomes frustrated with more elaborate songs, try switching back to basics with an old blues standard.