Kid Guitars
Kids Guitar Information
Archive for March, 2011
Be patient with a beginner guitarist while she learns to read music!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
posted by SKWiley 10:35 PM
Most children who begin learning to play an instrument don’t express a desire right away to learn how to play music. For the beginner guitarist, the very thrill of strumming the guitar will sustain their interest for awhile however parents will need to impart some type of order in their child’s learning experience. It’s a good idea to allow a child to learn some songs by ear but then move on to learn how to read standard music notation.
Be patient with your child and try to give her all the time she needs to become comfortable with her kids electric guitar. Kids can learn to play music with kids electric guitars and kids acoustic guitars. You might notice that the staff and the notes on a piece of standard music notation are very piano-centric. While the language of standard notation matches up perfectly with a keyboard, transcribing guitar notes is much less intuitive and harder to learn for beginners. It’s only natural for guitar players to take a bit longer to learn to read music.
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My son has a really special birthday coming up and I want to make it as memorable as I possibly can. My kid will be turning five and I’ve never seen a kid more excited in my life! He says that because he is getting older now and will soon be facing the responsibilities and rigors of kindergarten next year, he believes that he has earned the right to own a drumset just like his cousin. Ok! My girlfriend who has been like a second mom to him is a little leery but I think it’s pretty cool! Because he is only five, we have begun looking at three piece kids drumsets. I think my girlfriend will be more on board when she sees that a kids drumset is not as expensive as she might think. I have bookmarked some really great websites!
I think we should let the kid fulfill his fantasy because kids need to explore all kinds of interests when they are young. My nephew will get quite a kick out of this and will probably even give his little cousin a few pointers. I think when it’s all said and done my boy will have one ‘rockin’ birthday!
Did you know that drums are the world’s oldest musical instrument? Before the materials used to make drums today were found, different tribal groups have already played the drums in order to create sounds and rhythms in certain religious rituals. Drums were used for tribal dances or simply to deliver a message or signals. Drums are usually cylindrical in shape and are open on one or both sides.
Drums have really evolved because nowadays, together with other instruments, drum sets are being used by drummers in a band. A full sized drum set today often consists of: drums, cymbals, triangles, chimes and tambourines all at the disposal of today’s rockers. To play the drums, you can use two sticks, your fingers but for floor drums, you need to use your foot to step on the foot pedal. If you start your child with some kids drums you will be off to an interesting adventure with a lot of history behind it!
As adults we are often very aware and sometimes even ‘painfully’ aware that kids have a great deal of energy which can appear to be almost infinite at times. Parents are often looking for an outlet to channel this energy and often do this by signing their children up for a variety of sports. Physical activity is a great way to tire a child and keep him from bouncing off the walls but sports aren’t the only outlet for parents to consider. Playing a musical instrument is a great way for a child to release energy while unleashing a flood of creativity to your child’s brain.
Kids drum sets are the ideal musical instrument for energy release. If you’ve ever been to a concert, I’m sure you’ve seen a live drum performance. Watching an artist wail away on the drums usually causes him to break a sweat. Your child will be able to exercise his or her arms and legs – don’t forget about the workout from the foot pedal! You might want to take a serious look at childrens drum sets as they can serve many and varied needs for your child!
In today’s tough economic times, many states are forced to make budget cuts, and school budgets are unfortunately part of those cuts. One of the first programs that are often cut in schools is the music program. Most people believe music education as expendable and not important compared to math, science, history and English, but the benefits of music education are more valuable than most people realize. Studies show multiple benefit of music education for children, (i.e. early musical training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning and helps develop spatial intelligence). Studies also show that kids who study the arts do better on standardized tests, like the SAT, and achieve higher grades in high school overall.
If your child’s music program has been cut or reduced and they don’t have an opportunity to learn how to play an instrument in school, you will have to be proactive in order to ensure that your child still gets a musical education. You might decide to invest in a fun instrument that’s easy to learn how to play, like a guitar. There are plenty of guitars for children available to fit your child’s needs such as kids acoustic guitars and even electric guitars for kids. Kids can learn from group or individual instruction or can take lessons 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 might not have access to at school.
While there’s no substitute for actual practice time when learning to play guitar, a beginning musician can also benefit from listening to professional guitarists. A good exercise for a beginner guitarist is to close their eyes and try and visualize exactly how a guitarist is playing their instrument at any given moment during the song. While listening to a piece of music it can be hard to believe that certain guitar effects are the result of time-tested techniques and not the result of some sort of studio wizardly or electronic trickery.
The palm mute, is a very subtle but yet essential skill for kids trying to master the guitar. It probably goes without saying but a child should not start with a full sized guitar and there are many different variations of guitars for children in which to choose. Finesse is very important when utilizing the palm mute because the picking hand needs to be used to muffle the strings while playing a particular chord simultaneously. The heel of the hand should rest lightly on every applicable string while the thumb and forefinger are used to pick as normal. This technique requires a lot of practice but is quite doable and will certainly add to a guitarist’ repertoire of skills.
As we all know kids don’t sit still very well. As young musicians they sometimes don’t understand the importance of taking proper care of their instrument, all the more reason why parents need to emphasize and demonstrate maintenance. The guitar is a perfect example. 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. Parents can choose from various sizes and styles of guitar cases for kids to protect their childrens electric guitar.
Guitar stands are often overlooked, but they have more benefits than one would realize. While most kids and even adults simply lean their guitar against a wall or piece of furniture after they are finished playing, this is really an accident waiting to happen. The guitar could easily tip over on it’s own accord or it could be knocked down by a family member or a passing pet. A stand keeps the guitar upright and secure – ready to be played whenever your child is ready to practice.