Posts Tagged ‘guitar lessons’

The Benefits Of Learning To Play Guitar At An Early Age

Sunday, August 22, 2010
posted by SKWiley 2:26 PM

As a parent you want your children to lead well rounded lives and be involved in extracurricular activities.  Many parents choose to get their children involved in learning how to play an instrument. In this regard, you need to consider enrolling your children in guitar lessons.  Guitars for children come in many shapes, styles and sizes so you are bound to find one that is suitable for your child! There are many benefits to enrolling your children in guitar lessons at an early age. One of the most basic benefits of allowing your child to take guitar lessons early in life is the fact that they will be able to start the process of learning guitar when it will be easier for them to learn. Research has demonstrated that children that take instrument lessons earlier in life normally are able to master that instrument more quickly and more effectively. Another benefit of exposing your child to guitar lessons at an early age is that they will be able to take part in an activity that they enjoy because children who are exposed to instruments at a very young age seem to really enjoy the whole process of learning to play.

Yet another benefit associated with guitar lessons is the idea that you will be exposing them to music and the arts which may help to broaden their appreciation of the arts.. You also want to keep in mind that many schools today have cut out music lessons and classes for youngsters so if you don’t expose your children to guitar lessons at an earlier age, your children may not have that option ever again in the future.  Another benefit that children enjoy by getting involved with guitar lessons is an expanded chance at socialization. Not only will your children be able to interact with the instructor but your children will also be able to interact with other students as well. Finally, by getting your children involved in guitar lessons, your children may also have the chance to perform. Performing can really enhance your children’s sense of self, self esteem and so forth.

Teaching Kids To Play Guitar

Thursday, August 19, 2010
posted by SKWiley 12:15 PM

Most People approach arranging guitar lessons for kids with some trepidation.  Give a kid a cool guitar and they, more often than not are ready to go! One of the most important jobs in giving guitar lesson however,  is grabbing and holding the person’s attention. When you are giving guitar lessons to kids you need to be constantly renewing his or her interest. All kids have a favorite song so guitar lessons should contain some songs that they are familiar with and like. That way when you get to a snag like learning a chord that your student finds a little tricky, singing the section of the song to relate it to the chord will be a help. It is important to let kids know that the end result of the guitar lessons is he or she being able to play their favorite songs.

In the beginning, don’t give kids songs that are too difficult for them to master. If they wants to learn something that is too advanced for them, gently guide them to something that is easier to play.  Two-chord songs like Iko-Iko, or Skip To My Lou should be in your repertoire.   You’ll know when it’s time to use three chord songs, such as Latin, rock and country songs. As far as the theoretical side of guitar for kids goes, it is best to give it in small doses. Guitar lessons for kids should never stop being fun.  So a kid can take plenty of theory as long as it is linked to a song or an idea that interests him.

A Bad Decision Turned VERY Good!!!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010
posted by Guitar Mom 12:57 PM

After a lot of begging from our youngest son, we got our youngest son a childrens electric guitar for his birthday this past February.  We just weren’t sure we wanted to get him this because of cost and we also wanted our son to focus on other interests.  At the time we had our son involved in boy scouts,  basketball at the YMCA, and church choir.  He begged us for an electric guitar and really wanted guitar lessons.   We were afraid if we got him a kids guitar it would detract him from his other interests and even more importantly his schoolwork.  Much to our delight and even utter shock this hasn’t happened at all!

Not only has our son continued to pursue his other hobbies , (except for choir) but he seems to show more responsibility in most aspects of his life including his studies!  With guitar, he really appears to have more of a passion and because of this he has really picked up the basics of learning to play guitar and read music rather quickly.  He also knows that he will not be able to continue to play the kids electric guitar if he doesn’t complete his homework or continue to get good grades.  He knows that we also expect him to be involved in other activities to live a well rounded life.  Our son is willing to do whatever it takes so he can continue playing guitar.  The guitar in a roundabout way has taught him discipline.  Unknowingly, it was one of the best decisions we ever made!

Learning To Play Guitar Chords

Monday, August 9, 2010
posted by SKWiley 12:54 PM

Once you’ve purchased a beginner guitar and have begun taking lessons you will soon realize that it is necessary to learn how to play chords if you want to progress as a guitar player.  Some guitar lessons for beginners will include a lesson on how to read chord charts.  If your lessons do not include learning chords or reading chord charts, you can often find the resources you need online. A chord chart looks like a square filled with grid lines.   Most of the time there is a letter printed above the box. This letter,  which is sometimes a letter and a number or just two letters, indicates which chord is depicted by the chart. There are five columns within the grid and each vertical dividing line represents one of the six strings of the guitar. Filled-in circles are printed on various vertical lines, positioned between the horizontal lines indicating which frets should be played. Some chord charts may also have open circles positioned above the grid indicating that an open string should be played.

While it takes time and practice to learn how to play chords, online resources like free guitar lessons and chord charts make it easier and less costly for aspiring guitarists to develop their skills. Tit is often helpful to try a few different options to discover which works best for you. If you discover that simply practicing your chords is not working for you, you may need to seek additional instruction from a qualified professional or by enrolling in a guitar class. The very best of luck to you!

What to Consider When Learning Acoustic Guitar

Thursday, August 5, 2010
posted by SKWiley 1:24 PM

Some people choose to never develop a deep understanding of the acoustic guitar. That doesn’t mean that a person can’t have fun by just being an amateur guitar player by learning a few chords and practicing the technique of strumming.  Fortunately, there are several styles of amateur guitars that a beginner player has to choose from.  There are also a variety of guitar styles that come under the heading of “acoustic guitar”. There is Celtic guitar music that grew out of the folk guitar boom in the nineteen sixties.  So, as well as folk music, there is the classical guitar which is classical music played on the guitar.  Then there is Flamenco, the traditional music of the Gypsies of Spain, and the Bossa Nova music of twentieth century Brazil.  There are lots of free guitar lessons on the internet and all basic lessons apply to the acoustic guitar. All acoustic guitar players will learn about chord families, strumming techniques, picking strokes, tuning your guitar and how to change the strings.  It is very important to get your guitar playing posture correct.  Your posture governs how you look and feel when you are playing.

Even though you want to learn for free, many people who have gone through the experience of teaching themselves say that taking several months of guitar lessons at the beginning is much better than struggling with the basics by yourself. If you are looking for free acoustic guitar lessons on the internet, Google is the place to start. Just do a search for free guitar lessons, or free guitar lessons with the name of your favorite music inserted somewhere. Google books has all the good books on learning acoustic guitar, and many of them have extensive previews. Your next stop should be Google video or YouTube for free video guitar lessons. As you go through the free acoustic guitar lessons on the internet, please remember to keep it simple. It can be tempting to get distracted by some interesting guitar lesson video that is outside your main area of interest, but as you are still learning, it is best to stick to the basics for now.  You’ll be happy you did later.

Tips For The Beginner Guitar Player

Saturday, June 19, 2010
posted by SKWiley 1:38 PM

It is important to find a good quality guitar one that fits the body and is not too difficult to play.  Guitar size is very important for children who want to play guitar. Because of the variety of kids guitars a child can often find a beginner kids guitar that is a good fit. Now that you have already purchased a guitar you will probably be exploring ways to begin your musical journey. The Internet is probably one of the best places to look for free online guitar lessons.  One could enroll with a guitar teacher, purchase guitar books or simply learn the guitar at the comfort of your home with video or online guitar lessons. Getting the guitar tuned is the most basic thing that a guitarist must know.  Very often, beginner guitarists have problems tuning the guitar because their aural skills are not well developed yet. One simple way to overcome this issue is to purchase a chromatic tuner to aid you in tuning the instrument.

A better understanding of the guitar starts from having knowledge of the different parts of the guitar. Understanding the different parts of the guitar and how they work, helps one have a better grasp of guitar techniques such as palm muting and whammy bar. The greatest advances have been made in the guitar instruction and are now available on the internet. There are subscription based sites where you can have access to hundreds of lessons, including audio, video, and written materials. There are also many good learn to play guitar software packages you can get. Many of them are instantly downloadable, and allow you to be learning how to play your six stringed axe within a very short period of time.  Best of luck!

When There’s A Will There’s A Way!

Thursday, June 3, 2010
posted by Guitar Mom 2:49 PM

My daughter loves music and seems to have a good sense of rhythm and timing.  She has always loved music class at school and has stood out as a good performer in church choir.  As of late she seems to be focusing on the guitar and her wish to learn to play both acoustic and electric guitar.  I am for this idea even though it is a struggle to accommodate my children’s needs as a single parent.  My oldest son said that he can help me search online for a beginner guitar that will be more affordable than if we tried to buy one at a local music store.

As a single mom I am pretty lucky to have good kids who are more than willing to be of help and who do try to understand that in our house money doesn’t exactly “grow on trees”.   My daughter will want to take guitar lessons and she knows that we might not be able to afford them right away.  She told me that there are guitar lessons online for kids with beginner guitars.  It is nice to see that there are so many affordable opportunities for children learning to play the kids guitar.   Life isn’t always easy but I do believe that when there is a will there truly is a way!

Basic Fundamentals For Beginner Guitar Players

Wednesday, April 21, 2010
posted by SKWiley 1:05 AM

After deciding to take guitar lessons you first need to find a guitar that is suitable for you.  Do you want to play electric or acoustic?   There are many different beginner guitars to choose from. After you decide which type of guitar you want to play then you have the choice of deciding what style of lessons you want.  You can take lessons from an instructor or learn how to play guitar from courses on the internet.   Just remember that no matter what type of lessons you take, there are certain fundamental things to keep in mind in order to become a good guitar player.

First and foremost, it is absolutely essential that you know how to tune your guitar.   Every guitar player should start to play guitar with the knowledge of how to tune it. As a guitar player you must know where to place your hands.   For guitar beginners it’s so important to learn how to hold the guitar and place your hands correctly.  All musicians should learn to read music. The notation and tabs are the international language for all musicians from around the world. Strumming techniques are essential if the guitar player wants to play rhythm in his music. For beginners finger picking is an extremely important skill to learn even if you choose to play electric guitar.  Finally you cannot be a good guitar player if you do not learn how to play basic chords and chord progressions which will help you learn actual songs.  Best of luck in this very fun and worthwhile hobby!

When Learning Is Fun!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010
posted by SKWiley 11:12 PM

Guitars for children come in different shapes and styles and there are plenty available to suit your child’s needs.  If you decide that you want your child to be a good guitar player and want to learn more about guitar lessons for children, here are some important tips: The first and foremost thing that you need to remember when you want to make guitar lessons interesting for children is to find some songs that they would like. This is a sure fire way to hold their attention and get them interested in the session The second important idea to remember when dealing with guitar lessons for children is not to teach them something that is too complicated. Even if they want to learn something that is difficult, you should gently the steer the discussion to some other topic.

You should make the theoretical part of guitar lessons for children as interesting as possible.  You need to make sure that the lessons are fun for them. At no point in time should the children feel that they are being burdened with something that is not interesting to them. This is something that you need to look for carefully whenever you are on the lookout for children’s guitar lessons.  Making learning fun not only holds their interest but can help ensure that your child continues to grow as a musician.  Best of luck to you and your children as learning to play guitar can be quite fun and worthwhile!

A Guitar Worth Working For!

Saturday, April 3, 2010
posted by To The Beat 12:28 PM

Our son informed us that he recently signed up for guitar lessons being given at school with his best friend.  He really seems to want to do this and I guess my husband and I will start to look at beginner guitars that we can afford.  This might be easier said than done.  We have been shopping and looking online and took our son with us yesterday.  He agrees that it would be good to start with a beginner guitar.

Finances are tight right now and we are hoping that our son can contribute to the cost of this amateur  guitar.  He is willing to do whatever it takes because he really wants to learn guitar with his friend.  I think it’s a good chance to show our son that if you really want something in life it’s worth working for!

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