Kid Guitars
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Learning to play the guitar, a cost effective venture
Monday, March 21, 2011
posted by SKWiley 1:17 AM
Learning to play an instrument has been proven to have amazing educational benefits in children. One of the most popular instruments for beginning musicians is the guitar. However, purchasing all the necessary equipment, like an amp, case and cables, can be an expensive venture. For kids guitars costs are significantly less however with a tight budget parents should consider cheap kids guitars because they are often of very good quality.
For beginner guitar players, there are some easy ways to save money while you learn the ropes. Look for discounted models in online stores; avoid buying secondhand, because you can’t be sure of the quality. Also, if you are just starting, you might want to purchase the guitar first and then go for the accessories after you or your child has played for awhile to see if it the guitar is right for you or your child.
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There are some activities that children can pursue which will truly help them in many facets of their lives, and one of those activities is learning to play a musical instrument. Even if they don’t continue to play beyond school, they will always have the discipline offered by this undertaking. They will have obtained the concrete skill of being able to read music. Overall, a more creative individual evolves.
That being said, it’s a great idea to encourage and help your child in his quest to learn to play an instrument. Whether it’s the guitar, violin, or the trombone one thing to keep in mind is that you should always get an instrument that’s tailored to your child. Check out kids guitars if that’s your child’s instrument of choice. If cost is an issue there are many cheap childrens guitars available that do not skimp on quality. Childrens guitars are a little smaller and easier to handle and just remember that as your child grows, their guitar will grow with them!
Exposing Your Child To The Joys Of Making Music!!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
posted by SKWiley 1:05 AM
The ability to play a musical instrument is often a very joyful experience. It feels good to be a part of the music culture and playing the guitar is so all American. Guitar playing allows one to tap into many types of music as well as explore entire bodies of work that came before. Borrowing bits and pieces from blues legends, country greats and rock and roll icons allows one to make a musical statement.
Beginner childrens guitars can be very self-enriching for children, but they’re also a great source of entertainment for young ones. Many children and adolescents use their musical skills and abilities as an impetus to branch out socially. Even the most famous musicians often got their start in a local rock band or a mediocre jazz ensemble. Conscientious parents should consider giving their children every tool necessary to fit in and excel in social circles.
Sometimes, children who are just learning to play the guitar have only been exposed to a very limited type of musical styles. Rock music has been a mainstay for many years on the pop and there are plenty of rock songs and videos to be found on the radio as well as on TV. But there are many diverse blends and other musical styles that employ the guitar in very different ways?
Flamenco and folk music, just to name a few, are very different from what is easily heard in today’s pop culture. Both flamenco and fold music make great use of the capo, a device that is attached to the guitar at a certain fret in order to raise its overall pitch. The capo is especially useful with acoustic guitars for kids as a child’s fingers are often too short to create adequate chords.
Music therapy is an accepted type of psychological treatment that became popular during the height of World War II. Ever since, many licensed therapists have sworn by its’ benefits. A music therapy session can encourage the patient to follow the therapist’s lead or compose his or her own piece. According to the Psychiatric Times, music therapy is often used with children suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.
Just the sound of music in and of itself has many therapeutic benefits and it should come as no surprise that something like the strum of a guitar could make a measurable difference toward reducing anxiety levels. Many guitar manufacturers today make acoustic guitars for children as part of their line and these guitars can be used in music therapy. There’s something about the rhythms and the melodic tones that affect us at a primitive level. Children don’t need to understand these principles in order to benefit from them
When a child dreams of becoming a ‘Rock God’, a lead guitarist most children imagine themselves playing extended solos in front of adoring fans. In truth, the best rock songs are almost always held together by a solid rhythm guitar player,(an unsung hero who provides the backbone for the song). Rhythm playing might seem boring and not glamorous but it is absolutely essential for any traditional rock song structure. Take Pete Townshend for example, a very competent and capable solo player but without his great rhythms Roger Daltrey’s voice and Keith Moon’s drums wouldn’t have come across as well as they did.
Children begin to lay a basic foundation of musical knowledge with their kids guitars when they are young so it’s a good idea to get them off on the fight foot. Have your child listen to some examples of some quality rhythm playing. You might begin with something obvious that is has a lot of guitar riffs, like something from the Who. Bad habits are hard to undue so learning proer technique, like good rhythm is essential.
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.
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.