Kid Guitars
Posts Tagged ‘learning guitar’
Most people who pick up a guitar dream of being a lead axmen for a band that sells out arenas around the globe. While it isn’t bad to have lofty aspirations, the truth is that it is becoming more and more competitive to make it as a lead guitarist. That doesn’t mean that the dream of being a star in a rock band has to die.
While there is an abundance of superb lead guitarists, there is a lack of the less noted, but equally important, bassist. While the bassist rarely makes it to the spotlight, musicians and true music fans know that the bass line is often the pulse of a song. Taking the time to learn bass guitar not only will improve your prospects for a musical future, but it will also give you a better appreciation for the intricacies of music.
While there are many different activities with which your child can become involved, you should always encourage their particular interests and passions. And if they’re interested in playing an instrument in the band or orchestra, you can be wholeheartedly behind them, because there are definite and numerous benefits to receiving a musical education. For one, when they learn how to play guitar, or any other instrument, your child garners a sense of accomplishment. It’s a difficult task, and when they grow and succeed, they’re sure to feel good about themselves.
Playing musical instruments also teaches them a definite sense of discipline. Again, learning an instrument is hard, and reaching any level of success is dependent on dedication and discipline. There are also stress relieving qualities to playing an instrument, and this can be particularly helpful when your child reaches adolescence. And lastly, there have been many studies that indicate music helps our brains develop and thrive. Typically speaking, children that play instruments do better in school and other mental arenas.
The world may never agree as to the precise moment when the electric guitar became the coolest instrument of all. Was it the mid-1950s, when Chuck Berry cranked out the infamous lines to “Johnny B. Goode”? Others might point to Bob Dylan’s decision to plug in for a rousing performance of “Maggie’s Farm” at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. In any case, generations of guitar gods have been defined by their ability to wield the electric ax.
Few of those rock stars would readily admit it, but it’s rather easy to learn how to play guitar. In the past, aspiring guitarists had to seek out a mentor or a paid instructor to sit down with them and start from scratch. But now, in the age of computers and instant Internet access, software programs do much more to aid wannabe rockers. These programs feature tutorial videos and can be used at each novice’s preferred pace.
On their debut album Pablo Honey, Radiohead included a song entitled “Anyone Can Play Guitar.” While some people have interpreted this phrase as a musical philosophy proclaiming that proficiency with an instrument is relative, the slogan can also be understood from a practical standpoint: it really is true that anyone can learn to play guitar.
The first step to playing guitar, or any instrument for that matter, is learning how to read music. While chords will allow guitar players to imitate their favorite songs, to truly understand the fundamentals and develop a skill set that transcends any particular instrument, it is necessary to learn to read music. The easiest instrument to develop this skill on is the piano, which is why most people start there.
We recently purchased a childrens guitar for our son Josiah. We are glad we purchased this as he is quite an eager student of the guitar. In addition to finding a very competent instructor for Josiah, we have also found a really good learning guitar instructional DVD for him as well. We will give this to him for his birthday next week.
We were on the fence about getting him a kids guitar because we thought that his playing it might get in the way of him doing other things, (i.e. schoolwork) but this has not been the case at all. Instead he seems to be more focused and disciplined not just about playing his cool guitar but also being more thorough in other areas of his life. I am a bit surprised but I couldn’t be more pleased! I think having your child learn how to play an instrument can often have many unforeseen benefits!
As any guitar player knows, the first few weeks are the toughest. It takes will, determination and discipline to keep progressing forward with the instrument when all signs point to the fact that you’re no good. In reality, not even the most naturally talented guitarist is any good after just a few sessions. There’s even some evidence to suggest that the Beatles were a lousy bar band until they put in thousands of hours of rehearsal time.
In his recent book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell studies those successful individuals who amass great wealth and fame beyond most people’s imagination. Gladwell asserts that people such as Bill Gates and the Beatles are not merely geniuses who would succeed under any circumstances. Instead, he posits that they arrived at great heights by practicing their skills for hours and hours on end. Gates spent months tinkering with computers in his garage and the Beatles played to empty barrooms in Germany for several years. This theory should serve as an inspiration for kids – convincing them not to put down their childrens guitar so soon.