Guitar Lessons for Kids: Here are useful tips and ideas that will ensure that your children stay on track and do not give up learning midway.
We all know about the benefits of music, and I’m sure even you would want your children to learn music. But one of the major challenges that many parents face is how to motivate their children to continue with the music lessons.
It is very easy for kids to get excited about certain things, and if their interest levels are not maintained, they can easily get bored and stop using/doing that thing.
Motor Skills
We all know about the benefits of music so we won’t go in to the details of that.
But assuming your child shows an interest in the guitar, how soon should you get him/her started?
Compared to other musical instruments such as the piano, where children as young as 4-5 years also get started, a guitar requires better motor skills and hand strength.
Pressing the strings, changing from one chord to another requires strong and nimble fingers, which your children are unlikely to develop till they are eight or nine years old.
Once the fingers are developed, they can get started with the guitar lessons. If your kids have smaller hands then they may start on 1/2 size guitars, which are more comfortable to hold even in the smallest hands.
Using Force?
Forcing kids to take lessons may not work; a better approach would be to try to convince them by highlighting the several benefits of learning music, and also ensure they learn some of their favorite songs, once in a while, from their teachers.
Music Workshops
One of the best things to do is to check in your locality if any music workshop is being conducted for children.
These usually are held on the weekends or lasts for a few days during school vacations. They even provide musical instruments and their aim basically is to introduce you to the basics.
This is a good way to determine if your kids are really interested in Guitar Lessons.
Invest in Budget Music Instruments
There is no point in buying a top-of-the-line guitar if you’re not sure if your child is going to learn to play it.
And even if your kid shows potential, you could very well upgrade to a quality instrument a few years down the line, as he/she improves.
More Ideas
Here are some more ideas that you could implement to keep your child from quitting guitar lessons.
Give What They Want?
Teaching the basics is fine, but do consider what they wish to learn to play, and provide that from time to time.
Make it Entertaining
As a teacher you need to make it entertaining for the kids to learn; you need to use lots of graphics and videos. You also need to show the passion and interest yourself!
Reward Them
Reward them if they are doing well and make them feel proud of their achievement. It will make them motivated to play the guitar better.
Don’t Be Too Harsh
Though inculcating discipline is good, don’t push your kids too hard. They do need to practice but don’t make it too painful for them.
To Conclude
There could be various reasons why children may lose interest in music lessons, and one of them could be that they are starting very early. Kids are not the patient type and so when it comes to learning the guitar, the lessons need to be entertaining and their curiosity levels have to be maintained all the time.
So wait till their fingers are ready, and don’t spend a lot on the first guitar. Get something playable and spend the money on lessons, and see how they fare. You can always upgrade to a better one if they show interest. This is how you need to introduce Guitar Lessons for Kids.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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