A lot of children are getting into music at a young age because of video games such as Guitar Hero. After they’ve pretended to play, it’s hard to ignore the idea of teaching your children how to play an instrument for real.
The first point in teaching a child to play is that the instrument can be fun and to get the child interested in playing. If the kid already plays the video game and recognizes the sound of a guitar, then getting him or her to enjoy playing a real guitar may not be a hard task.
Teaching a child to play
Parents can become involved in the teaching process and help kids with their lessons by explaining them in terms their children would understand. The folks can also provide additional materials, if needed. Parents do not necessarily have to have prior knowledge and experience, just a willingness to help the child learn.
Preparing the guitar is an important aspect in learning how to play. The guitar will need to be in tune before anyone plays it, so the chords sound as they should.
Kids will also need to learn to read chord charts. Printing out blank chord charts can help the child understand, and learn to read a guitar tab.
How to hold the guitar is another important step in the learning process. Videos are available online to learn the correct position to hold it in, but children should hold the guitar so the neck is parallel to the floor while they maintain good posture.
Their right arm should be on the top of the guitar with their left hand on the neck, the thumb on the back of the neck and the fingers on the fretboard.
Benefits of an instrument
For a child, the benefits of learning to play an instrument, whether it’s the guitar or something else, can serve as a significant form of childhood development, including academic achievement, improvement in self-esteem, or a heightened sense of self-discipline. Musical instruments can also help a child with self-expression that may not be possible in other forms.
Guitar lessons
Guitar lessons can be cheaper than learning to play other instruments, because they are often set up in large groups with a range of styles from which the child may choose. Family sessions are also available.
Individual lessons are available for kids, when the instructor comes to their home if privacy is preferred or the family has a busy schedule.
Various types of lessons are available to fit the child’s and parent’s lifestyle to make it easier to stick with the regimen. Lessons can be scheduled online as well as over the phone with organizations that can call on experienced teachers.
Originally posted on September 5, 2013 @ 2:07 am