Learning to play the guitar
-
No not me, I'm too old. But my son wished for a guitar for his birthday, and we obliged. It's an el cheapo, in case the interest won't last, but still a real acoustic junior sized guitar. Now I'd like some tips on resources on how to learn playing the guitar, aimed for kids. All other hints are of course welcome as well, especially about tuning. I've tuned it like a full sized guitar, but I don't know if that's correct.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
The normal tuning is what you want, as for songs, what songs does he like? If they arent what he likes to listen to he isnt going to want to play them, so get the chords and lyrics off the net, get the chord shapes off the net, and leave him alone in his bedroom for a few weeks.
-
No not me, I'm too old. But my son wished for a guitar for his birthday, and we obliged. It's an el cheapo, in case the interest won't last, but still a real acoustic junior sized guitar. Now I'd like some tips on resources on how to learn playing the guitar, aimed for kids. All other hints are of course welcome as well, especially about tuning. I've tuned it like a full sized guitar, but I don't know if that's correct.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
I'd hire him a guitar tutor if I were you - After all: Why should you be the only one to suffer? :doh:
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-----
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-----
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time -
Jörgen, Bring your son to a local music store and sign him up for lessons. There's a huge difference between listening to your favorite music or watching your favorite band and actually seeing your guitar teacher do something that blows your mind. Encourage him to sit and try to figure out how to play songs he likes. I started playing when I was 13 (I'm 47 now). The best I can tell you is let him have his own experience with it, and if he loves it, you'll know. And he will HAVE to love it to become good at it... or even just mediocre. Guitar is an extremely difficult instrument to learn to play. You need to love it, or you give up. - Pete
pdoxtader wrote:
ring your son to a local music store and sign him up for lessons
I second that.
-
No not me, I'm too old. But my son wished for a guitar for his birthday, and we obliged. It's an el cheapo, in case the interest won't last, but still a real acoustic junior sized guitar. Now I'd like some tips on resources on how to learn playing the guitar, aimed for kids. All other hints are of course welcome as well, especially about tuning. I've tuned it like a full sized guitar, but I don't know if that's correct.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
I'd suggest some lessons, at least to start out, as well. You should both talk to several potential teachers and see which one clicks with him and encourages him to play music he likes. Very few people really want to start out with Red River Valley. ;P While there are quite a few different ways to play a guitar, a few can lead to carpal tunnel and other problems, or limiting habits that are really difficult to un-learn. Having someone around who can head that off can make a world of difference. Most smaller guitars are tuned to the same notes as a full-sized guitar. They won't get the same sound in the bass as a full-sized dreadnought, but for learning they're fine. A more advanced player may keep a small instrument around and tune it to G instead of E, but you don't want to start out that way. Little electronic tuners are inexpensive and do a good job.
-
Don't bother about anything, just give your son the Chance to do it, playing guitars...do it do it do it :-O [Edit] I'm something old, and I remember very well that my mother has spared a lot to allow me to take drumming lessons :((
I bet she invested in cotton balls though.
-
No not me, I'm too old. But my son wished for a guitar for his birthday, and we obliged. It's an el cheapo, in case the interest won't last, but still a real acoustic junior sized guitar. Now I'd like some tips on resources on how to learn playing the guitar, aimed for kids. All other hints are of course welcome as well, especially about tuning. I've tuned it like a full sized guitar, but I don't know if that's correct.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
youtoob
#SupportHeForShe Government can give you nothing but what it takes from somebody else. A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you've got, including your freedom.-Ezra Taft Benson You must accept 1 of 2 basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe or we are not alone. Either way, the implications are staggering!-Wernher von Braun
-
Didn't read your post and you basically gave the same message I did :thumbsup: (perhaps better :-D )
V.
(MQOTD rules and previous solutions)
-
No not me, I'm too old. But my son wished for a guitar for his birthday, and we obliged. It's an el cheapo, in case the interest won't last, but still a real acoustic junior sized guitar. Now I'd like some tips on resources on how to learn playing the guitar, aimed for kids. All other hints are of course welcome as well, especially about tuning. I've tuned it like a full sized guitar, but I don't know if that's correct.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
Get a good guitar tuner and use it regularly. There's nothing more disheartening than playing something and it doesn't sound right, just because the tuning is off slightly. And lessons, definitely lessons. You want someone who is looking to see that his technique isn't causing problems. For instance, getting the hand position right for fretting chords takes some practice. The angle you hold your hand has a real effect on how clean your chords are.
This space for rent
-
No not me, I'm too old. But my son wished for a guitar for his birthday, and we obliged. It's an el cheapo, in case the interest won't last, but still a real acoustic junior sized guitar. Now I'd like some tips on resources on how to learn playing the guitar, aimed for kids. All other hints are of course welcome as well, especially about tuning. I've tuned it like a full sized guitar, but I don't know if that's correct.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
-
No not me, I'm too old. But my son wished for a guitar for his birthday, and we obliged. It's an el cheapo, in case the interest won't last, but still a real acoustic junior sized guitar. Now I'd like some tips on resources on how to learn playing the guitar, aimed for kids. All other hints are of course welcome as well, especially about tuning. I've tuned it like a full sized guitar, but I don't know if that's correct.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
Get a tuner (there's Apps that are pretty good if you have phones or tablets to hand)and keep it in tune. Teach him to tune it 'manually' (standard tuning fret the low E on fret 5 and it should be the same as the next string (A) played open, etc. I would encourage a good teacher - be fussy and insist he just learns to play with no theory - it can take a bit of time to be able to knock out anything even halfway reasonable, so concentrating on that first is paramount for kids. Also a teacher enforces practice (although when I finally got my first guitar when I was about 14, I played until my fingers bled - couldn't keep me off it!) Learn Tabs not Music (unless he wants to go the classical route) There are loads of guitar tabs online Guitar Tab Pro is cheap and has millions of tabs - I'd recommend finding some simple ones of tunes he knows and might want to play and helping him learn them (or asking his teacher to help) Learning tunes he wants to play is much better than learning tunes the teacher might think he wants to play. If he practices his fingers will hurt. Keep practicing, they'll harden up. I really like rockSmith - plug in a real guitar and play like Guitar Hero. It actually does teach you to play - although I'm not sure what it would be like for a complete beginner. Don't let him give up. My sister and I gave up piano lessons. My brother didn't. He now earns more than all of us put together, and works doing what he loves - playing music. I wish my parents had forced me to continue (although at the time I really REALLY didn't!) Tuning - you should be fine with standard tuning on a small guitar - it means the strings will be looser and so less painful - great for a beginner. Finally, get him an electric, amp and effects pedals as soon as possible :)
PooperPig - Coming Soon
