Shopping for a Christmas gift for your little ones can prove challenging. Instead of spending your hard-earned cash on video games and smart devices, why not buy something that can help them both physically and mentally. According to research, learning the guitar can help a child with their mathematical skills, their self-esteem, and help build their confidence.
Unfortunately, not all kids will take to the guitar, so you can’t expect your loved ones to become the next Jimi Hendrix just because you have bought them a brand new acoustic for Christmas. It takes time and patience to master the popular instrument, so try to avoid putting any extra pressure on them, especially during the early stages.
Guitar’s Are Still Popular
Electric guitar sales might have dropped over the last couple of decades, but acoustics are as popular as ever. During the ongoing pandemic, acoustic guitar sales have been booming. Although a lot of new musicians use digital instruments and tools to create modern music these days, there are plenty of new artists out there still using traditional acoustic guitars.
It is not surprising that children are still wanting to learn how to play the guitar. Well-known musicians like Ed Sheeran have helped keep the guitar in the “cool” category. If your child has already shown an interest in learning, then why not buy them one during the upcoming holiday season? If they have the desire to learn, it will help them stay motivated, especially during the early days of learning. If they have dreams about becoming a rockstar, they might even want to learn some classic Nirvana tunes that their parents once listened to!
For children who are struggling to make friends, learning an instrument will open up new doors to meet new kids. They might be interested in forming their own band, or they might want to get involved in group classes with other children. Playing music with others is a lot of fun, and your child might find themselves making new friends with similar interests.
There are Guitars Designed Specifically For Children
There are plenty of acoustic guitars readily available that are manufactured specifically for kids. These entry-level kid’s guitars are smaller, so your child should have no problems handling them. Most of these are Spanish guitars, which are ideal for beginners. The strings are softer than standard adult-sized guitars, so it won’t hurt as much when your child presses his or her finger down on the string. If your child starts to learn on a standard adult guitar, they might find the pain too uncomfortable to continue learning, so it is vital that you invest in a child-sized guitar with softer strings.
If you are in the market for a children’s guitar, keep in mind that not every instrument is equal. You should consider trying out several guitars to see which one fits your child. They are available in multiple sizes, so you’re bound to find one that your child enjoys playing with.
Also, don’t forget to buy a few hard and soft plectrums. Picks can make learning the guitar a lot easier, especially with children because they tend to have sensitive fingers. Keeping a guitar in tune can prove challenging, so you might want to invest in an electric tuner too. It is important that your child learns how to tune the guitar without using a tuner, but many struggle to keep guitars in tune. Electric tuners are simple to use, and you can pick up a top-notch tuner for less than $15.
Lots of Online Tutorials
Most parents are worried about the amount of time their loved ones spend watching screens. Of course, social networking, gaming, and browsing through the web can prove to be a complete waste of time, but there are so many educational videos and content posted on the web on a regular basis that might benefit your child.
On streaming services like YouTube, there are tons of fantastic guitar tutorials that might help your child learn how to play the instrument. It seems like more kids than ever before are using these platforms to figure out how to play the guitar. Not every child is comfortable with one on one classes, and many struggles to keep up with group lessons. Learning how to play online allows your child to learn at their own pace. They can rewatch the tutorials as many times as they like, and they can pause the video, rewind it, and fast-forward it whenever they please without feeling pressure from their teacher or their fellow classmates.
Teaches Your Child How To Focus
Children who spend hours staring at screens often struggle to focus. If they are hoping to master the guitar, they will need to focus on the different techniques and skills. They will be able to use these skills and problem solving lessons in the real world. To succeed in modern society, your child must be willing to work hard, which is a skill in itself. Even learning the basic techniques and simple chords will require dedication, so don’t forget to praise your child every time you notice them progressing. Even if they struggle to make progress, if they are still putting in at least twenty minutes per day learning how to play, you should show them enthusiasm.
However, avoid trying to force your child to learn how to play. Playing the guitar should be fun, but sometimes when a parent puts pressure on their kids the enjoyment can be taken out of the learning process.
Easy Access To Chords and Tabs
Before the internet was readily available, people had to spend a lot of time and money trying to find different chords and tabs for songs they wanted to learn how to play on the guitar. Most music stores only carried a limited amount of music books, so it was difficult to find music sheets with current songs.
Thankfully, the world wide web has changed all of that. Very few people purchase music books from traditional music stores nowadays because there are tons of websites that publish guitar tabs and chords. You can find out how to play almost every song that has ever been released online. Websites like Chordify have an enormous library, so your child should have no problems finding their favorite music.
It’s a lot easier for a child to learn how to play songs that they are familiar with. It makes learning fun, and if they are determined to play a song they enjoy listening to, they will easily find motivation.
Conclusion
Although there are guitars designed for children aged 4, experts believe that kids should start learning how to play between 7 or 8 years old. Most younger children lack the physical maturity to handle the guitar. Because of the small hands and fingers, they struggle to get their hands around the guitar’s fretboard. However, if you purchase a new guitar for your child, but they don’t seem to want to learn immediately, they might want to learn at a later stage. Don’t sell the guitar and give up on your child just yet. Keep it in a safe place, and hopefully, they will get the motivation to play down the line.
