Guitar lessons For Kids | Exciting New Program Mums Love
Most parents, especially mums know that organising after school activities such as guitar lessons for kids can be a juggling act.
The typical approach is starting with google and searching for a suitable guitar teacher in the local area.
This can sometimes be a series of many rabbit holes and leave many parents inevitably frustrated.
In this article I am going to share some tips and advice on the best ways to start young beginners on the guitar.
Also a fresh new easy teaching method that kids love. An exciting new stay at home guitar teaching program that is saving parents $1000 of dollars and valuable time.
Finding a guitar teacher in your local area is one thing but there are other factors to consider:
- Purchasing the right sized guitar
- Organising a suitable time
- Travelling too and from lessons
- Establishing a Practice routine
- Costs Involved
Before spending a few thousand dollars on yearly lessons, I would like to share with you some valuable advice based on my 20 years of guitar teaching experience.
The first point is that teaching guitar to kids requires a different understanding and skill-set to teaching guitar to adults.
The second thing is taking your child to weekly lessons can be a total waste of time if the guitar just stays in its case until the following weeks lesson.
You might think that a good teacher will inspire them to practice and that is true but there really is more to it than that. A guitar teacher typically gets 30 mins per week with their students. What are they doing when they get home?
THE DIGITAL WORLD
Kids live in a digital world, we are already seeing this is schools and education in general. Guitar lessons for kids can be be more engaging for kids and interactive if they are carefully constructed.
THE FASTRACK FRETBOARD SYSTEM
Writing down guitar homework in an exercise book and saying see you next week doesn’t really cut it anymore in my opinion.
When my own children came along I decided to gather all my teaching experience and design a stay at home program that would alleviate some of the downfalls of conventional lessons.
Coming up with The Fast Track Fretboard System was the first step in the program. A set of removable fret board markers that are easily attached to the guitar.
We also call these training wheels for the guitar
What Age Should A Child Start Guitar Lessons?
The standard way of thinking is wait until a child is 6 -7 years of age before they start guitar lessons.
20 years ago I would probably agree with this theory, however a lot has changed. Instruments are built now to cater for all ages even as young as 4yrs of age.
The Best Sized Guitar For Kids
Most teachers would agree that it’s harder teaching kids because of the physicality of the instrument. The actual size of the guitar compared to the Child’s hands and fingers can be daunting. However there are guitars of 1/4,1/2 and 3/4 scale that are perfect for little fingers.
You can establish what the best sized guitar for kids is based on the childs height and age.
Can a 5 year Old Learn Guitar?
Yes with the fast track fretboard system ( aka training wheels for guitar) kids can start learning the guitar as young a 4yrs of age. I would recommend a quarter sized guitar which is the smallest model in the nylon string range.
Keep Lessons Short
10-15 minutes practice or lessons per day is enough for a 5 year old. The objective is creating as series of small steps that they can easily understand.
How Much Do Guitar Lessons Cost On Average?
PER SESSION COST
The average cost of guitar lessons ranges from $45 to $75 per hour. This can depend on teh experience of the teacher. Do they hold a music degree and how many years teaching experience do they have
OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR
Lessons can get rather costly when you look at what your spending over the course of a year.
Understand What Causes Guitar Frustration In Kids
Expectations can be challenging for any aspiring guitarist, especially adults.
However children perceive things differently. They haven’t developed the many barriers that adults develop over the course of their life. For young kids to learn guitar online they require simple and steps and a system that is proven to work. Encouragement along the way is also very important.
At Kids guitar Dojo we use gamification including quiz questions , badges and certificates.
Always encouraging and rewarding their efforts is key for kids especially for self confidence.
Don’t Overwhelm Them
Create a series of simple short lessons. Simple steps that are easy to follow and can build on.
Check out the very first lesson from Kids Guitar Dojo below. It’s very simple as it requires only playing the top E String but we immediately introduce a backing track and familiarise them rhythm.
If kids can grasp the concept of rhythm early on in their learning cycle it will pay off as they progress. The number one weakness in adult guitar players is rhythm and timing… think about that for a moment. If a 5 year old picks this up in the very first lesson that’s invaluable.