Guitar Lessons For Kids

We are often asked by parents of young kids, if and when guitar lessons would be appropriate for their child.  This is not a simple answer.  It depends greatly on each individual child.  Some kids are ready to start guitar lessons at the age of 6 or 7 while others aren’t ready til 10 or 11.

Things to Consider

There are a few things to consider when making this decision.  We have to consider the physical ability, patience, and attention span.  First, physically, guitar can be a little taxing.  It does take a certain amount of finger strength to push down on the strings.  Also, are your kid’s hands big enough? While you can by smaller than normal size guitars, it still takes a big enough hand to wrap around the neck and get to the fretboard with their fingertips. You can check this by borrowing a guitar from a friend or going to a music store and just see how your kid handles it.  Second, patience is a huge factor in learning how to play instrument.  There will be lots of practice involved to improve each week and sometimes it takes a while to get comfortable enough to play anything remotely musical.  If your child ‘has very little patience, the chances are they will not want to practice.  And as we all know practice makes perfect! Third, attention span is a big factor in learning guitar.  Scales, switching chords, learning songs, these things all take time.  Your kid needs to be able to sit still long enough to practice for at least 15 minutes at a time. If your child is taking lessons and can’t get through a half hour lesson without being distracted everyone involved will be frustrated.

Is Your Kid Even Interested In Guitar and Lessons?

This is perhaps the biggest thing to consider.  In my many years of teaching private lessons I have had many young students that seemed to be more or less forced into taking guitar lessons.  This is not good. Some of these kids didn’t even have a general interest in music at all! If you are thinking about guitar lessons for kids make sure your child has an interest in music, some favorite songs perhaps. Bottom line, make sure they have desire to want to learn an instrument and make music. Otherwise you could waste money on a guitar and lessons.

What Kind Of Guitar Should I Buy?

If your child is still small I would highly suggest a short scale guitar. This will make it much easier for them to play and learn.  Acoustic or electric is fine to start out on.  There are many brands that sell cheaper guitars for beginners that will work.  My recommendation is to go to your local guitar dealer and tell them your situation. They will help find the right guitar for your child.  Don’t buy a guitar online! Especially the first one. There is a lot of really junky guitars out there that will just make learning nearly impossible.  You want a guitar that is playable. Make sure it fits your kid.

Lessons For Kids

So if you think your child is ready, we offer an online package designed specifically for kids ages 6-11 years old.  The 24 lesson course teaches kids the fundamentals of music through the guitar. Basic guitar fundamentals, chords, and songs such as This Little Light of Mine, Happy Birthday, and much more are included in the lessons. If you are interested you can find out more –  Guitar For Kids.  If your child is 12 or older we would recommend starting your our normal Beginner Package.