Guitar advice sought

[Boopie]

Okay, Bisquitlips' recent post about guitar playing inspired this one.

My older boy turns 7 tomorrow. His 1st grade teacher was once a professional musician, and plays the guitar. So, my boy loves the guitar, too. Yesterday we went to the local Guitar Center. He flipped out when we entered the store. I got him a Yamaha beginner's guitar (it seemed like a good price), the case, the tuner, picks, and a strap (no stand, as he has a 3-year old little brother, and I can't risk leaving the guitar lying around).

My husband and I don't play the guitar at all. We want to encourage him to play, as he seems to have an innate love of music, so any suggestions would be appreciated. Guitar Center gave him 20 free on-line lessons. I will also ask the teacher for lessons once the winter break is over (apparently, all of the other 1st grade boys demanded & got guitars for their birthday presents, too, so he has been asked before). After that...what next?

I love the idea of the guitar because of its portability. I had to do some extensive traveling for work earlier this year, and some colleagues brought along their guitars and played songs to spend the time. Obviously you can't do that with a piano.

[East Bay Rider]

I think it's a great idea. My son (12) wanted a guitar in the worst way, saved up and bought it himself, along with amp, tuner etc.
He took a half dozen lessons and gave it up. I guess he likes team sports better. I would LOVE for him to pick it up again. He isn't ready to do it on his own and I don't want to push him and make him hate it so I wait...
Good luck. Hopefully his natural musical interest or his peers will keep him going.
I'm hoping mine tries again.

[GBJIV]

Bought my son a Baby Taylor - awesome beginner guitar and also great for travel and the not so beginner. Sadly, it's never been played. I think we need to go the other way and move toward the piano.

I got the bug too - bought a cheap Yamaha and a very expensive Koa Taylor... It is gorgeous. Just as sad it has never been played. It is slightly over 1 year old and it is going on the Bay the first part of the year. I love guitar. I just have no skills - My father plays - Wish I would have had him teach me when I was young.

Good for you - My suggestion... Definitely invest in lessons - go private if you can in your home to make it easy. If he has an interest and his friends are into it - you will be very glad with the return on the investment. Just my humble opinion.

[Leighton]

My advise would be to do whatever it takes to keep his love for the guitar alive. Keep it fun. Don't make the learning process a burden and dump the Mel Bay books. It sounds like his 1st grade teacher is the source of inspiration at this point, so approaching him for lessons or recommended teachers is a good place to start.

But the best thing you can do is have that guitar out of its case and easily within reach to pick up and play! I understand the fear of little brother messing with it, but easy access to that guitar is critical. It will do more than lessons or anything else towards keeping his interest alive. A guitar In the case and in the closet guarantees a young boy's interest will wane.

I hang my guitars on the wall. That way I can get to them easily when I feel the need to play, which is every day now that they are within reach. Wish I had done that years ago.

[ErikAalto]

I just sold the only guitar I ever bought for $70 today. I think I tried a couple of times to learn on it, but it just wasn't for me. I was really only interested in learning how to play classical music on the guitar, a la Julian Bream or Andres Segovia. What I failed to realize is that it takes a lifetime to come even close to their skill level, and that if the guitar was just going to sit in a closet, that money would be more useful going towards something that will sit on my wrist.

[Zman86]

Best thing to do is find him a good teacher. Online lessons are good and all, but nothing beats good one on one teaching. I took lessons for 5 years and without them, I wouldnt be able to play anything I am able to play today. I use the internet to teach myself almost everything I need to know now, but occasionaly I take a lesson to tune up my playing a bit.

You also have to determine whether he wants to actually learn how a guitar works, through musical theory, or whether he just wants to learn songs. I took the second road because I had done 5 years of violin theory before I started playing guitar and I hated it, and I just wanted to play. However, I wish now I had learned the theory behind the guitar, it would make learning now much easier.

You have to find out what he wants to do though. If he is really interested in learning, find a teacher and let him take a few lessons. Theory is kind of boring and it might be a problem trying to teach it to a 7 year old, but if he really wants to learn, then he will enjoy it. Nothing was more rewarding for me when I was younger than coming home after a lesson and being able to play a new chord, scale or a riff in a song that i wanted to learn.

Hope it works out!

[Ed Rooney]

My fear is that a whole generation will be lost to Guitar Hero.

Kids don't tend to be too interested in guitar until they begin listening to rock. For me that was age 10, and I still didn't do much until I was 14 and took Guitar 1 in high school.

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by Boopie

Okay, Bisquitlips' recent post about guitar playing inspired this one.

My older boy turns 7 tomorrow. His 1st grade teacher was once a professional musician, and plays the guitar. So, my boy loves the guitar, too. Yesterday we went to the local Guitar Center. He flipped out when we entered the store. I got him a Yamaha beginner's guitar (it seemed like a good price), the case, the tuner, picks, and a strap (no stand, as he has a 3-year old little brother, and I can't risk leaving the guitar lying around).

My husband and I don't play the guitar at all. We want to encourage him to play, as he seems to have an innate love of music, so any suggestions would be appreciated. Guitar Center gave him 20 free on-line lessons. I will also ask the teacher for lessons once the winter break is over (apparently, all of the other 1st grade boys demanded & got guitars for their birthday presents, too, so he has been asked before). After that...what next?

I love the idea of the guitar because of its portability. I had to do some extensive traveling for work earlier this year, and some colleagues brought along their guitars and played songs to spend the time. Obviously you can't do that with a piano.

Guitar is great, but 7 may be a little young unless he is really interested in it.

The main thing is inspiration. I have been playing since 10, but was really inspired my a guy that moved into our town when I was 16 and he was fantastic on the guitar. He also jammed with a band called ZZ Top before anyone every heard of them outside of east Texas. Back when they were a very small time group and before they cut an album.

That guy was incredible and watching him play inspired me. After that I literally slept with my guitar. Fell asleep playing it and woke up with it many times in my bed. Drove my mother crazy!! Still drive my wife crazy sometimes, but she likes rock and blues where my mother did not!

So the young man needs to be inspired if you are to keep him interested.

Try this and see what you think. These kids are a bit older, but fabulous and may do the trick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ0iw...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxWxA...e=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/user/pasterofmupets

Those should get you going and they are linked to others.

Have fun!






http://www.youtube.com/user/pasterofmupets

[rpryan55]

I learned to play guitar (and five-string banjo) from a good teacher. I had to lug my instruments a long way to go to his store, but I really, really wanted to learn how to play. I started in the thrid grade. To my mind, a great teacher makes the difference between learning to love playing and just learning to play.

[Gerry]

As a number of people have said here, a good teacher is very important. Online lessons are all well and good but a good teacher can correct hings on the spot. There's a physical aspect to playing the guitar and you don't want him getting habits that can impede his playing later. Also, be sure the teacher can teach him what HE wants to learn. There's no point sending him for classical lessons if he only wants to strum chords and sing or learn to play pop music.

I'm going to be going through this next year when I get my first student :)

Good luck and please feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[Boopie]

Thanks, everyone. He seems really excited about it, and I want to keep that enthusiasm going!

[Incurable]

I'd have to go w/Mr. Bisquit on this one... I started w/piano lessons while in grade school. Next I was indoctrinated into the orchestra and given a violin. When the Beatles hit the US, it was guitar. I had many piano and guitar lessons but, more than the teacher, I had a neighbor who could really play the guitar and he was my main inspiration to keep going. Maybe you can discover an artist he really likes (guitarist obviously) and see if he responds. The lessons were always a drag to me. I remember not practicing and coming to my lessons just as terrible as the last week, over and over. Then the teacher got a Beatles book with songs like Michelle, etc. I'm sure I blew his mind the following week when I showed up and knew all the songs note for note. Find an inspirational artist that he connects with and I'm sure he will respond...

BTW, you do realize that Biscuit has no 'q', right???