Hi, BlueJay -

I've started a few young'uns on the way and the best
way I've found is to get one of those "half-size"
guitars with nylon strings. Some are not so wonderful
, so you have to check out a few to make sure to get one
that is in fairly close register. They do exist as
I've found two. The youngest I've started with were
five years old. Both kids were desperate to play, so
they paid attention. I try to make it fun and not like
lessons. As the hands grow, you can increase the size
of the guitar, to three-quarter with steel strings,
then to full-size.

I'll probably catch flack for this, but it seems to
work, IMHO. I've never been a professional teacher,
just got them started. Most of them stayed with it,
moving on to "real" teachers who could provide theory,
and so forth. My goal was to teach them to feel time
and be able to play along with two chords at first
then three and see where they go from there.

I usually start them with a D chord because it is so
easy to switch to a partial A7 -and there you go. They
can play along to scores of little ditties with those
two chords, then it is not so hard to add a G when the
time comes. I've found that the most important thing
to remember is to keep it fun. Once it isn't, they
lose interest, it becomes a chore and they start to
fuss, then they quit trying.

As I noted, most of the little ones I started with
stuck with it and one plays professionally, but that
was no thanks to me - she moved on to a professional
teacher when she was 9. However, by then she could
accompany herself on literally dozens of tunes, had a
good sense of rhythm and a good ear for change. She
also could hold her own playing with others. I must
add here that she did "desperately" want it. She wore
out the first little guitar in a year, then went
through another inexpensive three-quarter one before
getting a decent six-string when she was seven.

Gosh, didn't mean to ramble on, but that's my nickle's
worth. Hope it helps.

giac