what age to start guitar lessons

Subject: what age to start guitar lessons
From: GUEST,guest Big Red
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 11:33 AM

I have an almost 5 year old grandchild that is fascinated by the guitar. At what age can a child begin to play a guitar? Also, what is a good starting guitar for a child that age given their size? No special genius is evident. He is just a normal child that presently has a special interest. Yet it seems that it would be a good idea to promote that interest.

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: Mark Ross
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 12:00 PM

That is a good age to start, the earlier the better. But you would be better off starting the kid on a baritone uke. Fewer strings, and they are nylon and easier to press down. It's tuned like the top(highest)strings of a regular guitar and you can even tune it to open tunings which makes it even easier.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: Leadfingers
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 12:03 PM

The earlier a youngster starts to learn the better.I didnt start guitar til I was twenty five and would be a better player now if I had started earlier

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: John Robinson (aka Cittern)
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 12:06 PM

Just to reiterate the point. Start early (I wish I had).

But don't force it. They have to want to do it, and if the interest fades they can always come back to it later. I am amazed at how much I can remember from my early piano/music lessons at 43 years old! It often helps when I am trying to "re-discover" things on the guitar.

Best regards
John Robinson
http://www.JulieEllison.co.uk

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: tuggy mac
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 12:24 PM

I started at fortyfive!

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: John Hardly
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 12:54 PM

You might find this useful.

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: s&r
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 01:03 PM

At five, encourage the interest - we find that for quite a time they play with the instrument; the familiarity they gain with it stands them in good stead. I agree with cittern, don't force it. Later on teach them a simple melody (well known riff as say smoke on the water).

Short lessons from sympathetic tutor at about seven...

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: Steve Benbows protege
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 01:58 PM

Most high ranking pro musicians you will find started very young. Get your grandson to learn to read music onto the guitar at some point. I do stress that was at some point. Even if he then ditches it in later life he will have that ability. Being able to read music means you can pitch a song off of the sheet music, it means you can join in with any musician and as a guitar player in later life you can earn some serious cash as a session musician (even if it is a hobby!). It is a running joke amoungst the jazz fraternity I keep that guitar players cannot read music or sight read. I wish that I was better at it. Also make shure he gets a good teacher - that is paramount. He must have fun in the process of learning or else he won't stick with it.
Good luck.

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: GUEST,Martin Gibson
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 03:18 PM

I would think that the attention span, not to mention lack of developed motor skills and organizational skills makes five years of age too young. Couple this with an extremely limited time for just listening and you can throw out the concept of the younger the better. That concept might bode well with learning how to swim.

10-12 years old is ideal.

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 03:35 PM

A surprising number of traditional musicians in the US born late 19th early 20th century tell the same story about how they learned to play.

Here's what you do.

If one of the parents doesn't already play guitar, they need to start learning. This might be the tricky part.

Anyway, you want a parent who is a musican who plays regularly within the home.

Buy a guitar and hang it on the wall. But make sure the instrument can be reached easily by the child. Then tell the child that s/he is forbidden to touch the instrument. But make sure that the child has ample opportunity to be alone in the room with the instrument.

Apparently worked every time.

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: Don Firth
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 04:02 PM

Both Andrés Segovia and John Williams started learning to play the guitar when they were six. Five shouldn't be too young, I should think, especially if the young 'un is showing an interest. If you wait too long, the interest might shift to something else.

A uke might be a good idea, but Strunal and Jasmine make inexpensive child-size guitars. Various sizes, actually, from a bit larger than a baritone uke to one that's only slightly smaller than a full-size guitar. Check Jasmine in the Elderly Instruments catalog or web site. Example HERE. I've seen a couple of them. The sound is passably good and they're solid and well-made.   

Don Firth

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 04:31 PM

You can't start 'em too young. I've known two true guitar prodigies, both of whom started at the age of five or six. By age twelve they had both finished in the top ten at national flatpicking contests.

Bruce

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: GUEST,Martin Gibson
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 04:55 PM

I would think that those 2 were exceptions rather than the norm. Most 5 year olds are way too easily distracted.

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: GUEST,Seaking
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 10:12 PM

It will depend on the individual child to a great extent, there's probably no 'right' answer. I initially tried my (then) seven year old but he complained of sore fingers and not being able to push hard enough on the strings. He also lacked the attention span so we gave it up for a while. A guitar teacher I know agreed with me that the fingers weren't well enough developed. Now he's ten years old and we've started again. BIG difference, not only does he have the strength in his fingers, he knows what he wants to play, he's more able to do it and therefore his motivation and learning ability has increased. He's now picking it really quickly. Two important bits of advice when starting children at that age - make if fun otherwise they'll lose interest. Also, make sure they're on nylon strings -on a suitably sized guitar -A 3/4 is ideal for a ten year old.

CK

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 24 Sep 03 - 04:08 AM

I guess 60 would be too old to start?

RtS
(the world shudders at the thought!)

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: Mooh
Date: 24 Sep 03 - 09:04 AM

I like the idea of starting them at about 6. Some fledgling ability to read English (or whatever their native tongue) is helpful, though not necessary. At that age a 1/2 or 3/4 nylon strung guitar is ideal, even if it's outgrown quickly, and it can be handed down or traded up. I will not start a student that age on steel strings or a large body guitar...that's like trying to ride a bike without reaching the peddles.

Parental involvement helps, but sometimes isn't possible. Encouragement is paramount. Little stickers on the lesson sheet are a con, but sometimes it takes a con to get started. A smile and a bit of praise, sincerely, works better than browbeating. A sympathetic teacher can transform a student, the opposite is tragic.

My experience is that I can teach them easily how to read music when they're young. Once they're teens, it's harder, particularly if they prefer rock tablature.

Good luck.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: pattyClink
Date: 24 Sep 03 - 12:18 PM

Whatever age they are burning with desire to learn. If that is NOW, then don't wait til the child is 10 and no longer deeply interested.

Agree with the ideas on getting a small instrument, maybe the uke, and make sure the action is low so the strings can be pushed down easily.

Subject: RE: what age to start guitar lessons
From: GUEST,Ross
Date: 24 Sep 03 - 04:12 PM

Whatever age - make sure they have a playable instrument

Cheap may be a good starting point but the guitar I started playing as a teenager needed fingers of steel & the sound was bo;;ox