If your child wants to play an instrument, and more specifically the guitar, it is an excellent idea. It will make you develop many skills and make you discover a world in which you can evolve and enrich your culture considerably.

But is it easy for a child to learn how to play the guitar?

What can a guitar course do for you? How and how often should you practice with the guitar to progress?

The decision to learn to play the guitar must be left to the child! If your son has decided that he is interested in a guitar, you may ask yourself if it´s a good idea.

As a general rule, it is the parents who want their children to learn to play an instrument, but if the desire comes from the child itself, there is nothing to worry about. That is a sign of his motivation and his need to discover this new universe.
For a child, the advantages of learning to play the guitar are numerous. Your child will be able to play the songs he likes quite quickly.

The guitar will allow him to approach different styles of music, making it the perfect occasion to expand his musical horizon and start discovering various genres such as blues, jazz, flamenco, rock, classical music, etc.
Most pieces can be played alone, so he will not need any companion. But, alt hough he can learn self-taught, a child needs to be accompanied by a teacher.

He needs a guitar teacher with a methodology adapted to the youngest. Having a mentor will also allow the child to acquire a good learning method.

There is no minimum age to start playing the guitar. If your child already has a developed ear and, above all, he wants to take guitar lessons, go ahead!

However, to be comfortable with the guitar, your child must be at least 6 or 7 years old, since the hands must be sufficiently muscular, although there are guitars of different sizes according to age. The fingers of the hand must be sufficiently developed.

The child must be able to coordinate his movements to be able to make basic chords, although the guitar can be a good way to help him in this learning. In addition, another important point is that the child has to have a concentration capacity of at least 20 minutes a day to practice on a regular basis.

We always say that a child learns faster than an adult. Whether languages or music, it's true: a child is a true sponge. They are able to quickly assimilate the good habits that must be adopted to play this instrument well. When starting at an early age, the child is more likely to continue and feed his passion and, above all, do not give up on the first difficulty!

The guitar's choice
It is clear that the Led Zeppelin guitar is not suitable for beginners. Obviously, it is important, as for every guitarist, to know what style of music your child is going to play.

There are three types of guitar:

The classical guitar, with nylon strings

The acoustic guitar, which is similar to the classical guitar but with metal strings The electric guitar, which requires a cable and an amplifier to make it sound

Depending on your musical tastes and especially the age of your child, you can learn about the different types of guitar:

A ¼ guitar is for children between 4 and 6 years old
A ½ guitar is for children between 6 and 8 years old
A guitar ¾ is for children between 8 and 12 years old
An entire guitar is for children over 12 years old

It is mandatory to choose the guitar according to the child´s age and the style of the music he wants to play. It is not necessary to buy an expensive guitar from brands like Fender or Gibson to start. There will always be time to change according to the practice and wishes of each one.

Feel free to ask your child's guitar teacher for advice. You can get advice on when buying not only the guitar, but also guitar strings or a nut if necessary.

The benefits of learning how to play the guitar

These classes will help your child to develop certain skills necessary for musical practice, but they will also serve him later in his daily life. Especially since the guitar is an easily accessible instrument (both for its ease and for its price).

A beginner guitar course brings intellectual benefits. It has been shown that language develops more easily in children who practice music. They acquire new vocabulary, which improves their memory and attention span. These are skills that will be useful for the rest of their lives.