Guitar Lessons for Kids
Is your child old enough to learn guitar?
Children who show a strong interest in music and good concentration can sometimes begin constructive music activities as early as age 4. By age 8, most children are ready.
Children will benefit from the input of a teacher to maintain progress. Without guidance and structure, few children make real progress at learning an instrument. Even the most hard-working and amazing children rely on the support of their parents and teachers to be able to practice consistently.
Before you enroll your child in guitar lessons, you do need to answer a few questions.
Is my child ready?
You know your child better than anyone. Will he or she stick to practicing or will they resist you? Is their interest in music strong, shallow, or not there at all?
Am I ready?
For your child to succeed in music, you will have to provide support. This means giving structure and sometimes authority, but not excessively. Before you commit to enroll your child in lessons or buy an instrument, you need to get their commitment to practice daily. If they don’t keep this commitment, it is your responsibility to enforce the commitment.
How will this benefit my child?
Music if by far one of the most productive activities for the developing mind. But you should also ask yourself, what benefit do you expect it to have? Do you hope this will teach your child self-discipline, or make friends, or earn scholarships to college? You own it to your child to have realistic and fair expectation.
Who is this for? You or them?
Do you believe music lessons will benefit your child’s development, or do you hope to fulfill your own dreams or missed opportunities by using your child as a proxy? Are you overloading your child with multiple extracurricular activities, or will music be the only one, or one of few? As your child matures, he or she will inherit not only the benefit of your patient support in studying music, but also the expectations and hopes you may unknowingly project.
How much time should children spend practicing?
Daily consistency is better than infrequent but long practice sessions. It is the habit of daily practice that promises results over time and builds our character. Every child is different, and expectations vary too. You will find that exact amount of time that works for your child but practicing every day, no matter how short the practice, will benefit your child in the long run.
If you are committed to helping your child learn to play the guitar, and they are interested, then they are old enough and ready to start learning. Find the right teacher who will help your child flourish and grow with their music capabilities.