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Graves Guitar Studio
The Gift of Music: How to Buy a Guitar for a Child
By Aaron Graves
The guitar industry is marketing more and more to the young. Where once
guitars were the domain of specialty music stores, now they can be found
at toy stores, big box discounters, and electronics dealers.
Buying your kiddo a guitar is not a bad idea. Music education is
important. However, what can you do to make sure the guitar you buy will
not end up collecting dust in a closet? Two things are important: buying
the right guitar for you child, and keeping your child interested in playing
it.
The Right Size…
Most important is buying the right size guitar.
“A correctly sized instrument is vital to learning,” reads a buying guide
from the Yamaha guitar company. “Nothing frustrates a young player
more than trying to manage an instrument that’s too large for growing
hands and bodies.”
Guitars come in ½, ¾, and full size, but actual measurements for each size
differ from one guitar company to the next. A full size will obviously be
too big for young children.
As for ½ and ¾ size guitars, Yamaha advises: “One rule of thumb is to
simply have a child stand next to a guitar. The top of the guitar's
headstock should reach the student's waist. Next, have the child hold the
instrument properly and, with the left hand, grasp the neck near the lowest
frets. Without spreading the fingers, the hand should cover 3-4 frets.”
Yamaha also reminds buyers to not confuse a ½ size guitar with a toy
guitar. Toy guitars are just that -- toys that “easily fall out of tune or
produce inadequate tone.”
When shopping, ask for the guitar size by name. Some guitars marketed as
student guitars are full size instruments and too big for little hands. As a
general guideline, ask for the following guitars based on the child's age...
Age 4-8 - Quarter Size Guitar
Age 8-12 - Half Size Guitar
Age 13-16 - 3/4 Size Guitar
Age 17 to Adult - Full Size Guitar
Acoustic, classical and electric guitars are all the same. What a child learns
on an acoustic guitar can be played on an electric guitar. In general, small
size classical guitars are great for children. A classical guitar uses nylon
strings which are easy on the fingers and sound great.
The Right Quality…
A guitar that is of poor quality leads to frustration when children are
learning how to play it. There are four ways to check the quality of the
guitar.
First and foremost, examine the guitar in person. While the Internet is full
of music superstores -- and good deals can be found there -- its best to
shop local music stores first. You can learn a great deal about different
types of guitars from the sales people, and you can test the quality
yourself.
Second, check how high the strings are above the frets on the guitar neck.
Lay the guitar on its back. Look at the space between the top of the metal
frets on the neck and the strings. Strings that hug the frets the entire
length of the neck are easier to play, which is important for young hands.
Third, check the price. The Gibson Guitar Company gives the following
advice when buying a guitar: “Buy the very best quality you can afford the
first time.” True, Gibson wants you to buy one of their guitars, but the
underlying principal to their advice is: you get what you pay for. Gibson’s
buying guide continues: “In the highly competitive guitar market, the only
way to make a guitar less expensive is to use cheaper materials, cheaper
parts and cheaper labor.”
Finally, examine the manufacturer’s warranty on the guitar, Gibson
advises. A strong warranty echoes confidence in the quality by the
manufacturer. Lifetime warranties are great.
The Right Accessories…
Following are some accessories to consider:
Capos - A capo is a good idea for young kids. It is a clip that goes over
the strings and shortens the neck. Even with a child size guitar, a capo can
be placed on the guitar neck so the child does not have to reach as far to
play notes and make chords.
Chromatic Guitar Tuner - All guitars need to be tuned properly. A
chromatic guitar tuner is electronic and shows the note the guitar string is
currently tuned to. Chromatic tuners cut down on the chance you might
tune a string too tight and break it.
Guitar Stand - Keeps the guitar safe and within reach, which encourages
practicing.
Guitar Case - Hard cases are worth the extra money. It provides great
protection for the guitar when traveling to and from lessons, and it is easy
for a child to get the guitar in and out of it. The problem is finding a hard
case for small size guitars.
Straps and footstools - A guitar strap and an adjustable footstool can help
a young child hold the guitar correctly.
The Role of Parents…
As with any instrument, learning music can be a rewarding challenge for
young kids, but a challenge nonetheless. Children need guidance, and
parents are the primary motivaters even if they hire a guitar teacher.
Therefore, a guitar is not only an investment of money, but an ongoing
investment of time on the part of the parent.
“Children should practice willingly. It is most important to motivate
them,” writes Shinichi Suzuki. Suzuki developed a method of teaching
young children music through observation and imitation, the same way
they learn language. His “Suzuki method” of learning is gaining more and
more popularity.
Suzuki encourages parents to help the child to practice on a regular basis,
to enjoy the practice, and to listen to recordings of the instrument they
want to learn. Thus, it's up to the parent to create an environment at
home that fosters a love for music and encourages a child to practice
regularly.
And remember, children tend to have a limited attention span. Some
children may lose interest in the guitar after a few months. But don’t go
sell the instrument on eBay. Keep it around, learn to play it yourself.
Encourage your child to continue to learn music on a different instrument.
In time, they might return to the guitar.
Either way, once you introduce music into your family, keep it there. It is
well worth the effort and the rewards are many.
By Aaron Graves
The guitar industry is marketing more and more to the young. Where once
guitars were the domain of specialty music stores, now they can be found
at toy stores, big box discounters, and electronics dealers.
Buying your kiddo a guitar is not a bad idea. Music education is
important. However, what can you do to make sure the guitar you buy will
not end up collecting dust in a closet? Two things are important: buying
the right guitar for you child, and keeping your child interested in playing
it.
The Right Size…
Most important is buying the right size guitar.
“A correctly sized instrument is vital to learning,” reads a buying guide
from the Yamaha guitar company. “Nothing frustrates a young player
more than trying to manage an instrument that’s too large for growing
hands and bodies.”
Guitars come in ½, ¾, and full size, but actual measurements for each size
differ from one guitar company to the next. A full size will obviously be
too big for young children.
As for ½ and ¾ size guitars, Yamaha advises: “One rule of thumb is to
simply have a child stand next to a guitar. The top of the guitar's
headstock should reach the student's waist. Next, have the child hold the
instrument properly and, with the left hand, grasp the neck near the lowest
frets. Without spreading the fingers, the hand should cover 3-4 frets.”
Yamaha also reminds buyers to not confuse a ½ size guitar with a toy
guitar. Toy guitars are just that -- toys that “easily fall out of tune or
produce inadequate tone.”
When shopping, ask for the guitar size by name. Some guitars marketed as
student guitars are full size instruments and too big for little hands. As a
general guideline, ask for the following guitars based on the child's age...
Age 4-8 - Quarter Size Guitar
Age 8-12 - Half Size Guitar
Age 13-16 - 3/4 Size Guitar
Age 17 to Adult - Full Size Guitar
Acoustic, classical and electric guitars are all the same. What a child learns
on an acoustic guitar can be played on an electric guitar. In general, small
size classical guitars are great for children. A classical guitar uses nylon
strings which are easy on the fingers and sound great.
The Right Quality…
A guitar that is of poor quality leads to frustration when children are
learning how to play it. There are four ways to check the quality of the
guitar.
First and foremost, examine the guitar in person. While the Internet is full
of music superstores -- and good deals can be found there -- its best to
shop local music stores first. You can learn a great deal about different
types of guitars from the sales people, and you can test the quality
yourself.
Second, check how high the strings are above the frets on the guitar neck.
Lay the guitar on its back. Look at the space between the top of the metal
frets on the neck and the strings. Strings that hug the frets the entire
length of the neck are easier to play, which is important for young hands.
Third, check the price. The Gibson Guitar Company gives the following
advice when buying a guitar: “Buy the very best quality you can afford the
first time.” True, Gibson wants you to buy one of their guitars, but the
underlying principal to their advice is: you get what you pay for. Gibson’s
buying guide continues: “In the highly competitive guitar market, the only
way to make a guitar less expensive is to use cheaper materials, cheaper
parts and cheaper labor.”
Finally, examine the manufacturer’s warranty on the guitar, Gibson
advises. A strong warranty echoes confidence in the quality by the
manufacturer. Lifetime warranties are great.
The Right Accessories…
Following are some accessories to consider:
Capos - A capo is a good idea for young kids. It is a clip that goes over
the strings and shortens the neck. Even with a child size guitar, a capo can
be placed on the guitar neck so the child does not have to reach as far to
play notes and make chords.
Chromatic Guitar Tuner - All guitars need to be tuned properly. A
chromatic guitar tuner is electronic and shows the note the guitar string is
currently tuned to. Chromatic tuners cut down on the chance you might
tune a string too tight and break it.
Guitar Stand - Keeps the guitar safe and within reach, which encourages
practicing.
Guitar Case - Hard cases are worth the extra money. It provides great
protection for the guitar when traveling to and from lessons, and it is easy
for a child to get the guitar in and out of it. The problem is finding a hard
case for small size guitars.
Straps and footstools - A guitar strap and an adjustable footstool can help
a young child hold the guitar correctly.
The Role of Parents…
As with any instrument, learning music can be a rewarding challenge for
young kids, but a challenge nonetheless. Children need guidance, and
parents are the primary motivaters even if they hire a guitar teacher.
Therefore, a guitar is not only an investment of money, but an ongoing
investment of time on the part of the parent.
“Children should practice willingly. It is most important to motivate
them,” writes Shinichi Suzuki. Suzuki developed a method of teaching
young children music through observation and imitation, the same way
they learn language. His “Suzuki method” of learning is gaining more and
more popularity.
Suzuki encourages parents to help the child to practice on a regular basis,
to enjoy the practice, and to listen to recordings of the instrument they
want to learn. Thus, it's up to the parent to create an environment at
home that fosters a love for music and encourages a child to practice
regularly.
And remember, children tend to have a limited attention span. Some
children may lose interest in the guitar after a few months. But don’t go
sell the instrument on eBay. Keep it around, learn to play it yourself.
Encourage your child to continue to learn music on a different instrument.
In time, they might return to the guitar.
Either way, once you introduce music into your family, keep it there. It is
well worth the effort and the rewards are many.
Help in Buying a Guitar
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