Guitar for 9 year old?

irishsabs

hi, I'm hoping some musically minded people will be able to offer me some advice.

My 9 year old has asked for a guitar for Christmas but I really don't know where to start! We did head into a shop over the weekend and he had a look around and got to try out a few guitars, we were told he'd be better off starting with acoustic and then moving onto electric if he wanted later, but the problem is we were told other things differently

One shop assistant said that a 3/4 size guitar with nylon strings would be perfect for him.

Another said full size as his hands were long enough but was trying to push us towards something costing €250.

I really don't know if this is just a phase that he's going through as up to now, he didn't show any interest in an instrument other than the tin whistle that he has to do in school. Have a feeling that he might loose interest by Easter and don't want to spend a fortune on something that he'll get no good out of.

Also, does anyone know what price range you'd be talking for lessons?

Many thanks!!

fenris

We are in a similar place, we decided on electric for a few of reasons.

1. the kids want to play electric guitars and their music is electric guitar music
2. electric are more robust and likely to survive the attentions of kids
3. you can turn them down / headphones this allows them to play when they want

From having done the round of the shops in Dublin I can probably guess where you got the various bits of advice!

I also had a long discussion with someone who is very involved in music education of both kids and adults to the highest level. She had some very good points.

1. People want to play music first and the instrument second, find out what music they want to play and the instrument will follow. If it is not the instrument you expected, get over it!
2. Kids learn very differently to adults in most things but there are very big differences in music learning, tradionally the grading system produced "technicians" who learned three or so pieces a year and could play them perfectly for their exam and then gave up as soon as they could unless they really loved music - or exams.
3. Modern thinking is "Sound before Symbols" kids should learn the sounds their instrument can produce and play with those sounds rather than doing notation first off. They can come back to notation later as a means of extending their musical toolbox if they stick with it.
4. Just because someone is a good musician doesn't mean that they can teach well or are capable of teaching kids, there are a lot of chancers and registration doesn't mean a lot.
5. Personal recommendations from parents of kids that have learned music are essential for selecting a music teacher for your kids, group lessons seem to work well.
6. Make it easy for the kids, the instrument should be accessible and need a minimum of help to get going if they just want to play for 5 minutes it should be as easy as picking up some lego or a book.
7. Kids don't think of music the same way that we do, young kids will quite happily engage more senses and can tell you what colour a song of riff is and draw a picture of it!

We are not going to worry too much about lessons for a while, we got some basic books as a start an intend to just let them off to try and play their favourites / own creations with as much help as is needed until that help is lessons!

Size wise etc. just make sure that you are picking an instrument that your son wants to play and is happy with, otherwise it will be gathering dust by the second week and you would have been better off with an X-box and Guitar Hero!

Matt Bianco

Some excellent advice there!

irishsabs

wow fenris, that is really some fab advice! You have really given me food for thought, thanks a million!!

hidinginthebush

Having played guitar for 12 years, I would advise you to

1. Get your child a nylon string acoustic guitar to start off. They are easier on the fingers then steel stringed acoustics and electrics (which can actually be quite painful to play until you gevelop the necessary callouses). Regardless of the type of music your kid is into, they have to learn the basics (chords etc.), and will just cut their hands to shreds trying to strum on an electric from day 1 (I still tear mine up a bit playing on my steel string acoustic if I've laid off it for a while), plus nylon guitars tend to have wider necks, which makes it earier to find the right place to put your fingers than the narrower necks on steel string acoustics and electrics, and the strings are easier to fret, which is a bonus for a beginner without the necessary finger strength.

2. Get lessons from the start, if even for a couple of months. It will prevent your child from forming bad habits when it comes to playing the instrument. There are countless online resources and videos, but there's nothing compared to the dedicated one-to-one teaching, having someone who knows what they're talking about being able to pick up on any mistakes, and fix them before they become problematic. Make sure the teacher is properly qualified though! There are these "band camp" sort of things that run over Summer and Easter holidays in music schools, it might be a good idea to get into one of those, once off anyway, you never know, they might love it!

3. For the sake of everybody in the house, make sure you get a tuner!

Quillo

Here's some stuff I posted on here recently again that may be of help.

In general....as a guide, I've seen these recommendations:

Child 3'3" to 3'9" (approx 4-5 years old) 1/4 size
Child 3'10" to 4'5" (approx 5-8 years old) 1/2 size
Child 4'6" to 4'11" (approx 8-11) 3/4 size
5' and taller (approx 11 to adult) 4/4 size

D'Addario make strings for 1/2 and 3/4 size classical guitars so you can operate in tune and at the correct tension:
http://store.daddario.com/category/146047/Classics

clonmahon

hidinginthebush wrote: »

Having played guitar for 12 years, I would advise you to

1. Get your child a nylon string acoustic guitar to start off. They are easier on the fingers then steel stringed acoustics and electrics (which can actually be quite painful to play until you gevelop the necessary callouses). Regardless of the type of music your kid is into, they have to learn the basics (chords etc.), and will just cut their hands to shreds trying to strum on an electric from day 1 (I still tear mine up a bit playing on my steel string acoustic if I've laid off it for a while), plus nylon guitars tend to have wider necks, which makes it earier to find the right place to put your fingers than the narrower necks on steel string acoustics and electrics, and the strings are easier to fret, which is a bonus for a beginner without the necessary finger strength.

Nylon strings will go out of tune very easily, and a wide neck is not the easiest thing for smaller hands to master. I would recommend a 3/4 size steel string guitar, fit light gauge strings and tune it a half or a full step flat (or even more) at first. Sure steel stings take more getting used to but that's only a problem for the first few weeks.

hidinginthebush wrote: »

2. Get lessons from the start, if even for a couple of months. It will prevent your child from forming bad habits when it comes to playing the instrument. There are countless online resources and videos, but there's nothing compared to the dedicated one-to-one teaching, having someone who knows what they're talking about being able to pick up on any mistakes, and fix them before they become problematic. Make sure the teacher is properly qualified though! There are these "band camp" sort of things that run over Summer and Easter holidays in music schools, it might be a good idea to get into one of those, once off anyway, you never know, they might love it!

Again I disagree with this, the vast majority of guitar player I know are self taught. When it comes to the basics of learning chords and simple strumming what bad habits can you develop. Bad habits are an issue in more advanced techniques.

If you do get a teacher make sure they can teach, it don't matter if they are qualified or not.

Ask 10 guitar players about guitar playing you will get 10 different answers.

DT100

irishsabs wrote: »

hi, I'm hoping some musically minded people will be able to offer me some advice.

My 9 year old has asked for a guitar for Christmas but I really don't know where to start! We did head into a shop over the weekend and he had a look around and got to try out a few guitars, we were told he'd be better off starting with acoustic and then moving onto electric if he wanted later, but the problem is we were told other things differently

One shop assistant said that a 3/4 size guitar with nylon strings would be perfect for him.

Another said full size as his hands were long enough but was trying to push us towards something costing €250

I really don't know if this is just a phase that he's going through as up to now, he didn't show any interest in an instrument other than the tin whistle that he has to do in school. Have a feeling that he might loose interest by Easter and don't want to spend a fortune on something that he'll get no good out of.

Also, does anyone know what price range you'd be talking for lessons?

Many thanks!!

If you knew a guitar player who could go along with you,it would be a great help.250 for a starter guitar is a bit on the high side,but on the other hand something too cheap will be difficult to play,some would have high action [Strings too high from fretboard ]Yamaha make a handy starter guitar,the F310.It would be around 139 euro,I have seen one for 119.I was with my son during the week,,I played a Tanglewood TW28CLN for around 170 euro,that was very playable,good starter guitar.Those of course were full size,it would depend on size of hands and arms.Where I am,I have seen lessons advertised for 12 euro for half an hour.

Fingers Mcginty

Get him an acoustic to start off with not an electric.
I too was looking for a guitar for my 10 year old daughter. Searched high and low for a decent one and eventually settled on a Makro 3/4 size from the soundshop Drogheda. Guitar stays in tune and is nice to play as opposed to the majority of 3/4 size guitars out there which are pure muck.
Or if you can afford/find one........ a baby Taylor. You can always sell it on if he settles on the idea that guitar ain't for him....which happens a lot BTW

pavb2

My 12 year old wants to take up the gutar currently been playing piano and violin for about 5 years both trad & classical. Will invest in lessons but can anyone recommend some books to start her off?

BostonB

Have to say I wanted to play electric, but started on a steel string acoustic, but hardly played it, and ended up mainly playing electric. I simply have no interest in acoustic quitar. I'd hate to force my own kid into playing something he has no interest in, as happened to me with other instruments as a kid.

dit guitar society

The society in dit will be running an easter camp for kids.
also there is the company rockcamp does a summer camp in july but it quiet expensive