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Mon 30 Oct, 2006 12:15 pm
All my research and planning for piano lessons has met the brick wall of Mo's please for a guitar.
Not just any guitar mind you - a "rock and roll" guitar. Which I'm assuming means an electric guitar (I have been assigned the "cowboy" guitar role).
I have told him that I will consider a guitar for Christmas provided he commit to lessons.
So.
Mo will soon be 6 years old. Is this too young?
I am assuming that there are smaller guitars for smaller people. Do they make good small guitars? Good, small, electric guitars?
Is learning on an electric guitar a good or a bad idea?
How much am I looking at spending?
Any advice appreciated.
I don't think it's too young, but be prepared for some whining when he realizes that lessons might interfere with playtime.
My middle son played the violin and then the viola (which he still plays). Had I to do it over, I'd opt for a Suzuki method teacher for him. Do they have Suzuki guitar teachers?
GITARZAN
Ray Stevens
He's free as the breeze
He's always at ease
He lives in the jungle and hangs by his knees
As he swings through the trees
With a trapeze in his B.V.D.s
He's got a union card and he's practicing hard
To play, the guitar, gonna be a big star
Yeah, he's gonna go far
And carry moonbeams home in a jar
He ordered Chet's guitar course C.O.D.
Like A and E and he's working on B
Big W&W and R&B and even the chimpanzees agree
That someday soon he'll be a celebrity
Get it, get it, get it.
Gitarzan, he's a gitar man
He's all you can stand
Give him a hand, gitarzan
He's got a girl named Jane
With no last name
Kinda homely and plain
But he loves her just the same
Cause she kindles the flame
And it drives him insane
When he hears her say
She really does her thing
It's her claim to fame
Come on sing one Jane
Baby, baby, oh baby
Baby, oh baby
(How about that folks)
They've got a pet monkey who likes
To get drunk and sing boogie woogie
And it sounds real funky
Come on your turn boy
Sing one monkey
Let's hear it for the monkey
On Saturday night they need some excitement
Jane gets right and the monkey gets tight
And their voices unite
In the pale moonlight
And it sounds all right
Yeah, it's dynamite, it's out of sight
Let's hear it right now
Baby, baby oh baby
Yeah, shut up baby, I'm trying to sing
Get it, get it, get it
Sozlet is right smack exactly there (down to wanting electric rather than acoustic). I saw that Target has a "real" electric guitar for kids for about $70. (And an acoustic guitar for about $30.) No idea of quality or anything else, but saw it and filed it away.
This seems to be it.
Actually maybe it was
this. The first one is kind of ambiguous, just has "Jr." in its name -- this one says "6 and up" specifically.
I see Suzuki schools for piano and violin listed but nothing for guitar.
There are several guitar schools in town and a lot of tutors/private lesson instructors. I received a flier for a new guitar school in my neighborhood the other day but now I can't find it.....
We saw those guitars in Target the other day soz, plus all the ones that were in the Toys R Us catalogue. I can no longer take Mo to Target because of the whining and pleading. I had to throw out the catalogue because he was making me insane.
I know where a couple of good guitar stores are and where one insturment rental place is so I have places to shop around. I want to make sure I get something decent - something he can grow with a bit. But the Target prices are hard to beat.
I just want to be prepared when I start looking so I know what to ask.
Dys! Guitarzan - that is just soooooo Mo!
This site seems to have some pretty good info:
http://www.guitartips.addr.com/tip101.html
Quote:If you are looking for a guitar for your child, there's really no reason to go out and buy him or her a full size guitar. A small person probably can't reach over the body and the frets will be spaced too far apart for little fingers to play. You need to get something better than the toys you find in department stores but still not full size and professional quality.
If your child wants to learn classical style music, you're in luck. The nylon string guitars are smaller and a Korean import nylon string guitar can be had at a low price.
If however, your child wants a steel string guitar, the choices are fewer. You'll need to find a smaller bodied guitar than a dreadnought. The salesperson should be able to help you out on this. They are usually referred to as "Concert", "0", "00", "7/8", 3/4", or "1/2" size. If these are still too big or can't be found, check out 2 guitars made by Taylor. The "Baby Taylor" and the "Big Baby Taylor".
You also want to consider a guitar with a "Short Scale Length". The easiest way to find this is look at the neck. Count the number of frets between the "Nut" (tuner end of the neck) and the body of the guitar. A guitar with a long scale length will have 14 frets and are more common. The guitar you want only has 12 frets between the nut & guitar body. There are exceptions to this. Ask the salesperson to make sure. Also see Tip 170. These short scale guitars are easier to play because the strings don't have to be tightened as much to reach proper pitch and the frets are closer together. Also install light gauge strings on the guitar to help if needed.
For more information on this subject, also read my Tip 43 (Buying A Beginner Guitar).
Hi, boomerang.
An electric guitar is probably best for a beginner, esp. at that age, because they are much easier to play (it's easier to press the strings down with your fingertips). If you do go with an acoustic, I recommend getting one with nylon strings (for the same reason). Learning to play guitar is actually pretty hard on your fingers, but it gets much easier after a few weeks.
As far as lessons, I would say just go with whatever he likes. Beginner guitar lessons all teach the same, basic stuff. . . how to hold the guitar, how to hold the pick, how to strum, how to tune up, how to change a string, and how to play a few easy chords. It's a lot of work, at any age. The more fun you make it seem, the better his chances of sticking with it.
My brother-in-law, who is an amazing guitar player and plays professionally, had very good things to say about the baby and big baby Taylors when I was choosing a guitar as a present once-upon-a-time.
Also, you might see if there are places where he/she can take lessons without having to own a guitar.
There's a big difference between learning guitar and playing guitar.
Oh my gosh!
Those Taylor guitars are thousands of dollars!
I saw some used acoustic ones on ebay for 2-3 hundred dollars.
But wow!
It looks like the Baby Taylor's are all acoustic.
Hmmmm....
Echi, what you say about guitar is the same thing I heard about piano - find a way to make it fun and they will stick with it.
DrewDad - the new neighborhood place says they have guitars for you to play if you don't own one but it seems to me that practice would be part of learning so I'm not really sure about that.
If you do buy a leccy guitar you'll have to buy an amp too. I'd recommend a 200 watt Marshall stack :wink:.
Is there a local guitar teacher you can talk to? A 6 year old is going to have tough time with fingers and strings on a cheap electric, the action (ie gap between string and fretboard) is notoriously huge on those buggers.
How does this look?
Quote:Squier® Children's Electric Guitar Package - Red
Click to see closeup
List Price: $269.99
Your Price: $169.99
You Save: 37%
Usually ships within 6-7 business days
FREE SHIPPING for this product on orders over $199! (Details)
Electric Guitar Starter Pack. Made by Fender. (EM.MINIPK-RD)
NOTE: This is a 3/4-size guitar, suitable for ages 6-11
Featuring the high-quality Squier® "Mini", this starter kit has everything you need to get your kids started on guitar! Best of all, unlike other children's "toy guitar" packages, this one's got a real guitar from the world's #1 guitar manufacturer - Fender!
Although it's undersized, the Squier® Mini is a real guitar, with features that are based on those of the classic Fender® guitar models. Pair it up with a rockin' Fender® Mini-Deluxe mini-amplifier, gig bag, strap and picks, and you've got everything you need to start your child rocking!
Package includes:
Squier® Mini Electric Guitar - Red
Fender® Mini Deluxe Mini Amplifier (note that this amplifier is a walkman-sized, 1-watt amp, not a full-size amp)
Squier® Padded Gig Bag
Fender® guitar picks
Fender® Guitar Strap
10-foot Guitar Cable
Soz - this site has some cool kid's guitars!
http://www.wholenote.com/store/guitar/electrics/childrens/default.asp
Boomer -- your best bet may be to find the teacher first -- someone who relates well to young children and has some experience with teaching them. That person may be able to give you the best advice about what to buy. A lot of instrument stores have music studios affiliated with them for lessons -- seems there could be a conflict of interest there but if they're reputable it could be a good source of advice.
Ack! So much to think about.
So.... look for a teacher first?
I'll check out the guitar store with all of my questions and look at their selection.
Does anyone have any comments on that little Fender?
Little Fender looks good to me, but I'm just a duffer.
I didn't say he suggested
buying the Taylors, just that he had good things to say about them....
The Squier pack looks OK to me to but I have an aversion to buying a guitar without actually wrapping my hands around it's neck (Oh oh Homer channelling alert "WHY YOU LITTLE....").
At least your little fellah is at the lower end of the 6-11 range so he's got plenty of time to decide whether he's still interested as he gets older.
Squier® Mini Electric Guitar - Black
List Price: $165.99
Your Price: $99.99
You Save: 40%
[red is for girls. yuck!]
Those are good looking guitars,and if Fender still has it's reputation for quality guitars, then I woould say that is a good deal. I agree about an electric for a beginner or a nylon string, except the necks are quite wide on most classical guitars. You can get a small practice amp for under 100 bucks. If the boy doesn't stick with it, you can sell them for close to what you paid. Lessons are important as well. Good luck!
You can also check with your school music teacher. Get his/her feedback since they also are familiar with Mo.
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