Guitar For Young Kids

TetraFish

TetraFish

Well-known member
Anyone have experience with young kids and guitar. I have a soon to be 5 year old that's allready talking about a guitar with strings for Christmas. She has a kids one with push buttons.

Anyway the ukelele thread got me thinking that might be a good cheap introduction. What do you think about a 5 year old trying to learn guitar or ukelele?
 
I know my brother started out pretty young on a baritone uke, but he was older than 5; he may have been closer to 10. Among the choices, I would think a uke would be a good place to start, though. Nylon strings would be better about not tearing up young fingers, and a four-stringed instrument might be a little less of a learning curve for someone starting out.
 
It's never too young to start but don't be bummed if they drop it like a stone. Guitar can be a ball-buster what with pain in yer fingertips and the aggravation of dead string don't ring. It's not easy for small hands and less than serious focus - not common in five year olds. I would think something that could be tuned open and barred (or a slide) might make the entry easier. Music creation is a wonderful thing but if it continues to sound like shit for too long a young mind may drop it.

Just my .02 I didn't start playing until I was 18. I bought my 12 year old a Mexi-strat and he never really did much with it. (Mine now...:cool:)


lou
 
I started when I was 7, my brother started when he was 8. I'd wait at least until then, especially if lessons are in the picture. It's better to save the money for a time when they will actually hold interest in it and want to keep up with it. It's always difficult at a young age, but best of luck to you guys.
 
Don't do it Tetra... there are too many of us in the world as it is!

Get 'em a bass and they'll always get a gig... :cool:
 
Wow! I like the Uke idea! I have a niece that's 2 1/2. I want to get her something just to beat on.
(Actually, she's pretty much a natural on drums. She can alternate hands, not just pound. Pretty impressive :p)
 
My older son, now 8, began learning guitar at 7. He'd had a Uke at 3 and didn't do much with it. At 7 he asked me for a guitar. I wanted to be sure he was serious so I kept putting it off but he nagged me for months. So for his 7th birthday, I got him one. Taught him some chords and he writes his own little ditties. His school taught him the recorder and now he's also learning tablas and euphonium. He's quite good with practicing but I don't pressure him because like Sky Blue Lou said, they can drop it like a stone. I remember this kid I knew went on for years about having a banjo so I bought her one. Dropped it like a stone ! I wrote off the £65 as the price of an education. :spank:
 
A uke is perfect,the right size,easy on the finger nylon strings and only four of them for an easier learning curve.Uke transitions to guitar relatively well if the player decides to step up down the road.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I wasn't thinking of getting her into hardcore lessons or anything. I was thinking it might be good to just play around with at such a young age. Even just picking single strings would probably help down the road when shes 8 or 10.

I think I'll probably get her a cheapo uke for xmas.
 
You can get a decent uke for very little compared to a guitar and you might want to try playing it yourself,they're pretty cool.
 
I purchased a used Hondo Child's electric for one of my grandsons several years back in the local music store(I think it was 2005)..then passed it down to another grandson. It seems to be a pretty good child guitar...well made..medium weight, stays in tune, easy to play and very very durable.


All kids are different..some will take right off with it, while others will grow bored or frustrated...but..ya just never know, so just keep the instruments(so many to choose from) handy and encourage often to try 'em all till they find their heart's desire.
 
If you decide to go the uke route, get a tenor or at least a concert sized uke. Easier to tune and keep in tune. Less "plinky". Consider a Fluke. They are pretty durable, stay in tune and sound pretty decent for a plastic back instrument and play well. I bought one for my daughter when she was about 8. She has since graduated to a tele. I have a bunch of very good ukes and the Fluke holds its own with respect to sound.
 
Embarrassed as I am to say this, Daisy Rock. Decent guits, aimed at kids. Low price point, better than they cost. Reduced scale for a lot of their guits.
 
No need to be embarrassed. For a kid, you don't want to be spending a bundle on a reduced scale guitar that they will outgrow in a couple years. As long as the action and intonation are decent.

It's amazing how decent cheap guitars are these days compared to 40 or 50 years ago. I recently was given a Yamaha strat copy that a friend picked up for $20 at a garage sale. It was originally part of a department store package with an amp that sold, discounted, for @ $100. Aside from a few dings and cracked jack plate, it plays amazingly well and sounds decent. Hot pickups. I threw some new strings on it and lowered the action a bit. It is worth keeping as a stunt guitar. When I was a kid (a long time ago), a $100 dollar guitar was hardly worth playing and certainly didn't perform near as well as this one does.
 
My true advice to anyone buying a cheap electric is DON'T PLUG IT IN. If you're in a music store take the leccie into the acoustic room and play it. The wood is what it's all about. The woods on a cheap leccie are hit and miss at best, most are gonna suck, some shine. Find one with good intrinsic tone and the rest is gravy. I've got a Kramer XL2 that was 220 bucks, I've had more offers on this guit than any other guit I've owned. It sounds amazing, no mods. It's plywood for Chrissake.

Remember anything sounds good on a 2000 dollar Mesa. Play it acoustic.
 
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