KidsMusic.com

Choosing an instrument is a very special thing. There is a bond between a musician and their instrument. A good choice can have a great impact on the experience and chances of success. A poor choice can make learning guitar harder and less enjoyable. A poor quality instrument might have the student believe they don’t have what it takes to do music and decide to quit when in reality it was a crummy instrument.

Here are the basics on what to know when purchasing a new beginner guitar for your kid. My goal is to help you foster a life long love of music for your little one. Knowing a handful of things will help you find a solid beginner guitar which is very important. There is a window when a kid has an interest in playing guitar. We want to get them success as soon as possible so they continue on. A terrible instrument will shrink the odds of success. A lousy instrument might make them believe they aren’t musical and can’t play music which is not true. 

Types of guitars-

As far as beginner kid guitars go, we’ll keep things simple and and break them down into two types: 

Electric guitars need an amplifier or headphones to hear them.

Acoustic guitars project their own sound when you strum the strings.

In the acoustic category, beginners will choose between having steel or nylon strings.

Strings-

Steel (metal) strings, are louder and have a brighter tone. They also need a little more hand strength to play chords. Steel strings can be more painful on the finger tips at first but they also build callouses quicker.

Nylon strings have a mellower tone, less volume and are easier on the hands and finger tips.

It’s a matter of personal choice. A student will enjoy and play whichever sounds and feels better more.

Which is better to learn on? I come from the school of, you should learn on acoustic first and then move on to the electric if you want. I’ve changed my mind on this. I now think whatever excites a person and keeps them learning and having fun is best. If you can get your kid in a state of joy and artistic flow, the chances of being a life long learner/lover of music goes way up. Follow your bliss on this one kids.

Size-

For beginner kid guitars, there seems to be more selection in the market for 3/4 size guitars. Guitars smaller than that are getting into the “toy” category. Musicians need instruments not toys. Toys can be fun for air guitar concerts in the living room but not for real learning and playing.

Some kids can learn on full size guitars. It depends on the size of the kid, the size of the guitar and the determination level of the student. Nylon string guitars usually have a smaller bodies. There are also "parlor size" guitars with steel or nylon strings. They are the smallest full size guitars.

Intonation-

For this article, I define intonation as “the guitar being in tune with itself.” If you play a chord and it is in tune then you play another chord and it sounds out of tune, the guitar has poor intonation. That's over simplified but an important concept.

Intonation is based on the math and measurements of the guitar. Intonation can usually be fixed on real instruments but the cost might not be worth it. Some guitars are too poorly constructed to ever be right. It’s best for new students to pass on a guitar with bad intonation. It’s too frustrating and may kill the desire to learn. I’ll try to post a video that shows this better at some point.

Price- 

It seems there are some good beginner instruments for around $150. I saw a Fender for $99 that might be ok but I’d need to try it out before I can say for sure. At the $200 level there seems to be several that would do the trick.

Toys vs instruments- 

Anything new in the $50 neighborhood is a toy and steer clear. The exception to that is you could get a toddler a toy guitar to bang on like a drum I guess. If you are going to that, you may as well pick up a basic ukulele and have a real instrument.

Ukulele alternative- 

Some kids only want a guitar and don’t want to hear about anything else. That is great. If they are a little flexible in the matter, a ukulele is a great option. Ukes are especially good for smaller hands and smaller budgets. Ukuleles have four nylon strings and is much easier to learn on. The ukulele is a sweet instrument and it’s easy to carry around. In one or two lessons kids can be playing songs. It’s a great way to get some early wins in and build confidence in their musical ability.

Tuners- 

You will need a way to know if your guitar is in tune. There are many inexpensive electronic tuner available. Clip on electronic tuners will tell you if the string is too tight or too loose (sharp or flat). Being in tune will help the enjoyment of playing which translates to better success. Get a tuner. Other accessories like picks, straps, capos etc are optional in the beginner stages. There will never be a shortage of gear to buy for your guitar.

Where to buy-

If you are lucky enough to have a cool local independent music store where you live, please support them. Having someone you can ask questions from and that stands behind their products is great. Go there.

If you don’t have a cool local independent music store, the place I go online is sweetwater.com. You can call and talk to a friendly knowledgeable person and the prices are as low as anywhere online. Sometimes, they might even toss some chocolates in with your order.

At the time of writing this, I’m only a customer with Sweetwater like everyone else. I don’t get any money or gear for promoting them. That could change someday but I’ll be clear it if that happens. In my experience, they are the best online.

Beginner kid guitar reviews-

In the future I’ll be doing some video reviews of different makes and models of kids guitars. Email me if you have a specific model you are curious about. 

Good luck on your journey. Music makes life better.

Stay tuned!

V

All People including you are musical.

Here are three keys to learning and making music. You can do it!

Anyone and everyone that wants can make music. Humans are musical by nature. Some people will disagree with those two statements but it is true. Have doubts about whether you can learn to play music? The answer is yes and we can put those doubts to rest right now.

If you want to play basic songs for yourself, kids or with your friends, that is very achievable.

Mastering a new skill makes us feel good about ourselves. And music is a valuable gift that we can share with others.

The first two keys to learning to make music are to have a proper mind set and good instruction.

Mind set

Our beliefs make up much of our reality. The old saying “if you believe you can or you can’t, you are right” applies to playing music as much as anything. I’ve encountered many people who refuse to believe they have any musical ability. I love changing that belief.

Fears and false beliefs that stop people from being a music maker include:

I’m not musical

No one would want to hear me sing

My parents play but talent skipped a generation

I have terrible rhythm

I couldn’t carry a tune if it was in a bucket!

I want to but I’m scared that people might laugh at me.

We need to re-frame these beliefs into more helpful and productive ones.

Author Stephen Covey often says things like “If you argue for your weakness, it’s yours”.

All people have fears in their lives. Often times it’s a great opportunity to grow as a person.

Mindset to hold:

Believe you are musical by design and just need coaching to express it in your own special way.

Instruction

Most things we can do were taught to us. Few of us figured out all by ourselves how to tie our shoes and no one alive made up the ABCs.

We learn what we are taught. If taught well, we typically learn well.

People learn in different ways. Some people do well with online instruction. Others learn best in person with a teacher able to correct them in the moment. Some people are visual learners  and others prefer listening. Some love interactive software.

Different styles of learning for different styles of people. None of them are wrong.

A good question to ask: “How do I learn best?”

Time

Time is the third component to our success formula. Having a proper mindset and good instruction will get us only so far. We still need to put in the time and practice what we are learning.

We play music we don’t work music but learning and practicing can be hard work which is good. To become good or even great we work hard so we can play more. Having fun while we learn will increase how long and often we practice and how well the material sticks.

Quality is better than quantity when practicing. 20 minutes every day is usually more productive than 2 hours once a week. 2 hours once a week will still get you playing and is better than nothing. Do what works for you.

3 step formula anyone can use for learning and playing music.

1. Mindset -

Believe that you are musical. Music is in you wanting to express itself through you in your own unique and special way. When you get the instruction you need and put in the time you will succeed whatever that means to you.

2. Instruction -

Find a person, program or website that can deliver the knowledge you need in your style of learning. This will likely be many people or a combination of human and virtual sources over time.

Hopefully you will keep learning music your entire life. There is an endless diversity of people, styles and schools to learn from.

3. Put in the work/play -

Commit to practicing what you learn and improve a little all the time. Ask questions and try new things. Connect with others and having fun makes the experience and information retention better.

If you put in the time following good instruction you will be able to play music. Some learn faster than others. Some people have more natural ability but don’t worry about that. Persistence is the great equalizer. Remember the tortoise and hare story.
You can do it.

Just start.

Your future self will thank you