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Location: Chehalis, Washington | I need opinions(yes, I know this is going to be difficult).
I'm planning on picking up a 1/2-size guitar for my daughter for her birthday in July. She is fascinated with music, dancing, and loves to try to play on my guitars. :eek: Hence, I figure the best idea is to encourage this tendency and cultivate a young musician.
Here's the catch - she's turning 2.
Am I crazy? |
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Location: south east Michigan | It's late & i'm dead dog tired so pardon my bluntness.
yes.
But you get points for good intentions.
IMHO there are other ways to encourge her interests at 2 years old. She is going to expect to make her guitar sound like yours and will be discouraged when it does not.
Play for her. Let her sing to your playing.
I just don't think that at 2 years old she has the fine motor skills to begin to finger even a 1/2 size guitar. |
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Location: NJ | Get her a uke. . . |
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Location: Avondale, AZ | I agree 2 is too young. My daughter is almost 6. She shows interest. She strums the guitar while I fret it. She likes to hold my guitar and often asks to play it. When she is a little larger, I will buy her of a 1/2 size. |
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Location: New York, NY | Agreed. It's a nice thought but even on a 1/2 size I'm not sure she'd be able to push the strings down. I agree that she'd get discouraged easily.
I'd suggest maybe starting her out with a small drum... good way to encourage the musical interest but give her something she can handle easier (i.e. "play along with daddy").
- JT |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Just let her be a two year old. She'll figure it out. If anything, get her one of those little plastic uke looking things with a crank handle on the side that plays like a music box.
A golfing buddy of mine bought a used set of Ping irons and had the shafts cut down. For his 4 year old. I think the kid uses them to squish ants on the driveway. Dave |
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Location: Avondale, AZ | VC I'd suggest maybe starting her out with a small drum... good way to encourage the musical interest but give her something she can handle easier (i.e. "play along with daddy").
I got my son a drum machine at 2 and my daughter a harmonica at 4. They would form a trio with me on the guitar. I made a video of it and it is quite charming. |
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Location: south of munich, Germany | I just bought a 1/4 guitar for my 6 year old daughter... she asked several times for her own guitar, now she got it... |
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Location: Avondale, AZ | How is that working out Irgendeiner? |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | Guess I should have specified - half of the idea is to have something to play with her with, and the other half is to have a small guitar to take on road trips.
Still a bad idea? |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Ahhh, NOW the story starts to unfold ...
It's like when I "gave" my wife DirectTV/Tivo so she wouldn't have to watch commercials, and they just "happened" to include the college football package ...
Dave |
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Location: Upper Left USA | You need to find a balance between encouragement, involvement and not driving their Mother up the wall.
As it is the house is full of music and they will have Musician's coming through your doors for many years. The influence is there and will take root or not.
For Amy's sake - no drum.
Some of the small keyboards that play "C" or "G" are good. Any instrument can be an earned reward, or taken away (how do you think my chores get done?).
A Uke at age 5-6 could be nice.
When they are older I intend to teach them the precise methods of string changing and how Dad should be playing his acoustic! :D
If they show promise and think Ovations are cool - send them over, we'll teach them about GAS! |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | by Dave:
It's like when I "gave" my wife DirectTV/Tivo so she wouldn't have to watch commercials, and they just "happened" to include the college football package ...A popular strategy...
I gave my girlfriend a girlfriend... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Ahhh, NOW the story starts to unfold ...
It's like when I "gave" my wife DirectTV/Tivo so she wouldn't have to watch commercials, and they just "happened" to include the college football package ...
Dave |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | Originally posted by MWoody:
When they are older I intend to teach them the precise methods of string changing and how Dad should be playing his acoustic! :D
If they show promise and think Ovations are cool - send them over, we'll teach them about GAS! Thanks, but you've already given me enough GAS to last a lifetime.
And by the way, what's this about "should" be playing? Anytime you want to trade out and lead rhythm for this group of misfits and let me tinker with the fun stuff, be my guest! :p |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
...A popular strategy...
I gave my girlfriend a girlfriend... Three words, Jeff:
T M I :eek: |
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Location: N.J. | Bought my 2 yr old daughter a First Act guitar which is a little larger than a standard size Uke. I sanded down the bridge saddle and now it has super low action which is great for a child.She takes it out and we "jam" almost everyday. I had to get her one because she was wanting to use my O's to strum/bang on so she could play with me,so it was definitely time! She also asks to watch my Hendrix dvd's and knows the words to Black Water and Long Train Runnin' off the top of her head.She has never been pushed into anything and has always been encouraged with everything she does.Now, if she would go on the potty THAT would be an accomplishment!! :) |
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Location: south of munich, Germany | Originally posted by OldLiverJones:
How is that working out Irgendeiner? no expierience until now.. we received the guitar two days ago, it will be an easter-present.. maybe I can tell you in a few weeks
BTW Happy Easter!
Tobias |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by Sleepy Eyes McGee:
Bought my 2 yr old daughter a First Act guitar...so she could play with me... She also.. knows the words to Black Water and Long Train Runnin' off the top of her head. You're in trouble. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Generally, speaking 2 year olds will appreciate drums, they don't have the dexterity or fine motor skills, until at least 6 or 7.
Test dexterity with a game like jacks or pick up sticks or marbles.
Unless the kid is genius. |
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Location: NJ | ". . they don't have the dexterity or fine motor skills . ."
ah . . . a BASS player, then . . . |
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Location: Omaha, NE | Originally posted by edensharvest:
Guess I should have specified - half of the idea is to have something to play with her with, and the other half is to have a small guitar to take on road trips. Shades of Homer Simpson buying Marge a bowling ball for her birthday! :-)
My $0.02 on this (and I have seven kids, so I have some experience in this area) is to always have a beater guitar sitting around. One that you won't object to see the two year old dragging around the back yard.
They will figure out for themselves how to make noise with it. Eventually, a kid may even take an interest. You can make your move then.
My old Matrix has served this purpose well. Those things are just about indestructable.
Jeff |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | She's 21 months now, and has incredible motor skills, knows the entire alphabet and words to her favorite songs, knows all her basic shapes, colors, animals, numbers 1-10. My wife is a retired preschool teacher, and, though she's biased, is completely amazed by how quick our daughter is. According to her, she's more advanced than most 3 year olds.
(I'm really NOT a proud parent, obviously...)
Irgendeiner, and others: HAPPY EASTER TO YOU!!!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!! |
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Location: Omaha, NE | Originally posted by MWoody:
You need to find a balance between encouragement, involvement and not driving their Mother up the wall. My brother and I got into an "obnoxious toy war" a long time ago. The idea was to give the other guy's kid a gift that would drive the parents nuts. At its peak, he gave my daughter this "art kit" that involved lots of colored sand and water. Total mess.
I retaliated by getting his kid a cheapo drum set.
That ended it.
Jeff |
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Location: Avondale, AZ | Omaha: My brother and I got into an "obnoxious toy war" a long time ago. The idea was to give the other guy's kid a gift that would drive the parents nuts. I was in a simualr war. This is how my daughter got the harmonica and my son got the drum machine. My brother is a serious harmonica player, so my daughter had a drive to be like Uncle Jim. My son is learning the drum machine just as well. Even though they are young, they are good. I won the war. |
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OT: Too Young?
