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October 2008
Posts: 639
Location: NW of Philadelphia | I was out on the porch down the shore (yes... thats Jersey speak) playing my Celeb when my niece who is 4 years old, pulls up a chair, sits down, and just listens to me play. After a while, she asks, "Uncle Joey, can i play your guitar?" How can I say no? So I sit it on her lap and its HUGE for her. She plucks away the strings, I do all the finger work and she is beaming. Its then, my sister comes out and starts snapping pictures. She tells me that Gabrielle (my niece) is showing interest in music.
I have MY first guitar at home. A 38 year old Kingston acoustic, 3/4 scale. A very simple guitar. Its in great shape, just unplayed. I was going to clean it up and restring it for her, but I still have some sentimental value in that guitar. I don't want to see it damaged.
Is 4 too young? |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 5331
Location: Cicero, NY | That's probably best answered by the child. Many kids start playing SOMEthing very early - whether it be recorder, piano, violin, etc. The guitar should be no different. Let her borrow your guitar (with ground rules), have Mom get her in lessons, continue to play along with her and you'll know soon enough. |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Is 2-1/2 too young?
A lot depends on the child, but I would think serious study couldn't start until about 6. The attention span, never mind physical ability (tiny hands) just isn't there.
On the other hand, I bought that guitar for my son as an opportunity to begin teaching him respect for an instrument. He takes very good care of it, never banging it against anything and always putting it on its stand when he's not using it. Even though he can't fret properly, he still loves to sit in his chair and just strum the open strings, usually in proper time, as he sings the ABC song or "plays" along with me. I'll likely get him one of those baby Strats when he's really ready to start learning.
Bottom line, IMO they're never too young to spark an interest in music, and all the other things that go along with playing - like responsibility, discipline, self-confidence, delayed gratification - will only help them throughout their lives.
"Giving" your niece that guitar will certainly make you her favorite uncle. Just keep a close eye on her at first until she learns how to treat it with respect. The memories you'll both make will be priceless. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | There was a kid on America's Got Talent the other night. He was 9 and played a great solo on an electric guitar. He started at 4 or 5. |
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Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | It's not an issue of numerical age. Does the child have the physical dexterity and attention span to make it FUN ???
At that age I would avoid the physical stress of a steel stringed wide neck guitar. Get a tenor ukulele and just call it a "kids guitar". I've been working with two neighborgood girls 6 and 8 and they do quite well.
4 years old? I dunno. At that age what a child really needs is your time and attention. If it's in the form of guitar lessons, fine. Maybe wrestling around on the floor with Dad is just as benefitial. At that age I used to take my son out in the woods to find the biggest rock or tree stump that we could. We'd sit on it and just talk. Best time we ever spent. |
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September 2008
Posts: 1281
Location: Ohio | I have a 3 year old grandson that is always asking to play my guitar.
I bought a ukelele kit from Grizzly (sp?) for him and he LOVES it. Just sits there strumming the strings. But he has thythm
Steve |
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Joined:
September 2007
Posts: 153
Location: New Jersey, USA | I have three daughters and I have given the two oldest a guitar around the 4 year mark. The youngest is due next year. I made sure that these were instruments that could get bumped and bruised. One got a 3/4 sized Yamaha nylon string. The other got a Martin Backpacker that I acquired for free.
The goal here was just to expose them - let them literally play (i.e. PLAY, not play MUSIC). My oldest daughter never touches her guitar. She is now 10.5 and will likely not be a musician. Loves to dance and sing though!
My 5 year old likes to strap on her Backpacker, which I have mercifully tuned to DADGAD, and bang away at it. There is hope for her! I also just gave her a harmonica.
I believe that structured lessons don't work until about the age of 6. Until then, I think a parent should elicit and indulge the child's natural curiosity and see if it sticks. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | When I was very young (3.5 - 4) I had a Real Roy Rogers Guitar.
In 1960 this was not valuable, I think it would be now.
Anyway, that has nothing to do with my interest in guitars.
But I do like the DADGAD idea. (Maybe I need to try that now)
I don't thing mine was in any kind of tune. No guitar players in my house at the time.
Do Not Send The Kid To Lessons, unless they ask to be sent to lessons.
That would take the fun right out of it. |
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Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 1561
Location: Indiana | Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
When I was very young (3.5 - 4) I had a Real Roy Rogers Guitar.
We have that in common OMA. Mine was an orange burst with a hoof print of Trigger on the back. :) |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | I too had a Roy Rogers guitar. I had asked for a real one, but this one was bigger than any of the toys I had had previously, and it didn't have a crank. It had nylon strings and my Dad's friend tried to tune it for me, but couldn't do it.
I think four is very young. I have not had much success teaching little kids. They just don't have the attention span. I think piano or a small keyboard is the very best instrument for little ones. They can see the notes, and even if they just goof around with it, they will start to understand the way music works. I DO NOT reccomend DADGAD for beginners. I know a guy in his 50's who started playing DADGAD when he was a little kid and never did learn to play in a regular tuning. He doesn't even make chord shapes in DADGAD, just bars everything. He admits he's too lazy to learn to really play when this is so easy. Too much of a temptation for kids to take the easy way out. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15677
Location: SoCal | In the right atmosphere and with the right kid, 4 isn't too you. Glen Campbell got his first guitar when he was 4 and he's managed to eek out a living with it.... |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Depends on the kid. Unless they're real special 9-12 is more normal. |
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Joined:
September 2007
Posts: 153
Location: New Jersey, USA | DADGAD is not recommended for beginners. I use it for someone who is just fooling around by strumming with no left hand effort. That way it sounds a tad more sonorous to hear the open strings hacked at endlessly!
As soon as the child actually starts to learn fingerings, to standard tuning we shall go. |
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Is 4 too young to start
