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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Santa bought my little man a geetaar for Chrissy.
He picks it up every day and strums quite rhythmically, muting strings, letting em ring and experimenting with percussive sounds as well. He's playing what he thinks is music, and it ain't bad.
But I haven't got a clue how to teach someone so young.
So... all you dads and moms out there - does anyone have any guidance on how to teach a 6 year old boy, or at least get him on the way to learning? |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 4413
| 7 is usually the earliest guitar teachers will take a pupil over here, some won't take 'em til they're 8.
And nylon strings are all but compulsory for first guitars in UK schools. That's a Guitar Teachers Association rule.
He looks very comfortable holding it - sittin' on the porch, no shoes, guess he'll be a bluesman by the time he's 7. ;)
I point blank refused to teach my son - I'm self taught and with more bad habits (yeh I know) than you can shake a stick at. I was determined he should learn properly. Best decision I ever made.
Whatever you decide - go slowly or you'll put him off for life. |
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Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | Remove the lower three strings and capo it at the 2nd fret. Makes it easier to reach and easier to fret. Teach him some simple 1-finger C and G chords, and a 2-finger A chord. Work your way up to 3-finger D and F chords. Remove the capo when he's big enough to reach and strong enough to fret.
Every 6-12 months add another string D, A, E and expand the chords. By the time he's 10 he'll have the thing mastered.
Dave |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13983
Location: Upper Left USA | Find a cute 7 year old girl to tell him what songs she'd like to hear! He'll learn!
Actually try to play some duets where he can play 1-2 string parts. |
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Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Lock him in a room remove all other stimuli and tell him he doesn't eat until you hear Bach's "Allemande from Lute Suite No. 1 - Em"
If that doesn't work . . . teach him a couple of easy chords and let him play. If he's still interested in a year or two, find a compatible instructor, get him a WorkShopLive membership and jam with him on Friday's. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4025
Location: Utah | The only advice I have is to keep it fun. You might set out to make it a learning experience, but if he doesn't look at it as a fun experience, he won't stick with it. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by FlySig:
The only advice I have is to keep it fun. Rule #1...  |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | Send him to college. Neither of our kids were interested in guitar until they left for college. Both picked it up their freshman year. |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | Simple chords, as Dave said. I don't know if you need to take strings off though. (Not too good for the neck, and if he's going to learn, he needs to learn that you don't always play all of the strings.) Have him try to pick out some simple melodies on one string to get his ear working. Ten minutes at a time, several times a day will be good for his fingers and his attention span. And if he isn't having fun with it, don't worry. It will still be there when he gets older. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | At that age, his desire to learn has to be intrinsic. Give him another year or two and if he still has the passion, he'll probably already know how to read chord charts, have some songs down, and will be ready for formal instruction. |
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November 2005
Posts: 4814
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Two words; shock collar. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | Guess I'll have to wait a while for our duet to evolve, although he does seem to prefer the Jeff Healey style.
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How do I teach a 6 y.o. boy to play geetar?
