When Should Kids Start Learning Guitar?

When should kids start learning guitar? Well, it depends. That’s because there are two different types of learning: formal learning and informal learning. Let’s take a deeper dive into both of these learning types.

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Informal Learning

Informal learning is the type of learning that happens outside of regularly scheduled guitar lessons, a guitar teacher, or a curriculum. Some great examples of informal guitar learning include listening to music around the house or having a guitar as a toy for kids to play with. Informal learning is a great way to introduce kids to music without the pressure of regular lessons or a regular practice routine. Informal learning is a great way to increase children’s musical interests and expose them to many different types of music.

Formal Learning

Formula learning happens with the aid of a guitar teacher, a curriculum, and a practice routine. Through formal learning, kids learn the technical aspects of playing the guitar like technique, repertoire, music theory, songwriting, and performance. When it comes to kids learning to play guitar, the maturity for formal learning is much higher than informal lessons.

When Should Kids Start Learning Guitar with Formal Lessons?

Since informal learning can happen at any age, the real question is this: When are kids ready for formal guitar lessons? The answer to that question depends on three factors:

• Are they showing an interest in the guitar?
• Can they focus for at least 25-minutes?
• Are they mature enough to regularly practice?

If you can answer yes to all three of those questions, then congratulations! Your child is ready for formal guitar lessons.

5 Tips for Teaching Kids to Play Guitar

1. Get the right size guitar. Guitars come in lots of different sizes. If you can’t take your child to a local music store to test guitar, the next best option is using a guitar sizing chart.
2. Show children the proper way to hold the guitar. This is a great starting point, and it can alleviate a lot of unwanted problems down the road like bad technique or physical injuries.
3. Teach children the names of the open strings. Rock Dojo students love the following mnuemonic device for learning the names of the open strings: Eddie-Ate-Dynamite-Good-Bye-Eddie.
4. Classic riffs are great for building momentum. Smoke on the Water, Seven Nation Army, and Iron Man are the perfect riffs for beginners.
5. Teach chidren open power chords on the guitar after they learn a few easy riffs. That’s because open power chords sounds amazing on the guitar. Plus, they only use one finger. However, they are harder than easy riffs. That’s why I like to teach Rock Dojo students power chords only after they built momentum with a few easy riffs.

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