A lot of children are getting into music at a young age because of video games such as Guitar Hero. After they’ve pretended to play, it’s hard to ignore the idea of teaching your children how to play an instrument for real.
The first point in teaching a child to play is that the instrument can be fun and to get the child interested in playing. If the kid already plays the video game and recognizes the sound of a guitar, then getting him or her to enjoy playing a real guitar may not be a hard task.
Teaching a child to play
Parents, after the guitar lesson, can become involved in the teaching process and help kids during practice time. They can simply stay watching them and encourage them. Parents do not necessarily have to have prior knowledge and experience, just a willingness to help the child learn. However, as a teacher, I usually guide parents on how to go about the practicing time at home and explain to them some basic things to watch out for.
Preparing the guitar is an important aspect in learning how to play. The guitar will need to be in tune before anyone plays it, so the chords sound as they should.
Kids will also learn to read chord charts and know how to read music.
How to hold the guitar is another important step in the learning process. Teachers are supposed to show the correct position :- their right arm should be on the top of the guitar with their left hand on the neck, the thumb at the back of the neck and the fingers on the fretboard.
Benefits of an instrument
For a child, the advantages of playing an instrument, whether it’s the guitar or something else, can serve as a significant form of childhood development, including academic achievement, improvement in self-esteem, or a heightened sense of self-discipline. Musical instruments can also help a child with self-expression that may not be possible in other forms.