Hello everyone! My 9 year old son has really taken a huge interest in my guitar playing, so this past xmas I got him an acoustic (Epiphone Starter Kit). We've already sat down a few times to practice together, but he's having problems getting the strings down. When he does manage it, his fingers start hurting him quickly. The action on this guitar isn't very high so I'm not really sure if lowering it much more will help. Any suggestions on keeping him into it while slowly building up his fingers?
Anyone here helped get a youngin' started? Any general suggestions of things to teach him that will keep him interested? Thanks!
"Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution"
The important thing is to get a kid playing some melodies or songs that they recognise as early as possible. Songs from Disney films are really good for this.
You don't say - did you get your kid a nylon or steel string guitar?
Steel strings are going to hurt until his fingers toughen up. Nylon not so much.
Best,
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
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Ah, Disney songs. Hadn't thought of that. Thanks!
I did start teaching him Jingle Bells. While I practice scales, chords, etc., I too like learning songs that I know. Guess I'll just ask him if there is anything he'd like to learn to play, huh? :D
I got him a steel string. It's the AJ-1. Cheap, but decent for a beginner. I didn't want to spend a fortune and have the guitar end up collecting dust or damaged.
He likes doing slides, so maybe I should just let him do some each session so he starts getting his fingers built up.
Thanks again for the suggestion!
"Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution"
You could get him some lighter strings than you would normally use. That would make it easier to fret while he builds up his calouses.
-Metaellihead
my 12 yr old loves strummin on guitar too...i got her a half size guitar a few yrs ago and put light strings on it the biggest prob is keeping keeping it tuned..check the action on the guitar and be sure its not too high or it will hurt his little fingers....light strings ...and when the blisters start ..i use liquid skin ....its a liquid bandaide ..you can get it where the bandaides are in most any drugstore ...paint a few coats of this on his fingers and he can play passed the blisters and get some calluses built up faster...it peels off and looks nasty but you dont have to use it for long and it washed off with a fingernail bruch pretty easily...my daughter loved country music back then and i got her a fake book with songs she liked...there are tons go look at them with your son and he can pick some songs he likes ....disney has them too..teach him how to read the chord charts and he is on his way....
Bet he surpases all of us before ya know it....
Play On Litter Master...
Joyce
You have to really pay attention to when they stop paying attention.
I was teaching my daughter who is 9 and I tuned her guitar to an open chord, gave her a bottleneck slide, and had her play along with me strumming all the strings just to work on rhythm.
Above all, be flexible.
hi thats about the age I started with my son
I taught him nursery rythms first bought him a 3/4 guitar
that helped him with position and finger movements
cheers
Aghhhh
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I think that getting him a slide would be a good idea...he'll have fun without having to fret and develop his ear at the same time :)
I think derek trucks started on slide cause he found it easier than fretting when he was a little kid.
-dustin
I've been imitated so well I've heard people copy my mistakes.
- Jimi Hendrix
Nick: Tuning to an open chord is a really neat idea. I hope I'm still playing when my youngest gets to be about 9, currently 3. Yesterday he sat up on my lap while I was practicing and wanted to make some noise so I held the guitar for him and fingered chords while we strummed strings together. At 3 I don't expect anything but I let him strum strings with me and he bangs on my daughters new keyboard as well, much to my daughters demise! What I really need in the family is a bass player or drummer.
Denis
