Guitar Lesson FAQ's

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How old does my child have to be to start guitar lessons?

 

Here is what your child must be able to do before they are ready for guitar lessons:

• Recite the alphabet

• Say "GFEDCBA" and understand that it is the alphabet backwards.

• Count up to 10.

• Count backwards from 10 down to 1.

• Be able to differentiate their fingers using words like "thumb, pointer, middle, ring, and pinky".

• Be able to stay on an activity like coloring or a craft for 15 minutes without losing interest or needing to get up and run around.  

Use these as your barometer and let us know if they're ready and you're interested in lessons. 

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What kind of guitar would you recommend for a student?

For kids K-7th and even some older students who are smaller for their age we recommend NOT using a full-size guitar. And considering that there is a TON of junk instruments out there, we strongly recommend using one of these guitars.  If you’d like to try them on for size you are welcome to come visit our guitar petting zoo where we have Quarter, Half, Three-Quarter, and Parlor-sized guitars.

 

Quarter (K-2nd small small)

Half (2nd-4th - pretty small, ukulele sized, strung with 6 guitar strings, also called a guitalele)

Three-Quarter (5th and up  - great for small/petite teens and adults)

Parlor (8th and up - great for small/petite teens and adults)

Full Size (for larger folks and full grown folks)

Backpacker (for bustier gals who need a curved instrument more suited to their shape)

 

For all new guitarists, we recommend getting them strung with nylon strings - gentler on fingers new to guitar lessons. Visit our friends at Music Museum in Pitman to have them restrung. 

We also recommend using a few coats of clear nail polish on the tips of fingers (on the skin) to provide a little protection from the initial "ow" of playing guitar. 

 

Can a student start on an electric or does it have to be an acoustic?

We recommend that all students start with acoustic to build up finger strength and dexterity, but electric guitars are fine to start if that’s what you have.

 

Do you offer bass lessons?

Absolutely!  We recommend a student start on the guitar and then progress to bass once they have learned first position (book one for most methods).  But they can start with bass if they are eager. 

 

How much guitar practice is expected?

Aim for their age x 2 in minutes:  A 10 year old should practice 20 minutes at a time, a 6 year old should practice 12 minutes. 

Use an egg timer like your Grandma did - or tell Alexa to set a timer. 

Best to practice the day after a lesson, once on the weekend, and a day before your lesson.

Aim for 3 practices and don’t panic if you have an off week.  Learning an instrument takes years. 

Plan for a 5-10 year investment and don’t imagine they’ll stop in high school - that’s when all that hard work starts to really pay off!  We just had a student get a music scholarship (not even planning to be a music major) at college that paid back every penny that her parents spent on lessons and then some!

 

How do we keep practice from becoming a negotiation?

Keep a good attitude.  It’s like teaching your kids to brush their teeth or do their homework.  No need to threaten or negotiate, no need to take away rewards.  Remember that once a child is on a screen it’s hard to get them off (boy, true for us as well, right?).  Set up practice time to happen when they are already in doing-mode, not play mode. Or encourage it as a bedtime extender - we’ve found this works great. Set up a bedtime that’s 15 minutes earlier than you would normally and then if they want to stay up later, they can do so by practicing.  (sneaky genius)