Avalon Acoustic Guitars

Lentin · Joined: 24 Dec 2005 Posts: 141 Location: Las Rozas (Spain)

Dear mates,
I've got a 5 year old daughter. She loves music, singing, dancing...
Many times, when I sit to play, she sits with me to 'play' my guitar.
For Christmas she asked a guitar. Now she is happy because she is the owner of an awful (for her, beautiful) pink small guitar.

My question is:
Does any of you have any idea on how to teach such a small kid keeping her interest on music and guitar? Any method? Any link? I don't want her to get bored at all and to destroy her interest on guitar.

Any idea will be really welcome.
Thanks in advance.

mgrey · Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 34 Location: Tallahassee, FL USA

Much patience, and when she's ready to put it down, let her. On a related note, careful where you sit if you decide to play beside her. I made that mistake with my neighbor's kid, and when he was ready to get up, he chucked the guitar right into my sound board. Small ding, but it cut me deep. Good luck!

mutley2209 · Joined: 13 Mar 2009 Posts: 141 Location: Wales, Carmarthen

could have a look around for some children's instructional magazines? may be more illustrated helping to keep them interested Smile

maybe try learning spongebob squarepants theme for her, goes down a treat in an open mic' night too Laughing

anything that can grab her attention and keep the guitar fun for her will be the key, children always learn better at a young age, picking up skills like this now will serve her later in life, go for it! Very Happy

Lentin · Joined: 24 Dec 2005 Posts: 141 Location: Las Rozas (Spain)

Thanks, I know patience is key.
But I don't know how to keep her interest on it.
I'm not sure if I should teach notes, chords, simple tunes with one or two strings only...

I'me surfing the internet trying to find some good ideas but...

Thanks for your advise about sitting close to little guitar killers... Shocked

singlereed · Joined: 07 Mar 2009 Posts: 91 Location: Surrey, UK

Maybe a ukelele to start with in order to get the coordination going on something much smaller and simpler? Quite a few schools are using these nowadays for group music making and they can be had for about £20. She might not realise it is not a guitar per se! They come in funky colours and I am sure there must be an instruction book or DVD available. Get yourself one too and do it together. Me, I fancy the flying V-stylee one Rolling Eyes

Rick Jones · Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 26 Location: Jersey C.I.

I have my daughters (6y/o) little guitar tuned in an open Gmaj tuning, and I teach her melodies on the g string...like insy winsy spider, and then show her how to use a bass note from the open strings around it at various points.
She is pretty good I have to say, she's been doing this since she was 3 really...I just found that back then, when all she did was bash the strings, it was less annoying if the guitar was tuned to a chord!! Very Happy

When she gets older I'll start to show her standard and Dadgad tunings, another game I play with her is singing scales.... I think she'll have a head start and she enjoys it!
Lord knows she sings better than her daddy!!

tcamp22 · Joined: 02 Apr 2008 Posts: 48 Location: Lakewood, CO USA

Personally, I think 5 is too young. The suggestion of a Uke is good, and also playing on the E string for some melodies. However, with the small hands and arms, its a challenge for the little ones. Plus the attention span can be flakey.

My daughter plays, and started about 4th grad on a little Cort. She's pretty good now. Her music desires seemed to kick in quite a bit earlier than that, maybe 5 or 6......I bought her a nice Harmoica. We played together a lot, her on the harp, me on the guitar. It allowed her to be creative, put stuff together on her own, always stayed in tune, and a lot of it transfered when she was ready for guitar. Now she plays both.