Learning to play a musical instrument as a child is thought to make you better at math, according to many music teachers. A strange concept at first, but considering the fact that scales and rhythms are fundamentally based on fractions makes it a little clearer. In fact, it also improves a child’s coordination, patience and, amongst other benefits, gives them something cool to talk about when breaking the ice in social situations.

Cool Chords

Owing to its status as the icon of rock stars and cool kids the world over, coupled with the wide variety of musical styles played on it, the guitar is often the instrument children want to play. Allowing them to play the instrument of their desires is a crucial step in their musical development; there is little to no value in forcing a child to learn violin if that is not what they want to play. If your child wants to play an instrument, if they grab for it even when it’s not time to practice, then you know they will go far with it. To this end, choosing a popular instrument like guitar is a common sense move to make. The fact that almost any song can be adapted to play well on six strings is a huge boon; no matter what they enjoy listening to, it can find a home on the fretboard. Consider also that most songs need only the same three or four chords, and instant results will surely encourage further practice.

Guitar Shopping

Of course, one major hurdle needs to be jumped before music is even considered; buying the guitar itself! There is a lot of variation between instruments and a lot of parameters need to be taken into account when choosing a guitar for your child. Major considerations include size, action and strings, not to mention brands, body shapes and, in the case of electric guitars, pickups.

When buying for children as opposed to yourself, choosing a guitar takes on a whole new form. For most adults, guitar size is not really an issue, but for eight-year-old hands it makes a big difference. Nobody over eighteen should have any trouble holding down a string for a while, but for a child yet to build up their full strength, lighter strings might be needed. If details such as these aren’t given serious thought, your musician in the making won’t be able to play the guitar at all, much less enjoy it. A little research will go a long way in ensuring there are no tears during the buying process.