If you want your kid to learn guitar then it is important that they understand the process of learning. They need to learn how to hold the guitar properly and also how to practice at home.
Kids don’t have the attention span to sit through a 45 minute lesson so it is important that you make sure they get lots of fun songs to play and games to keep them engaged. It is also important to have the parents on board with this as they often need to encourage their child to practise – if they are not it can be very easy for a week to go by without the guitar getting out of the case and played!
The first thing that I would recommend is to start them on a smaller instrument. A ukulele is a great way to introduce them to the world of guitar as it has four strings and is quite small in size. It is also very cheap and with a decent set of strings it can sound really nice too.
Once they have got the hang of strumming they can then move onto chords. When teaching a kid the chords it is often best to start with semi chords as they are easier for kids to play. You can find lots of great chord charts online to help them learn which chords to put their fingers into. You should also try and get the kids to strum the chords with a rhythm as well. This will be a good musical practice for them and they can have fun trying to count along too.
It’s also important to make sure the guitar is a suitable size for them. If they are too big they will struggle to hold the guitar and may not be able to reach the frets easily. If they are too small it will be difficult to tune and they could lose their tuning quickly.
Lastly, it is very important to encourage the kids to play with others. Playing music is a social activity and can be lots of fun when done with friends. It is also a great way for them to develop their social skills and also make new friends! It is a good idea to try and get them to join a group class with other kids that have the same interests. This can be a very motivational way for them to keep playing and can also be an opportunity for them to see some more experienced musicians play.
Ultimately, it is best to teach kids music first and then worry about instruments later on. Very few children will be a virtuoso within their first few short practice sessions, but if they are having fun and not feeling discouraged then that is all that matters! I hope this article has been helpful in explaining how to teach a kid the guitar and ways to make it fun.