Children and the Guitar by Paul Swanson

The key to progressing with a guitar, or any other musical instrument, is having a desire to improve. When this is present, with good regular practice, noticeable improvement can be achieved on almost a daily basis. The desire to improve is like a carrot dangling in front of a working donkey to keep it moving forward and pulling a heavy load.

Even without any desire to improve, the same good regular practice would yield the same results. Of course, without the desire, it is highly unlikely that a student will put in that same effort. In the donkey example, an alternative approach is to use a whip. This relates to imposing punishment for a student who has not fulfilled their practice requirement. However learning a musical instrument is meant to be a pleasurable activity, and this is usually not a good alternative, creating resentment and sooner or later causing the student to give up the instrument.

I will rephrase the first line of this article.

The key to your child progressing with a guitar is

you the parent cultivating their desire to improve.

At school, even unwilling students improve at Maths and English because they

         a) Receive regular instruction

         b) Complete homework assignments, even though it is unlikely they want to.

             Usually there is a whip mechanism in place, the likelihood of punishment for

            failure to do so.

        c) Are able to get help at home when required from their parents who are

            familiar with the subject to a level above that of the child

A child who says they want to learn guitar is rarely prepared for the challenge they are about to face.  More than any other instrument the guitar presents physical barriers for the new student to overcome. In fact, providing that a guitar of a suitable size is available, the problems they will face are no different to those for an adult who wishes to learn. The same difficulties must be overcome whether a student is 7, 17 or 70! However the child’s view of those difficulties will most likely be very different to the adult’s, (although you might be surprised how many times I hear grown men and women saying “I can’t do it”).

At school, most of the learning is done in the classroom, with homework serving to demonstrate whether the child has absorbed the information taught. Conversely, with the guitar, at least as much of the learning is ideally done during homework (practice at home), with lessons serving to demonstrate whether the child has absorbed the information taught.

Q) So, what is the best way for a parent to cultivate their child’s desire to improve?

A) Quite simply, learn alongside them.

You should be able to absorb the information faster and more clearly, and therefore over the course of the period between lessons, be able to take over the job as teacher. By having to overcome the same difficulties you will gain understanding of the problems your child is encountering and be able to offer solutions. Your child will enjoy the fact that you are sharing an activity at the same level, and be inspired to keep up with you. Perfectly adequate full size beginner guitars are very affordable, and I charge no more for teaching 2 at a time, so the extra cost to you in financial terms will be minimal. In addition, when you bring your child for lessons you will be fully involved rather than sitting in as an onlooker, and of course will end up being able to play a guitar, which is a skill you will keep forever.