Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

Guitar for dd

5 replies

pinkparrotpink · 27/02/2015 19:21

dd is 9 but very tall for her age. We have decided to buy her a guitar so she has a relaxing activity to do and try to get her away from the darn tv or tablet. Problem is I know zilch about guitars and am confused by web browsing for one. Would a half size one be too small and would we better to go for a full size one. Don't really want to spend too much on it as it may just be a fad and a bad suggestion made by me. We live in the middle of nowhere so no opportunity to go to a music shop it would have to be an online purchase. Any recommendations or advice welcome. TIA

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

DIYandEatCake · 27/02/2015 19:50

She'll probably do best with it if she has guitar lessons - in which case you can ask the teacher before she starts. Does her school offer guitar lessons? If so there are often schemes with the music service where you can borrow/hire an instrument to see how you get on with it before buying your own.

fizzycolagurlie · 27/02/2015 23:54

3/4 size guitar would be fine - my 8 year old plays one and its the perfect size for him.

Agree that getting advice from a good guitar teacher is key. (no pun intended).

Original poster

pinkparrotpink · 28/02/2015 15:41

Hi Thanks for the replies. Dd isn't keen on guitar lessons until she knows whether she likes playing it or not, she doesn't want it to become like homework. I know some of the older children at dd's school are learning a guitar so will ask for more info. Thanks for the advice.

OP posts:

fizzycolagurlie · 28/02/2015 16:27

It is like homework in that you need to practice every day and its quite hard on the finger tips at first, because you're holding down the strings tightly with one hand and those fingers get a bit numb / calloused. You have to really want to do it I think.

Ferguson · 28/02/2015 17:21

Guitar is quite difficult for complete beginners, and as 'fizzy' says, it can take a long time for fingers and to build up strength.

I taught primary children 'informal' music as a TA for twenty-five years: keyboard club with Yr6, recorder groups with yrs2 to 6, and percussion with Yr1 and Yr2.

For a beginner, to get quicker results and start to learn about music I always recommend keyboard in preference to guitar. A keyboard with 61 full-size keys, a few hundred sounds and many accompaniment rhythms and styles will be around £100.

It is not difficult for a child to start to learn from the many tutor books that are available.

Flip