When buying a guitar for your child there are a large number of possibilities to consider ; type of guitar, size, and accessories. We'll cover the basic choices here, once you narrow things down you'll have no trouble getting hold of the appropriate guitar for your child.
What Should my Child Start With? Acoustic or Electric:
For ages 3 and up there's a huge range of appropriate guitars to choose from so your selection here will depend on what you and your child feel comfortable with for that first guitar. If you're on a budget and unsure whether your child will stick with playing for more than a few weeks, you might like to begin with an reasonably priced acoustic.
When shopping for acoustic guitars, there's two main choices; Steel-String and Nylon-String Classical Guitars. The majority of pop and folk musicians play Steel-string guitar but many parents prefer their child's first guitar to be a classical, nylon-string model. Nylon strings are soft and easier to press down, whereas steel strings can be hard on a childs hands and cause problems early on. Starting out with a Classical Guitar will make it easier for your child to develop finger strength and calluses. That said, many still start out with steel strings, primarily because there's a few more choices available.
Given that, there's a few advantages to selecting an electric. For many beginning players, having an electric guitar is definitely the cool choice for rocking out. If your child is energetic he might have a load of fun burning off some of that energy playing an electric guitar. Many of us have fond memories of playing our first electric, ripping out power cords copying our favorite guitar star. One difference from acoustic, an electric guitar needs accessories such as a cable and amplifier, many electric guitars are sold in starter packages and this could be a good way to save a few dollars. Another accessory that might come in handy if you're concerned with keeping things fairly tranquil in your home, is a headphone amplifier. With a headphone amp, your kid can play to her hearts delight while you ( and your neighbors ) enjoy the peace and quiet!
One other tip, some kids often gravitate to playing electric bass. For older kids, playing bass is an excellent way to find a spot in a neighborhood or school band. We highly recommend starting on guitar to grasp the basics. Shortly after this the switch to bass is moderately easy. Our site BestGuitars4Kids has reviews and tips on Bass Guitars.
What Size Guitar is best? A bit about size and scale length:
A number of guitars come in 1/2 and 3/4 sizes. If you have a child between 3 and 6 you might be interested in starting out with a half sized model. For an older child, 6 - 10 the 3/4 size category is a good place to start. There are many fine smaller sized guitars on the market. Along with being a good choice for kids, many 1/2 and 3/4 size guitars are used by adult players as travel guitars.
Scale:
It's essential to consider the scale (fret board length) and a narrow neck for little hands. Look for models which feature slimmer fret boards so your child can fit her hand around the neck and form chords. For all ages, it's important that your child have a comfy "fit". On the other hand though, remember that kids develop fast so you may want to err a bit on the larger size so your budding musician won't outgrow the guitar in a month or two.
Additionally, don't forget about guitars for left handed kids! Although the option is narrower, most manufacturer's feature a special category for the lefty in your life.
What are the Essential Accessories that my child might need?
Depending on your selection ; acoustic or electric, you'll require 3 to 4 basic accessories. Acoustics are a more easy choice and you might be able to start out simply, with nothing more than some spare strings and a few picks. For a little more, a soft gig bag, guitar strap and guitar tuner might be good additions. A guitar tuner is good to consider for getting your child get off to a good start. Having an out of tune guitar will be discouraging for kids starting to play and irritating for parents!
For electrics you must also have an amplifier and a guitar cable, or you won't be able to hear the guitar being played. As mentioned previously, many electric guitars come in packages including mini amp and cable. Acoustics also come in package sets, and for either pick this will be the most economical way to go. if you'd like your child to be able to practice while keeping the noise level at home reasonably low a headphone amp is also a useful accessory to add to your selections.
Buying the Guitar: Best Guitars for Kids
We hope that these tips prove to be useful and help your child off to a great start in discovering the world of guitars and music. When you're ready to shop for the perfect guitar for your child, a good place to start is the website Best Guitars for Kids. Until then, Happy Rockin'.
