Guitar For Kids

So your child has said they want to play guitar, but your not sure if this is the start of a fulfilling past time or a fleating passion. It is a well know fact that you learn easier and faster when you are young but the strength required in the fingers means around 9 or 10 is the youngest a child should start. At this age a 1/2 size or 3/4 size guitar should be used depending on the size of the child. A full size guitar can be played when getting into the teenage years.

What type of guitar is best for a child and how much will it cost. Well acoustic, electric and bass guitars are all available in 1/2 or 3/4 size. The smaller size of the neck on an electric guitar will make it easier for smaller hands and the low action makes it easier for notes or chords to be played cleanly. They are more expensive to buy upto £100 pounds for a good quality beginner package. Acoustic guitars maybe slightly harder to play due to size, but they can be taken and played anywhere and for the same money you can get a better standard of guitar. The easiest guitar for a child to pay is the classical guitar due to it having nylon strings as opposed to steel, but it may be hard to convince a child that they want a classical guitar.

Money can often be a sticking point for a parent buying for their child beacause they do not know if they will stick with it or give it up after a month or two. That said it is important that the you give your child the best oppertunity to learn, and you really do get what you pay for. A cheap guitar is inherently harder to play and therefore it is much more likely the child will give it up. You should buy the best guiatr you can afford to give your child the best chance.

I would avoid a guitar with a TV character theme on the body of the guitar, although it may initially inspire their interset it could quickly become unpopular or uncool as the childs gets a little older and the guitar could be confined to the wardrobe.

A great choice of maker for a childs guitar is Squire who have a ‘mini’ range of stratocasters. They are made by Fender so the name speaks for itself. They are not to expensive, about £100 pounds, 3/4 size and are real good quality.