King of the String: A Primer for Beginning Guitarists

The guitarthe instrument that changed the very face of musicremains one of the most popular musical instruments for beginners and seasoned veterans alike. In 2012, there were nearly 2.5 million guitar sales in the United States. While the guitar is now an international symbol for cool, it has humble beginnings and roots that can be traced back to bowl harps and tanburs from ancient Egyptian, Sumerian, and Babylonian civilizations and similar harps from Mesopotamian and Persian cultures. It wasnt until the Renaissance that the world saw the first incarnation of the guitarthe Spanish chitarra, featuring eight strings tuned in pairs. From that came Italys guitarra battente, a five-course instrument. By the 17th century, the guitarra battente added a sixth course, and European guitar makers dropped the courses altogether in favor of six single strings, paving the way for the modern guitar we know and love. Whether youre looking for valuable extracurricular activities for your children or have a child thats begging you for a guitar of their own, read on to learn everything a beginner guitarist should know.

Why Your Kids Should Learn to Play Music

Music plays an important role in our society, and being able to create music on your own comes with a multitude of benefits, particularly for young, developing minds. Music can improve your childs memory. Research shows that music education effectively fosters a working memory, which describes the ability to control, retain, and manipulate information to problem solve, reason, and perform other

higher tasks. Musicians have better mental control and perform better in tasks requiring recall. Playing any instrument relies on small, acute finger movements, so its no wonder that it can improve a childs fine motor skills. The act of playing a guitar improves motor function and can translate to common tasks like typing on a computer and writing. Music provides a boost in brain power. Studies show that kids involved in music exhibit a growth in neural activity, essentially giving the brain a thorough workout and stimulating the parts of the brain associated with reading, writing, arithmetic, and emotional development. All that said, it shouldnt come as a surprise that practicing music bolsters academic performance. Countless studies show that kids who take up music are more likely to succeed academically, improving grades and increasing scores on standardized tests. Music education encourages good health as well. It has been shown to diminish symptoms of anxiety and depression, reduce stress, and even enhance the human immunological response. Most prominently, music education sets students up for creativity, allowing them to become more flexible and original in their thoughts. This can eventually lead to improved teamwork, communication, and critical thinking, all of which are important to the modern workforce.

Why Choose the Guitar?

Learning to play the guitar not only comes with all of those benefits, but its also a great instrument choice because it is:

Affordable
The six-string is an accessible instrument in that its easy to find and afford. You can buy a solid acoustic guitar that will last your entire musical journey for no more than $150.

Portable
Its a portable instrument that is practically designed for trips to the beach and gatherings around the campfire.

Accessible
The guitar has an incredibly low bar to entry. With just three chords, you can already play a multitude of existing songs.

Versatile
Where guitar really shines is in its versatility, which is why three chords can get you so far. You can use any number of alternate tunings or just stick with standard. There are a multitude of different styles and rhythms to choose from, and the average guitar can play up to five octaves, giving you plenty of notes to play with. You can strum, pluck, Travis pick, or develop picking patterns of your own.

Choosing a Guitar
Now that youre convinced that the guitar is right for you, its time to choose your instrument, which may be easier said than done. There are a lot of different guitars out there. Your first decision: acoustic or electric. Things to take into consideration: Sound - Acoustic guitars have a natural sound, unhampered by electronic transfers. However, electric guitars take advantage of technology to amplify sound and produce a wide range of effects that can add depth to your music. Learning curve Electric guitars are easier to play than acoustics. They dont require you to push down hard on the strings to get a clean, solid sound. Acoustic guitars have thicker strings, which are harder to press down for littler fingers. Playing style They use the same chords, notes, and scales, but acoustic and electric guitars have an entirely different approach and technique. Cost - As mentioned previously, you shouldnt spend more than $150 on a good acoustic guitar that will last you well through your musical career. An electric guitar will cost about double that, not including the cables, amp, pedals, and other equipment. Convenience: Acoustic guitars have the upper hand in terms of convenience. Electric guitars require cables, pickups, an amplifier, and somewhere to plug in that amp.

Once you and your child have narrowed it down, you want to find a guitar that is the right size, first and foremost. Children will have trouble reaching the frets or hitting the strings on larger guitars, which can lead to discomfort and pain. Having to reach for frets also prevents your child from practicing proper technique or playing to the best of their abilities. Purchase an age and size-appropriate guitar for your child. While you dont have to spend a fortune on a first guitar, you should also avoid overly cheap or value guitars. These value guitars use cheap parts, making them hard to adjust and harder to play. The decision ultimately comes down to what your child enjoys and the type of music he or she wants to play. Head to your local guitar store and have your child try out different

guitars. Find the right balance of sound, comfort, and price, and remember that if youre your child doesnt enjoy playing a specific guitar when trying it out, they wont like it when actually trying to learn. If youre really having trouble, here are some suggested brands: Yamaha produces a wide range of instruments for beginner and intermediate players. All of their guitars offer surprising quality at affordable prices. The Yamaha FG700, possessing excellent sound quality and easy playability, remains one of the best acoustic guitars for beginners. For a time, Washburn was the leading brand for hard rockers and metalheads. Theyre not as well-known today, but they still produce some of the best guitars on the market. The Washburn D10S is one of the best-selling acoustic guitars on the market, producing a bright, beautiful sound. Taylor manufactures some of the best acoustic and electric guitars in the world, featuring slick designs and superb quality. The Baby Taylor is perfect for kids as it is three-quarters the size of a regular guitar, making it much smaller without sacrificing the overall sound. Although the brand is now owned by Gibson, another guitar-manufacturing heavyweight, Epiphone offers guitars with the same specs and designs as Gibson but at a significantly reduced price. The Les Paul is one of the most well-known guitars in the world of rock, and Epiphone has done an amazing job recreating the design and visuals in the Les Paul Special II, offering an easily accessible instrument that is geared more toward beginners. When some people think electric guitar, they think of Fender. For over 60 years, the company has had a hand in shaping essentially every musical genre, making a name for themselves with their Stratocasters and Telecasters. The Squier series features the same quality sound and classic design of the main Stratocaster and Telecaster lines but at a budget price.

Equipment and Accessories

After choosing the guitar, there are a few more accessories you might consider. Your child may or may not need everything on this list. The capo changes the key of the guitar by effectively shortening the length of the open strings. The guitar goes up a half step for every fret. This comes into play when vocals are added to the guitar playing or if you want to brighten the sound of the strings.

There are a wide range of opinions about guitar picks or plectrums, but based on a picks thickness, density, material, grip, and shape, the guitar can create a different sound or a fuller tone. Thumb picks are especially popular for playing folk. Changing out the pick can make a world of difference, but remember that there are also plenty of professional guitarists who use nothing more than their bare fingers. The guitars strings are what vibrate to make the sound, but they can also determine your childs comfort when playing. Heavy-gauge strings offer greater volume and sustain but are more difficult to press down. The material also determines the guitars warmth and tone. Most electric guitars use nickel strings, while acoustic guitars tend to have bronze strings. Feel free to experiment. Your child may prefer the sound and feel of different strings. In the past, slides consisted of knife blades, metal bars, and neck bottles. Today they are made of plastic, glass, or steel, but the overall usage remains the same. Slides allow guitarists to play glissandos and vibratos and reach the notes between the frets. Slides are most often used in blues, country, and folk music. Whether you want to upgrade an electric guitar or get more volume out of an acoustic, a pickup can be a great investment. Pickups are magnets or a series of magnets that pick up the motion of the strings and translate it into electrical energy. These electrical signals are then sent to the amplifier, which turns the signals into sound.

If you have any questions, ask your music instructor or one of the guitar store workers.

9 Tips for Learning to Play the Guitar

Playing the guitar is a lot of fun and much easier than people think. Here are some tips that can help your child on the journey to guitar-playing greatness.

Learn to read music in both standard notation and tablature.

Your kids might not find it particularly enjoyable, but learning to read music goes a long way to advancing their musical development, especially if they decide to write their own

songs or play with others. They dont need to dip into advanced music theory, but your kids should at least learn the basics of rhythmic notationnote values, bars, measures, dividing beats. Tabs tend to be more popular as they show the fingerings, but tabs arent great for showing rhythms. Learning both sets your kids up for success in the long run.

Learn notes before you learn chords.

Knowing the notes on a fretboard opens up a world of possibilities. It makes scales, patterns, and chords much easier to master.

Get comfortable.
Practicing good posture when playing will not only make your child more comfortable, but it also brings out better sound. Try this: When sitting, place the guitar on your right leg (left leg if youre playing a left-handed guitar) and balance it with your forearm. The guitar should be perfectly balanced without you holding the neck. Sit straight but relaxed. You shouldnt experience any pain or discomfort when you play.

Tune the guitar.

A tuned guitar ensures that you get the best sound from it. As your child plays guitar and trains their ear, they can learn to tune it by matching tones. But for now, the easiest way to tune a guitar is to invest in a tuner. The guitar should be tuned every time your child picks it up as the strings and instrument can change tune based on time, weather, and humidity.

Learn to strum.
Strumming a steady rhythm while fretting chords is one of the most difficult things to learn. Once your child has a few chords under their belt, its easier to strum a simple up-down pattern, switching between chords every four counts.

Fret properly.
You want to produce clean, full sound every time you hit a string. Reduce buzzing or muffled strings by applying proper pressure on the stringsfirm but not uncomfortably tight. Changing hand position can also keep fingers from making accidental contact with other strings.

Perfect the barre chord.

Barre chords are the bane of the beginning guitarists existence. The index finger should be rolled on its side and slightly curved. Dont hold down to the point of pain, and try moving the wrist into different positions. Most importantly, practice, practice, practice. With a few minutes of practice every day, your child should be a barring expert in no time.

Go slow.
Theres no need to speed things up if youre having trouble. Slow things down and isolate individual problems. For example, if your child is having trouble with buzzing or muted chords, go string by string, finger by finger, to target the problem.

Listen to other guitarists.

From Bob Dylan to Elliott Smith, Jimi Hendrix to Django Reinhardt, the music world has seen some amazing guitarists. Encourage your child to listen widely and often to get inspired and come up with new ideas for their own playing. Even if stardom and platinum albums arent part of the agenda, the guitar is an intrinsically fun, exciting musical instrument that is perfect for kids just getting into music. With some professional private lessons and plenty of practice time, your child will develop the skills, knowledge, and calluses to play all their favorite songs, write a few of their own, and perform for friends and family. Have fun and dont fret!

Images: Guitar Heaven by Dru Bloomfield At Home in Scottsdale is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Guitar Resolutions by Derek Gavey is licensed under CC BY 2.0

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