Guitar

Children are particularly interested in playing the guitar at a certain age. The good thing is that they can continue playing well into their adult years, provided that you give them sufficient support as well as the right equipment to boost their skills. Choosing a guitar can be a fairly simple, but tricky process. Do not immediately purchase the best-looking one in the shop. You should consider the tune, design and most of all, the sound.

The Beginner's Package

A lot of shops actually offer beginner packages that are relatively cheap, provide good sound and durable. The package usually includes a free case, guitar strap, tuner and a guitar chord book. There are also good brands to choose from. The price will vary depending on the level and capabilities of the guitar. Beginners can start with simple models. You may notice that the strings are harder than usual, so these need to be broken in. In about 2 weeks, the strings should be easier to handle.

Allow your child to pick the design of his or her choice. Even popular brands have beginner-type guitars that appear in all shapes, sizes and colors. The size should be right for your child as well. Some models are slightly smaller than the average to cater to very young kids. There are also models that already come with a built-in amplifier or mic out.

Types of Guitars

There are so many kinds of guitars so allow your child to tell you what kind of music he or she is particularly interested in. Play some guitar tunes in your radio and let your child decide the genre that suits his or her personality and interest. Acoustic guitars are hollow-bodied instruments. These are unamplified by style, but you can easily add electronics to send the signal to an amplifier. You can play an acoustic guitar without the need to amplify the signal. An electric guitar will sound twangy and thin unless you amplify the signal.

The Acoustic Guitars

If your kid is interested in acoustic guitars, you should categorize these as well for easy selection. Classical guitars are also known as nylon-stringed guitars. These are excellent for Flamenco, ballad and classical playing. The guitars generally have a warm and full sound for chord plucking, nail strumming and arpeggios. The necks of classical guitars are wider, so these can be quite challenging for young children.

Acoustic steel-stringed guitars can have 6 strings or 12 strings. This type has an array of sound from folk and brassy to full. The quality of the instrument, type of wood used and shape will determine the position of the guitar along the spectrum. A number of acoustic steel-stringed guitars also feature electronics on board to boost the signal for gigging and recording.

More Guitar Choices

Acoustic bass guitars are known to be warm, mellow and full. These have wide bodies and are usually played to accompany jazz, ballads and fusion music. A working bassist can have an acoustic bass guitar as a secondary instrument for a number of songs.

Electric guitars have semi-hollow or solid bodies. These give it a warm and complete tone compared to the solid-body types. Electric guitars always need an amplifier to produce sound better. Some of the popular styles of playing electric guitars include licking, hooking and ripping.

Electric bass guitars give a certain beat and rhythm to genres such as techno, rap, hip hop, rock and funk. The bass guitar can be slapped, picked or plucked and provide very low notes that tend to vibrate. Children may be particularly interested to this instrument.

More Things to Consider

You should check your budget and determine how much money you are willing to shell out for a guitar. Beginners may work well with borrowed or old models, so you can also check out garage sales or the internet for used guitars. These are considerably cheaper and you may be lucky to find a very good type at a very affordable price.

Also consider the age of your child. If your child is too young to play, you can buy him or her a cheaper kind to practice on. When your child gets better, you can upgrade by purchasing a better model. You can continue upgrading the guitar about 3 to 4 times total, so that you do not waste money buying expensive guitars that will never be used more than twice.