Four Reasons to go with the Guitar

We all know it’s a good idea to sign kids up for music lessons. Countless studies have shown that studying music heightens math and verbal skills, improves memory, and helps build social skills. But if you’re still not sure which brain-boosting instrument to choose for your child, you may want to consider the guitar. Here are the top four reasons why parents like it for their kids.

Variety – Guitars come in a multitude of shapes and sizes. Choosing a ½ or ¾ sized guitar gives little hands easier access to all of the frets on the fingerboard, so smaller kids have an easier time playing guitar than they would with say a trombone. Plus, guitars are available in countless colors and designs that are cool enough to entice kids to practice.

 Portability – Guitars are easy to pack, take, and tune on the road. Whether the road leads your child to the playground for an outdoor jam session, a neighbor’s garage for band practice, or the backyard for some time strumming in solitude, the guitar is easy to pack transport. And it can be store in super-small places, which is ideal for the city dweller.

 Popularity – Some of the most popular songs on the radio feature the guitar. And in turn, some of today’s most celebrated musicians are guitar players. The appeal of being able to play the same instrument as his or her favorite rock star can give a child who’s just starting out an incredible incentive to keep at it.

 Proficiency – Mastering the guitar, like mastering any instrument, takes time and effort. But since it’s easy to learn quick tags to most popular songs, students can feel and sound accomplished even early on.

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The guitar is an instrument with a long history. It descended from similar stringed instruments played in India and Asia over 1,000 years ago. Over the centuries, the guitar has evolved and changed, but all guitars are instruments with six, or sometimes twelve strings, which are strummed or picked. All guitars have a neck and a body over which the strings lie. Guitars have evolved into to related, but highly different forms of  instrument, but all accomplish the same basic purpose, making sounds by plucking or strumming a a set of stings using some form of ampllfier to enhance and expand the sound.   There are two main types of modern guitar: the traditional “Acoustic Guitar” and the more recent  ”Electric Guitar” we used primarily in rock bands.

Acoustic Guitars (Resonate)
The classic guitar is the Acoustic Guitar. “Acoustic” is defined as “of or relating to sound, the science of sound” or  “anything having the purpose to carry sound or aid in hearing“sound”. The classical guitar is most often used as a solo instrument.  An Acoustic Guitar has a hollow body allowing the sound to resonate and amplify as the strings are strummed or plucked. The volume and tone comes completely from the structure of the instrument itself, producing a “natural” sound.

As the name suggests, classical guitars are the traditional guitars, it’s history and development stretches back thousands of years; and variants can be found in almost every culture with a musical heritage.  The Hawaiians developed a similar, smaller variant of the guitar called the ukulele. The ukulele itself is a descendant of a Portuguese version of a guitar.  The standard acoustic guitar is most often used for classical music solos ,  in traditional “folk music” or American “country music” as solo or as accompaniment.  Today’s classical guitars are most often strung with nylon or steel strings.  Steel string guitars have a louder and brighter tone than the mellower nylon strings.  “Arch top Guitars” (see picture below) are acoustic guitars similar to a mandolin or violin, the purpose is to open up the sound.  “Arch top” and steel string guitars are often used in playing blues and jazz .

Electric Guitars (Rock)
Electric guitars are modern variants to the classical guitar. The first electric guitars were developed in the 1930s, and originally had a hollow body like an acoustic guitar. It was soon discovered that a solid body worked better acoustically, and electric guitars are now all made with solid bodies.
Electric guitars, having no hollow “sound box” to produce and amplify sound, rely on an electrical connection to an amplifier, thus its name: “electric guitar”.  The amplifier allows adjustment to both the tone and volume of the music; The electric guitar is the primary instrument of rock and roll and other types of modern popular music. often used in blues and jazz musical styles

Best Electric guitar for kids

So, your child has her heart set on jamming out on the electric guitar. Now, you’ve just got to decide which one to buy. When you’re shopping around, one of the main things to consider is size. Kids have small hands, so they need guitars that are three-quarters or even half the size of an adult’s guitar. But it’s not okay to just settle on a toy instrument either. We’ve compiled a list of the top three electric guitars that will make even the youngest student feel like a rock star.

1. Squier by Fender Mini Strat

The Squier Mini Strat is the highest regarded child’s electric guitar out there. It’s got 20 frets and a 22.75-inch scale, so it’s three-quarters the size of the full-sized version – perfect for beginners. It also boasts 5-way stitching, giving your young musician a multitude of various sound options from bright to muted. And, the Squier features a double cutaway body, 3 single-coil pickups, a maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard.

You even get your choice of colors: black, pink, or Torino red. This is a quality guitar that’s perfect for small hands, and considering the hundred-dollar price tag, it’s almost impossible to beat.

2. Epiphone Les Paul Special II

This is a solid guitar for any beginner. The slim taper neck makes the Epiphone easy for kids to handle. It also features wax potted humbucker pickups, preventing annoying microphonic feedback when the amp’s up loud. The Epiphone is well-known for it’s mahogany neck and body and signature Les Paul sound. It comes in Vintage Sunburst, Heritage CherrySunburst, and Ebony.

3. Ibanez GRGM21 GIO Mikro

Featuring a 22.2-inch scale and a small neck and body, this is another great choice for a child. It has 24 frets, dual Powersound humbucking pickups, a hard-tail bridge, and an amazing sound. This Ibanez is lacking a tremolo bar, but comes in a host of colors, including yellow, jewel blue, and candy apple red. It retails for about $150.

Instruments:  Guitar, Beginner Violin

Genres: 

Jazz, Rock, Pop

Location: Rockville, Potomac, Bethesda, NW DC

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