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Parents, below you'll find frequently asked questions and answers about children, learning music, and instruments.
If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to give me a call and ask!
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lessons are
in Kirkland, IL
Call Cheryl:
(630) 267-0357 |
Q: How old should my child be before they learn music?
A: A child of any age can begin learning about music; it all starts when newborns
are learning to decipher the sounds that are all around them. At this age, it's important to
introduce your child to a variety of sounds and rhythms. Singing, clapping, and playing different
styles of music during playtime is a great start!
As this question pertains to actual music lessons, age 7+ is a great place to start. If
a child is younger than this, it becomes more difficult to hold their attention for a full 1/2 hour
lesson, and hand/eye coordination is slower. If they are under 7 but also really interested and
able to pay attention during lessons as well as practice at home, then starting younger is fine too.
It really depends on each individual.
I'm considering offering a tiny-tot class once per month, where ages 1-5 can explore
cause & effect together and the variety of sounds they can make from different instruments such as hand drums, xylophones,
tambourines, shakers, and more. Please call to let me know if you're interested this type of
class, and I'll keep you updated!
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Q: How often should my child have music lessons?
A: The answer to this depends on your child's level of interest. Music lessons are generally once
per week to allow your child plenty of time to practice at home before their next lesson.
However, if your child has a very high level of interested in music, it is not unusual to increase the time of each lesson to
1 hour, or to have 2 separate lessons per week.
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Q: Do I need to purchase an instrument for my child?
A: In your child's first lessons, an instrument will be provided if you don't already have one.
However, if your child is interested in continuing to pursue music, it would be a excellent idea to get
an instrument of their own so they may practice their lesson exercises in their own time at home.
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Q: Should my child play guitar OR bass guitar? What is the difference?
A: We will have several types of guitars and bass guitars for your child to try out
in their first lessons. Guitars typically have 6 strings, a higher range of pitch and are more often used as a melody & solo instrument.
Bass guitars typically have 4 strings, a low-deep tone, are more of a rhythm instrument, and are often used to play longer,
steadier notes. Children who have smaller hands, precise hand coordination, or who enjoy
lead solos will be more inclined to play guitar. Children who have larger hands, or have a more natural
ability to keep a solid, steady beat will be more inclined to choose bass guitar.
It is not uncommon for a guitar player to also know how to play bass, or vice versa. In fact, if your
child enjoys both of the instruments equally well, their lessons can be alternated to include learning both.
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Q: What type of guitar/bass do you recommend purchasing?
A: There are many types of instruments out there, and many price ranges as well!
GUITAR:
The big decision to be made is whether you'll get an acoustic or an electric. This will depend mainly on the style of music your child enjoys and wants to play. Acoustic guitars are great for classical, country, and soft rock. Electric guitars are great for classic rock, blues, and heavy metal.
Regardless of the style of music, I've found that it's much easier to learn on an acoustic
guitar and later switch to electric, than the other way around. This is because an acoustic guitar will
build your hand, wrist, and finger strength more thoroughly than an electric guitar. In addition, an
acoustic guitar can be played anywhere (without additional equipment), so this is a selling point
for some parents.
BASS GUITAR:
For anyone under 20 years old, I recommend a short-scale electric bass as opposed to an acoustic or full-size bass. A bass guitar is a bit larger and heavier than a standard guitar, and an acoustic bass is even larger and often has a thicker neck which can strain little hands.
For ages 5-10, it would be wise to get a smaller instrument to fit their small hands easier. Ages 10+
should be fine with a full-sized guitar, unless they have very small hands. At the bottom of this page,
I've listed a few beginner guitar and bass packages that are inexpensive first instruments for a child.
If your child is 10+ years old and will be playing their instrument for many years to come, you may want to invest
in one of the higher-priced instruments so the same instrument may also be used professionally when your child
gets older.
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Q: What is the difference between acoustic and electric instruments?
A: An acoustic instrument can be played and heard clearly without plugging it in to any electrical
equipment. An electric guitar is barely audible when played alone, and can be made louder by use of an
amplifier.
Some guitars will be labelled as "acoustic/electric", which means the guitar is an acoustic, but it also has built-in
electronic components and can be plugged in to an amplifier. This type of acoustic guitar is generally more expensive,
but it is also more versatile.
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Q: Aside from the instrument, what other equipment must be purchased?
A: For all instruments, I recommend getting a gig-bag or case for protection when taking it places. For electric instruments, you'll also need an instrument cable and an amplifier (a 10-30 watt rating is plenty for young students, whereas a professional may use upwards of 1000 watts).
A metronome helps the student to keep a steady rhythm while they practice, and a tuner is essential for your playing to sound great. It just so happens that strings can break or lose their tone over time, so having a few extra sets of strings handy is a great idea.
Other items that are handy, but not absolutely essential are: a guitar stand, a strap, several varieties (different thickness & sizes) of
picks, etc.
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Below, you'll find several guitar and bass packages that are available at GuitarCenter.com. You can either make a purchase online
by clicking on one of the pictures, or find a local Guitar Center store where your child can sit down with a guitar to see how it
feels before making a purchase. There is a local Guitar Center store in Rockford, IL on State Street, just a couple miles west of Perryville Rd. The phone number for the Rockford store is (815) 399-7240.
I've added a checklist below each package so you know which items are included, and what you might need to buy separately. At the very bottom of this page, you'll find individual items (ones that may not be included in the value packs).
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Now, for all those items that might not be included in your guitar or bass package, you'll find suggestions below. A note about strings and picks: don't be overwhelmed by the options that are out there! There are hundreds of brands, sizes, etc. As long as you are getting strings for the right instrument type (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar) and size (short scale, long scale), you will be just fine. As for string guages and brands, a preference for this will not come until your youngster has tried several different sizes and brands. For now, stick with light-guage strings. As for picks, they are pretty cheap, so it's a good idea to get a variety of sizes so your child can experiment and find what feels good!
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Bass Guitar
Gig-bag
