Do You Play the Guitar?

I play, but not well. I was taking lessons until my teacher retired. I taught myself some using Hal Leonard books and CD's. But I have carpal tunnel issues which affect my ability to finger chords properly.
It doesn't matter if I play well. I LIKE playing, even if I do it poorly.

My H plays a little. He came with guitars when we married 27 yrs ago.
I tried to learn but I just have no musical talent! It didn't click for me. Fast forward to my first son and he taught himself on those guitars as a preteen/teen. He plays for church.

I think you have to have a talent and love it to play. I just didn't.

Music therapist are the joy of many kiddos like yours. Hope you find the talent and are empowered to make music!

I am like Mymission. I don't have a musical ear and can't get a handle on making music even though I love listening. In contrast my husband picks up music naturally and owns several instruments. I have never let my lack of talent or knowledge stop me, though. I have strummed lots of times on my husband's guitars for our children. Children aren't all that snobbish about music and simply picking at a guitar can bring joy and comfort for everyone involved. Good luck.

It is not hard to learn. You have to make time to practice. I've played for 38 years. Growing up it was a wonderful way for me to work through things. I highly recommend you learn to play. It's a wonderful connection to enjoy with your child. I am teachings daughter and it has brought us both a lot of joy.

You might consider purchasing a used guitar first. Then you can decide if it's a good fit. I would go with an acoustic. Ibanez is a good brand.

Blessings!
L.

I don't play but my daughter does, While she was introduced to it in school, she taught herself with Youtube videos and just strumming. She writes her own songs as well. I bought a cheap guitar from Amazon--about $59 and it has been great for her. She started around 11 and is now 15. She can play Hurt by Johnny Cash, a couple songs by Taylor Swift, and The Beatles.

Do it! I recommend a cheap-ish, lightweight guitar with nylon strings to start.

I learned very easily, but I already knew how to read music from playing piano and that is half the battle. I went to a few lessons, got some recommendations, and I was off and running. And then never practiced and would probably have to relearn the whole thing if I picked it up now. It's in the corner of my bedroom and I plan to try again when I have more time again... like when my kids are teenagers...

There is also a lot training to make your fingers go the right way to hold the guitar strings, at least there was for me, I swear my hands are arranged differently than a normal human's. That's where I got frustrated most.

There are kind of two ways to play- you can learn chords (the finger placement, and what the chord is called- G chord, A minor, etc) and then a strumming technique, and you can strum along to things as long as you know the chords. Or you can learn to really read music and actually finger pick out tunes. Then you are in it for the long haul. Find a teacher and go for it.

I play guitar and piano. I started with piano, so I already knew music theory when moving on to guitar. But you could totally start with guitar and for some it's the easier instrument to mess around with and make music with less formal training. The hard part is learning music theory on paper if you plan to read music, but you just stick with it step by step and it's very enjoyable. Go for it! I was feeling so stressed out yesterday and I sat and played the piano for an hour. The kids always get more creative and less rowdy when I play it. They start setting up little pretend stage shows or whatever instead of just laying around watching TV. Something about live music flooding the house really brings everyone to life. I also like to play quiet songs at night sometimes when everyone goes to bed. It's a nice routine. Your child will LOVE to hear you play and probably get interested in playing too. My kids all take piano and one plays violin as well. The further they get in lessons the more they like listening to me and messing around with harder music.

Good for you! Go ahead! Do it with a teacher if you can. You'll have lots of questions once you begin, and having a real teacher (in person) will be easier for you than trying to figure it out online. Online can be supplementary.

I can't say that the guitar is really easy - I'm trying to learn it myself - but it's manageable if you commit to the practice. And it's fun.

Nylon strings are easier on the fingers than steel strings are. But you have to build up callouses on your fingers for either option. I'm interested in learning classical guitar, and that style of instrument always has nylon strings.

You might see if you could rent an instrument for a while before you invest heavily.

I started not long ago. My whole family is music oriented in some way. All play instruments except me, I am a dance teacher. So I decided I wante to play guitar a year ago. Did nothing with it until a few months ago. A friend of mine is my teacher and I go to him twice a month. I suppliment with guitar apps on my iPad and YouTube. My guitar is an inexpensive Maestro by Gibson which is a good beginning guitar and under $100. I have seen some on nomorerack.com also for a good price. And they are good brands. Start with an inexpensive guitar and as you get better over the years then look at something more expensive for the long haul. I hope this helps. Giid luck and God Bless.