My 8 Yr Old Want to Be a Guitar Hero!!!!

I've been playing guitar since I was in high school and I've been teaching guitar and piano lessons on and off for 15+ years. I agree with those who have said that you need to find a good guitar or he won't get the best experience from playing. Pawn shops are good, but take someone with you who knows guitars. The String Shoppe on High Street is a good place and all of those guys know their guitars (I got two of my guitars from there).
On a side note, you can put nylon strings on most accoustic folk guitars instead of steel strings so the finger tips won't hurt as much (that's how I started out). If he wants to go straight to electric guitar there are lighter grade steel strings as well.
I have never tried CD's to teach/learn guitar, but from my teaching/learning experienc, I loved the Mel Bay books. His series of books are very easy to follow with or without a teacher.

Good luck!
~B.

1 mom found this helpful

My husband is a guitar hero who has played internationally for a living for a long time. He also teaches guitar. He helps his students shop for the guitar that's right for them, and within the parents' budgets in the case of his younger students.

I'll be glad to send you his professional bio and some other information if you're interested.

There have been a lot of great suggestions from everyone, here's one more. Butler University has an incredible music program and offers lessons in just about every instrument imaginable, including guitar. Your son would work with a graduate student well versed in the instrument and the pricing is very good. Since you will be working with a college student, the schedules are pretty flexible. You can get a decent quality guitar from a pawn shop, just try to take someone with you who knows guitars and can help you find a good one. Stick with acoustic for now, it will help keep down the expense. There is a good chance that once he picks up a real guitar, he will realize that it's not the Guitar Hero kind. That is just buttons and a lever. A real guitar is much more complex and he may give it up after that.

I would ask at the stores if they rent guitars before buying one. When I started playing the clarinet my parents rented one to make sure I was serious about it before buying it. A lot of times they will let you buy the one you rent so you won't have to learn on a new instrument. As for lessons, I would go with a person. Check with the schools music department they will have a list of people who give lessons for specific instrument. There are a lot of individuals in areas that give lessons just to keep up on their skills. In high school my lesson teacher worked at Selmer (that is the place they make woodwinds) and it was just a way to make a little extra cash and practice his skills. I paid 10 dollars for 1 hour lesson once a week. I know this was 10 years ago and prices will be different among different instrument. But I feel that it is worth the money to have the feed pack. You just don’t' know if you are playing in tune, or at the right tempo, or at first even the right note.

Good luck

J.

I myself am very cheap. I would contact a local music instrutor, someone who offers private lessons or the music teacher at your school. See how much lessons would cost and consult with your public school teacher and ask him/her what a good way to go is. I don't know anything about lessons on CD or DVD, I personally wouldn't want my child to learn in-correctly because it is extremly hard to learn the correct way (like how to type when you have 'pecked' for years) when you have been doing it wrong for a couple years. When I was in band, we learned the notes and how to read music before anything else and I would think it would be hard to learn how to read sheet music from a CD. Our oldest plays the Drums and we bought our 5yo an aqustic child's guitar for Christmas last year at Walmart for $30. Best of Luck and I hope it is fun!

Having taken many lessons myself, here are my thoughts...
I would go with a person - maybe someone has a referral. Not all kids learn the same, and a live person should be better at teaching different learning styles v. a dvd. A teacher can recommend a brand, when my brother started lesssons he wanted to take electric, but the teacher insisted he learn on acoustic- actually I think that's a fantastic idea - then you'll know how serious he is about learning! I think (not 100%) that you can get different sizes of guitars - I know with violins they measure the child's arms to help get the right fit, and guitars may be the same way.
Good luck and happy strumming!

I have 3 kids, 2 who are musically inclined, one plays several instruments. I agree with most of the suggestions, asking at a place that gives lessons but does not sell instruments is always good as they aren't trying to sell you something you don't need. Usually there is someone who is upgrading instruments and has used for sale. I wouldn't recommend buying an instrument online, we have tried twice and have received the first time an instrument that broke within 18 months and the repair was more than the original cost, the second time we had to have repairs done within a few months that were more than the cost. The second one was just poor craftsmanship. As far as learning from a cd, it could work for percussion possibly but for the guitar, they would only learn some poor technique and if this was something they are good at you would have to get someone to reteach them all over.
If you like you can contact me and if we are in the same area I coul give you more information. Music lessons not only teach music but it is well documented that children that play an instrument do alot better at school.
Hope this help.
T.

Hi C.,

Get a baby-sized guitar, child-sized, or a 3/4 sized guitar at the largest. I recommend the Baby Taylor. It has a great sound. And I would strongly recommend private lessons. When you are first learning guitar, you will certainly start with some bad habits. You need a teacher there to catch them and say, "Don't forget to keep your thumb in the middle of the neck," or correct whatever bad habits you are developing. A computer program or video cannot see your sons fingering and correct it. As a result, your son will at best have difficulty playing complicated guitar pieces down the road, and at worst give himself carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, or a whole host of problems. HTH!

R.

We found out the hard way that price counts with guitars. Our son was interested in playing so because we feared it may be a passing interest we opted for a cheap guitar from Target one year. He became so frustrated with it because of several things but mostly because he and the teacher could never get it tuned correctly. And honestly it was not fun hearing him play it. Sooooo, we ended up buying him a nice one and it made such a difference! He has now been playing for close to 2 years and is doing really well. I would also definitely go with the teacher, he gets valued feedback from his teacher. Hopefully your son will stick with it too.

Hi C.,

Where to buy a guitar..with lessons...is at Toys R' US! My oldest daughter has been bugging for one for awhile, but we're so busy with everything else, its so hard to try to fit in any lessons any place else. The good thing, is the guitar isn't expensive. They come in a good size for bigger kids as well there. They are real guitars as well. As for lessons from a professional, would probably be easier, but they do have dvd's that show you how to find the right cords as well. My dad was a big guitar buff, and my fiance is a major guitar buff. My dad was a professional. He had taught me a few cords and all, but i think I just wanted to just strum and make my own noise. Good Luck!

You can buy really basic books online (E-bay) that will help him self-teach chords and such. Once he gets a hang of the basic ones he'll be able to strum a few together. From there I would look into the online lessons or DVD lessons; a guitar is a LOT different than guitar hero so you'll need to take baby steps or he'll most likely get overwhelmed, feel defeated, and want to quit.

I am a terrible person, I really am, sigh, but I would suggest the following.
Yes, you can get a fairly inexpensive set up online (I hate to shop online myself and only shop through Amazon.com and have shopped at EBay once or twice in the last 5 years). They sell fairly "cheap" guitars at WalMart. Lessons on CD or online would be all right I guess. I am into a person teaching because they can work with the child one and one to teach at the child's speed etc., at least to get started but I know the feeling.
I wanted to play a guitar in the worst way. When I was 12 (I am now 56) my parents bought me a Kingston for Christmas. Guess what, my little finger is too short and I can't fret the darn thing! This is why I am suggesting WalMart, you can make sure the neck width will work for the fingers. Both my children wanted to play and have used it, and my grandson plays around with it now. He is impressed because the neighbor boy who is in a band has come over and borrowed it because he says it has awesome sound!

C.
We went through this with all 5 of our kids. What we did is found someone through flyers at music stores who gave lessons and then got the instrument used on line or at a pawn shop.
With some they went on through high school band others lasted 3 weeks. Each child is different.
You said your son was very active so this might be good for him.
Good Luck
Madi
PS try www.craigslist.org (prices are very cheap sometimes)

My son was 7 years old when he wanted to take drum lessons. He always seemed to "click" when music was playing and we could see he had a natural rhythm ability from the time he was 2. We started him with a used snare drum with private lessons given by someone recommended through a local band instructor. He later moved up to a full drum set within a couple of years. Then it was 3 years of piano lessons. We were very proud parents when in his senior year of high school he was playing with a college percussion ensemble and was also the featured marimba soloist playing a very complex piece totally memorized using 4 mallets on the keys during his final high school band performance. It was awesome and a video that still amazes us to watch. He's now 33 years old with a family and no longer takes time to devote to his music abilities, but those years of lessons and diverting his high energy to what he had interest in was worth every dollar and minute of time, as it also taught discipline and showed his natural talent. The friends he made were also a blessing, and he received a nice grant his first year of college for his musical ability. My thoughts would be to get a cheap, used instrument to begin and see if the interest is there. Don't invest a lot until you know it's not a passing fancy. Set some goals and keep it disciplined and see what happens.

Good luck!

One thing to know about cheap guitars is ... they are very difficult to learn to play. The 'bridge' is way too high, and the steel strings are near impossible to learn to press down hard enough to get a clean sound. I would suggest renting a nice instrument or paying at least $200 for a halfway decent one (if you are serious about seeing if he will be able to learn). Good luck! I am 37 and trying to learn myself... I sure wish my parents had given me lessons when I was 8.

I'd give it awhile. My almost 9 yr old wants to be a rock star now too, thanks to Guitar Hero. But as soon as football season starts, he wants to be an NFL player! It passes, your's probably will too.

Check out a local music store that offers lessons and speak to the instructor, not the sales person. That's what I did. They will recommend the size guitar and the "curriculum".

Hi C.,

First, the "full disclosure" so you'll know my biases--I am a musician who teaches private oboe lessons and I have also taught music in parochial schools. I substitute teach (all subjects) now.

I would definitely go with a person teaching your son, not a CD, for the reasons some have mentioned--the immediate feedback, personal attention, music-reading skills, etc. And you can't ask questions of the CD, but your teacher will usually be more than happy to respond!

As some of the postings have recommended, ask around to people like the school music/band/choir teacher, church organist, any musician you know, parents of kids who study guitar or other instruments (those teachers may know someone, it's a pretty small world). If you come up dry on all of that (unlikely, IMHO) then go to a place that just gives lessons so you are not being pressured to buy anything. Is there an Arts Center/ Arts Council in your town? Might be a good place for referrals. Or alternatively you could go to the music store but leave checkbook, credit cards etc at home.

I would not recommend the "big-box retailer" instruments based on colleagues' experiences with the band instruments sold there. They do not hold up well to normal use. Once you have a teacher let him/her guide you to an instrument. Consider renting for awhile if you think this might be just a passing fancy on your son's part. Some music stores rent instruments and most or all of the rental payments eventually apply toward purchase price. Also consider that if you get a decent quality instrument, and your son quits, you can more easily re-sell it.

As far as being cheap(I am too), you could perhaps barter some skill for the lessons--cleaning house, running errands, child care, baking bread, etc. if the teacher is amenable to that. But I am not sure I would start out that way. Remember that the teacher has taken many years to attain that level of skill, and usually has to put in some (unpaid) practice time in to maintain it.

You could also consider having your son contribute in some way to the lessons' cost. I remember one oboe student of mine some years ago (when I only charged $7 per lesson) whose parents made a deal with her. (Granted, Ellen was in junior high and had more money than an 8 yo would). Ellen could have one "day off" from practicing per week. All the other days she was required to practice 30 minutes. If she failed to practice one of those days, she had to pay $1 toward her next lesson; miss 2 days, pay $2 etc. She was responsible for buying her reeds from her own money (and as I recall was VERY careful with them so they would last a long time!). Perhaps you could devise extra chores or something for your son; it wouldn't get you any more cash, but might make him take it a little more seriously.

If you live near Ashtabula Ohio I can recommend a good guitar teacher, very patient with my kid (who eventually dropped guitar lessons in favor of recorder, then cornet.....) Email me for more info.

Sorry for the long post, hope it helps!

K. Z.

My first advise is to talk to the music teacher at his school. They are trained to encourage children and to help the parents know where to start. Also, some schools have loaner musical instruments at each level. His music teacher can get him started in the right direction. If this is not possible, find your area's fine arts building and talk to a music teacher there. Some teachers will be able to fit your son with the right size used guitar in good condition for minimal cost. Check into private lessons from the fine arts center or possibly the teachers in the middle school or high school. Children need that one on one direction if they don't have a natural ability or perfect pitch. Forgo wasting your money on the online or computer lessons. He will need someone watching what he is doing to be properly corrected. Ask around in your community. Someone will always know of a retired teacher working out of their home. I had a daughter who had piano, drum, bells, and bassoon lessons. I used a lot of loaner instruments and paid minimal costs for all lessons. She is now 23 and expecting her own child. Good Luck to you!

Hi C.!
I'm glad to hear your son is interested in music. I'm a music therapist and music has always been a part of my life. My suggestion is this: Go for the private lessons, develop a trusting relationship with his teacher, and ask him or her after a few months if he seems to be genuinely interested in learning this as a skill. Honestly, if you go with the lessons on CD, it will be extremely confusing. There is alot of learning about music itself (note names, notation, how to read it, etc.) I teach beginner's guitar and have actually used some of those CD's to send home with my students as well as to sharpen my own skills. Without the personal instruction, I see it easily becoming a passing fad, as he will not progress as fast as it seems he may want to. And the teacher, if they are good with kids, will know some shortcuts that will make it seem as if he's a star after a couple weeks. I actually teach my students a song the first day. Also, where are you located? If you're nearby, I can recommend some teachers. You can also check out a local university for cheaper lessons.

Talk to an established music store. They would have more experience to help you make the correct decision.
At this point, I certainly would go with private lessons. Most likely if this passes, you could always resell the guitar through the music store.
Online classes, to me would be for older kids/persons who can somewhat teach themselves.

My son is 8 and I bought one of those cheap $20 acoustic guitars at a festival and we got lessons for him ($10 a wk at the music store) Then several months later when I knew it was something he was going to like, I got him a small electric guitar (from Toy R'US). I did get him a nice amplifier at the music store for christmas. It was around $80. When he gets bigger, then I'll get him a nicer electric guitar, but for now he's happy w/these.

Tammy

My husband wanted to learn guitar and found a CD called Guitar Method by E-Media company he loved it and bought more, told his father, friends, so maybe this a cheap way so see if it is a passing fad or you may become the mother of the next rock star! Buy some good ear plugs for yourself :)

You can call your local high school music department and see if any of the high schoolers give lessons. That would be much more inexpensive than a private professional studio - to see if he is serious. The only problem with a CD is you don't get the feedback as to whether you're holding it correctly, doing the fingers correctly, even playing the correct notes. As far as the guitar itself - check Pawn shops, they usually have a pretty good selection.

Awww it must be a "8 year old" and "husband" thing lol. I have a slash wanna be in the family ok 2 but I told my hubby he had to rock out in the garage on his Bass guitar because I could only handle 1 practicing musician in the house at a time. We first bought my son an acoustic guitar off ebay for like $25 included shipping great deal! Then we started lessons with a local guitar teacher things went great but come to find out they can just start in with a electric guitar. So I'd say save some money go to the music store (we live near Delaware,OH and went to Crossroads music store) and for $200 we got a really "cool" black Ibanez guitar and bigger amp. (O the older they get the bigger Amps they want!!)Lessons cost us $60 a month for 1 kid and when his older brother got into it only another $20. Yes big brother then needed a guitar so the guitar teacher had one he was selling for a friend and we bought it for $120. Now though our teacher has stopped giving lessons and we are looking for a new one somewhere close. I hope we find one soon so he can learn a new song, Smoke on the water is getting really old LOL. Email me and if were close maybe the boys can "rock out" together. HTH D. in Marengo