Children are impeccable learners, at the early stages of development they are rapidly developing all the skills they will need to carry them through life. Social cues, proper posture, and their sense of self are constantly being honed as they grow into adolescence. Making those years the perfect time to help a child learn new skills such as an appreciation of music and learning to play guitar.
By allowing a child the opportunity to learn guitar, parents are not only giving their little ones a chance to develop a new hobby but providing a basis for critical life skills as well. While learning to play guitar may seem like an extension of play time for a child, the moments spent practicing teach important lessons that often even adults struggle to learn. However, it needs to remain fun and your child needs to be comfortable with their guitar, so make sure you work with them to choose the perfect instrument.
Learning to Play Guitar Develops a Sense of Discipline
Watching a musician effortless strum away at a guitar with eyes closed easily lends to the notion that playing an instrument is easy. But anyone who has picked up a guitar for their first time will instantly recognize the difficulty experienced in simply holding the instrument properly, let alone keeping pressure against strings.
The very act of learning a few simple chords takes hours of practice and discipline as a child continues to apply themselves to learning to produce music. As a child begins to develop their musical chops, they learn an even more important lesson, results require effort. Children learn that as with anything in life worth doing, learning guitar comes with hours of mistakes and failed attempts but with perseverance and dedication the end product becomes a reminder of a child's capability. Every note and position learned adds to that knowledge that discipline and effort are rewarded in the end.
The Guitar Gives Children a Sense of Their True Self
The beauty of the guitar, and music in general, is that no two people truly have the same style or preference, while there will always be similarities, music is an outlet for a child to express their own individuality. Slowly as a child begins to become more comfortable with playing guitar they will begin to develop unique tastes and methods as they explore what they as an individual enjoy.
While the innocuous activity of taking guitar lessons may seem to only develop musical prowess, it lends itself to teaching children the most valuable lessons in life, the value of hard work, dedication, and perseverance to achieve what they want.
About the Author
My daughters both love to play music instruments. One is a fan of the piano, a bit like me, and the other follows my father’s own love of the guitar. When it came time to find the right guitar for my daughter, it took my husband and I a long time to get it right.
As I happen to be a freelance music and technology writer, I’ve teamed up with a small guitar learning site to develop a simple guide for parents to help them find the best possible guitars for their children. Check out the article here.