Frequently Asked Questions about learning guitar answered by John Chamley www.Guitar-Lessons.us Rev 1.1
What is a good age to start learning guitar? A good age to start playing the guitar is around eight years old (as I did). Another good age to start playing guitar is around 12 , 16, 5, or 65. My point is, it really depends upon the inclination of the individual - any adult or child can learn to play well depending on the level of enthusiasm that they have. However, physical and mental maturity will determine how quickly a person can progress. Expectations at each age level are quite different. From eight years old you can expect steady progress. At a later age, the progress is typically a little faster because of both physical and mental maturity. Another factor is the music teacher and whether parents are involved. If the teacher (and also parents) can be a catalyst for a child’s enthusiasm, then progress is inevitable assuming the student has average mental and physical abilities. It is important, though, that NOT ALL of the impetus is from the parent who wants the child to play. What kind of guitar should I buy for a child – classical, acoustic, electric? As a player of classical (nylon stringed), acoustic (steel stringed), and electric (light steel strings) guitars, I firmly believe that the nylon stringed classical guitar is the best instrument to start with. I did, and I really appreciate it now. With a firm foundation in classical guitar, you can adapt to other styles. This is what I did and as much as I love to play electric, acoustic and bass guitars at live events regularly, I still practice mostly classical guitar at home. A classical guitar student learns the correct, most ergonomic posture and hand positions. Also, classical guitar music requires hand coordination to play music pieces with both melody and accompaniment simultaneously that other styles such as rhythm and lead guitar playing do not always require. The classical guitar is the most expressive of the guitar family capable of more mellow & sweet sounds from its nylon strings. It is also the easiest on the fingers – especially for young players. Steel strings are stung at approximately twice the tension of nylon strings and because the strings are thinner, they can be a little more painful for small fingers.
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If you have a child who DOES NOT have a burning desire to play the electric guitar, then why not learn classical. Especially if you are going to pay someone to teach, why not learn to read music and be able to play the many published pieces. You will ALSO learn the chords, scales and arpeggios that will be invaluable when playing other styles. On the other hand, if you or your child really want to play steel stringed acoustic, or electric guitar, then I say “do it.” There must be a certain amount of inspiration to play the guitar, or the lesson will be misery for both teacher and student. What kind of classical guitar should I buy and how much should I pay? With modern manufacturing methods and an extremely competitive market for musical instruments, it is possible to buy a nice sounding and playing classical guitar for around $100. I was recently very impressed with the quality of instruments bearing the Sam Ash store brand name, which at this moment escapes me. One student bought one and based on its quality, I recommended another student to buy one. They both sound very sweet and I am considering buying several for group classes. I have no affiliations with Sam Ash and this is the only place to buy. I have NOT been impressed with other steel stringed guitars bearing the same brand name. Other music stores may have similar buys. However, be cautious, since anything built for a price may not have consistent quality. For the beginner, if you can have an experienced player go with you to the store is the best. Second best is to follow your teacher’s recommendations of what to buy. Buy at a reputable store that will allow exchanges, then ask your guitar teacher to confirm whether the guitar has a good action and intonation to be an acceptable instrument to learn on. If not, return the instrument for exchange or refund. One important aspect of selecting a guitar is how it sounds. As a beginning player, you may not have a sense of what sound you like in a guitar. However, if you can have the salesperson play the various guitars and one sounds better to you, go with that one if it is within your price range. Again, have it checked by a knowledgeable player for good action and intonation with no fret buzz. How long should I practice? Generally, this depends on age. However, some parents guide their children to do many hours of practice, possibly producing future concert players. This is up to the parent. A child with natural talent has God given abilities that I believe should be nurtured. However, there is a danger of doing too much and inducing “burnout”. We need balance in our lives and, in part, our life experiences shape our ability to express emotions musically. As a mature person, I can enjoy practicing for hours at a time. However, a young person does not have the same perspective and needs encouragement and other life
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experiences. It is important for parents and music teacher to work together to guide the young player. So…how long? For younger children, 20 to 30 minutes a day can develop good musical abilities. If this is not possible due to homework, sports, birthday parties, play-dates etc… then at least try to play something every day. 20 to 30 minutes is the amount of time that I typically spent when I was young and I kept it without too much parental “prodding”. For older children, time can be increased depending on the commitment of the individual. If the purpose is to enter a good music college, find out entrance requirements and work together with a good teacher to work up to that standard. For those playing for pleasure, to be in a band etc… requirements can be less demanding depending on individual desires. Most people like music and the benefits of learning an instrument other than to become a performing artist are great. Just as there are health benefits from doing sports, music can benefit the mind and well being of us humans. Actually, sports and physical activities also help us to play better music because we become more alert. So, again it comes back to striving for a balanced life. How should I practice? First, you need a plan. It is always good to warm up with scales and arpeggios. Then work on your current music piece. Break the piece down into small manageable parts and play each part over and over until smooth. Then move on to the next part and do the same thing. After several parts are completed, play them together. After doing this for the whole piece, play it through. Your instructor can help with dynamics and phrasing. Also, you can critique your own playing with help of a recording device. If you are extremely limited for time on a particular day - just do scales. They give your fingers a workout and keep finger muscles toned ready for the next session. Always, quality is better than quantity and listening to the sounds that you are making. Does the sound you are hearing make you feel some emotion? If not, why not? Balancing being able to concentrate on technicalities and at the same time transmitting emotional qualities through the music will take time, which is why we practice. Another important point is to use proper technique and be relaxed as well as focused at the same time. Being able to be in this state of mind and body coordination can be helped by regular exercise.
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What is different about what I will learn from a classical, acoustic and electric guitar teacher? Classical guitar is played using fingers of the right hand to pluck the strings, and the left hand to play the frets. A classical player will learn to play melodies and chords simultaneously, just like a piano player. This is a more formal style requiring the most discipline, but rewards are great in terms of sense of accomplishment. This is not to belittle players of other styles: because every style of instrument has its virtuosos who have taken their art form to the highest levels. However, learning classical from the start, is the best foundation. Acoustic guitar (steel stringed) can be played either “fingerstyle” or with a pick or plectrum. Often the purpose of playing acoustic guitar is to strum chords to accompany singing. An emphasis will then be on learning picking and strumming techniques and learning to play chords. The acoustic steel stringed guitar is a great American instrument with its own very sophisticated players. Electric guitars typically have lighter steel strings than acoustic steel strings. Again, typically, a pick is used, but some players use fingers, or a combination (myself included). Also, the electric guitar sound can be shaped by pickup controls, amplifiers and effects. Certain techniques such as string bending and horizontal vibrato are used more on electric guitar. This style of playing is focused on the guitar’s use in a band setting. Typically this is divided into playing rhythm and soloing. Both rhythm and solo playing can involve improvisation and a lot of time learning scales, arpeggios and chords up and down the fretboard.
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