Guitar Page

At what age can the child start playing the guitar?

This is, of course, very individual. It depends on the physical and mental readiness of the child.

From a physiological point of view:

It is essential that pushing strings requires a certain amount of force. Children's fingers are constantly growing, and especially younger children (about 10 years or less) still have soft bones. Therefore, in the most demanding exercises, the fingers of the fingers can be trapped and thus prevent their growth !!!

If we decide to start playing with children less than 10 years of age, we prefer to play empty strings or at least try to use them as often as possible. These children should have a smaller guitar (ie the distance from the top of the 7th fret if it is handled depress the first and last game field at the same time; see more. Dohme ) .Čím Dohm is smaller, the easier it is to pull the string. Of course, the optimal tool size (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 7/8, 1 - full size) is a matter of course.

We certainly do not start with metal strings in these younger children !!! Their squeezing is much more painful than nylon strings, and it can also cause an injury by cutting the string, squeezing the string into the eye, ... I do not want to scare unnecessarily, but it can happen.

From the standpoint of mental readiness:

Guitar, guitar, chord, and music notes are not easiest for guitar. Especially if the child is just absorbing the alphabet, he learns to read and write, to count ... In the guitar game, one can not watch all the actions at the same time: right hand play, left hand play and leaf reading. This requires some automation of movements that the baby's hemisphere is not yet ready for.

It is noble if you want to educate your child musically. Do not ask , however, the baby unreasonable demands. If your goal is to teach a child to play a guitar, it is much better to start with a "simpler" tool that can be more difficult to use as a tool. Certain basic musical knowledge (reading a note, rhythm, musical memory and imagination, musical theory, ...) can make the child play any instrument.

It is not by accident that children start pre-school and younger school age by playing flute. It is very practical: Human breathing is used, which is probably the most natural activity that has a beneficial effect on the development of vocal breathing and thanks to deep diaphragmatic breathing it affects the health of the whole organism. The fingering is easy to remember and there is no need for great physical effort in the game. Simple songs make the child easy to learn and remember without needing to understand the notes.

How to choose a guitar? What type should I choose? How much it will cost? Buying new instrument and accesories. Before we will go to the store ...

Proceed according to the following criteria:

1) What do I want to play?- We set our target.

Spanish Guitar - It is used mainly in classical (serious) music, flamenco, Latin American music, jazz, folk, ...

Jumbo Guitar - jazz, blues, folk, rock, country, bluegrass, ...

Electric guitar - jazz, blues, rock, metal, folk, funky, ...

Note: Do not take this division as strictly as possible. Of course, every kind of guitar can be used in all genres. It is just a basic division according to the most frequent use.

2) Age - As for a child younger than 10 years old, I do not recommend a guitar with metal strings. I discuss this topic in the section In what age can a child start playing a guitar?

3) Body Size - Choose the tool that best fits your growth. Sizes: 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 7/8, 1 (full size)

WHERE TO BUY GUITAR?

We have basically three options:

1) Classic guitar shop (musical instruments, musical instruments)

Probably the most common and simplest way.

Advantages: Purchase speed, usually a wider range, ...

Disadvantages: If you do not understand guitar too much, you can succumb to the opinion of a merchant who sometimes thinks only of his business. Suddenly, "easy prey" appears, which does not understand the issue, and it suffices for him to finally get rid of the guitar he could not sell for a long time.

Also, it is not negligible that some shops have excessive noise, which can make it harder to choose, because we have to listen mainly to the guitar. Some stores have solved them with cabs that you can close and nothing disturbs you.

Beware of "production" strings! The guitars that come from the factory to the store are equipped with "factory" strings. It depends on the manufacturer how much he decides to invest in the "first" strings. Usually they are medium to low quality, which can significantly affect the idea of ​​the best possible sound of the instrument. If the tool is in the store too long, the quality of the string decreases. It also helps to test guitars with dirty and sweaty fingers.

Another disadvantage may be the failure to observe the optimal care that the tool needs. In stores, this concerns particularly poor air humidity in a room that has a negative impact on the life of the guitar.

About optimal moisture and other care methods are discussed in How to Take Care of a Guitar .

2) Production of custom guitars (hand made)

Advantages: You can tell exactly what parameters and "tricks" your guitar should have. The biggest advantage is the production of customized tools , ie. that the guy will measure you and make a guitar that suits your body size. You can choose also the kind of wood, the kind of mechanics, the actual monogram on the front plate ... just "everything" you will remember, which will of course be reflected in the price :-) If you have decided to use an electro-acoustic guitar, requirements for sensor quality. One can not forget the fact that a quality guarantee can be expected (but it is not a prerequisite!) Because it is a certain prestige.

Disadvantages:

Price (!)

3) Bazaar, auction, consignment sale, etc.

I suppose we all know what the risks of this form of sale are.

Sometimes he says, "He wants courageous luck."

IN THE STORE (OR HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE?)

I highly recommend the selection with the help of an expert!!! Any commission that you pay for it is still incomparably lower than in the case of bad selection!

Remember that the price does not always have to be a guarantee of quality, and twice the price for the guitar!!!

Do not rely on what the salesman tells you about the guitar. Mostly he is not a guitarist. Maybe is just trying to sell it.

If you have just decided to choose the guitar yourself, you need in particular:

1) Knowledge of basic technical parameters and guideline of the guitar.

The wood from which the guitar is made needs optimal air humidity to maintain good resonance properties for a long time . This is usually handled by an air humidifier or a tube-shaped humidifier located inside the guitar (more expensive tools). I discuss this in more detail in Guitar Care Principles.

We check all joints - glued, screwed and wedged parts.

Grasshopper - not to peel off or lift the front plate a little.

Neck - should not stick away from the body - check the joint. It also has to be properly placed inside the body of the guitar.

When we hold the guitar horizontally at the height of the eyes, the bridge toward us, the neck must be straight and parallel to the front plate. We do not look at the strings (their position increases evenly, the closer they are to the bridge), but on the neck!

Sleeper - to be firmly locked into the fingerboard so that none of them cross the others (all in one plane). They should also be grinded, without sharp edges.

2) Musical hearing.

Listen to the guitar! While it is true that our guitar should be "fešanda", we should like it. It contributes to greater enjoyment and motivation to play. But let's not forget that the most important quality parameter is the sound of the instrument! The appearance of the guitar at all does not indicate its sound properties!!!

Play on each string separately on all playing fields.Nowhere should you hear a drunken, buzzing, charming sound. The tone must be clear. The exception is the specific flamenco guitars, where it is the intention to achieve the charming sound.

Do not start trying the tool until it is properly tuned!!!If you are not quite sure of your hearing, ask your dealer for a tuning or a tune-up tool.

Do not be fooled by the loud sound of chords!A quality guitar has distinctive every tone played independently. Some tones are always a little more pronounced, but the difference should not be too marked. Every played tone should be resonant. Avoid "tin" or "deafening tone".

When playing chords, focus on the balance of "bass" and "heights" (three upper bass and three lower melodic strings).It's nice to have a nice guitar, for instance, but be aware that all the tones (strings) should excel. Unbalance of bass and treble is a very common shortcoming, and many people are failing to choose when listening only to certain tones.

Play chords and their turns in all possible positions. They should be tuned everywhere. The fader does not end on the 3rd column and does not just go "for decoration"!!!

Watch out for the echo!!! The room in the shop where you try the guitar can, due to its favorable acoustic properties and circumstances, distort the true quality of the instrument. In particular, the presence of other guitars plays a part in which the tones of yours are disturbed and resonate throughout the room. You can then have the mistaken impression that it all caused the guitar you played. There is also a great deal of confusion: If you are very close to a wall or a subject that reflects the sound, the instrument will look sensational again. (Try to occasionally play against the window glass, the bathroom, against the wall, etc.)

3) Guitar experience.

You can get some knowledge through the experience of playing the instrument. Again, I repeat: Leave the choice of an expert!!!

4) Have a sense of what is possible and impossible in a given pricing

Everything I wrote about choosing a guitar above has one hook: The Price.

I will try to be as objective as possible now, but setting the exact price "ceilings" is very difficult because of the overstretched market. I do not exclude that you can be lucky and get a cool guitar at a great price. But surely, if you know how to proceed in choosing, you have much to do with this happiness.

So forget to come to the store with about 5000, - and get a guitar that does not have a bug.

Choosing a guitar for a child.I fully understand the fears of my parents: "Why should I invest more money in the guitar, if I do not know if the son / daughter misses her year because she does not enjoy it?"

If you are worried about the financial side (probably yes, who does not?), I recommend choosing a middle way:

Avoid the impression that all the guitars sound about the same way and that the child does not have a better quality tool for the child.

Keep in mind that if you want to motivate a child to play and self-improvement, he must be pleased with the sound, the colors of the tone. This is primarily the result of the song or song that the child plays, not the chords he can squeeze, the rhythm he can play, etc. A child who is equipped with musical hearing is very likely to develop resistance to this tool if he does not like the sound, even though he does all the work correctly! The worst thing is when a child plays perfectly, but none of it, because the guitar is worth nothing. It's certainly not true that a talented musician plays perfect on any guitar. This is a common toil. (Give Gretzky skates from the 1940s and see how he will play :-)

Now to these prices:

I would not go below the 2500, -.

In a session from 2500 to 5000, it is easy to find a tool that is both structurally and audibly acceptable.

(But it is also possible to get the tool in the 5000 - 10000 session, which is worth it. It can always happen if we do not understand the issue.)

5) Time and good mood

Try out as many guitars as possible and gradually select the favorites. Do not be fooled by the poisoned expression of some vendors who show you that you have been in the shop for too long and inventing "crap".

Also, remember that if you are stressed and you are not in a good mood, a good guitar can also be bad because you will not be able to concentrate fully on the selection and the negative emotions can be reflected in the assessment of the instrument.

Guitar accessories

What do I definitely need (without what I can not do)?

Guitar case; if you have decided for a classical game, a guitar chair under the foot or a suction cup (support) and a music stand.

What's nice to have?

Tuner, humidifier, picks, music stand, cleaning and polishing products for strings and guitar surface, set of new (reserve) strings, string reel, special guitar chair, textbooks and songbooks, capo, oil for lubrication mechanics.