Here is a chart that will help you match the guitarist with the right guitar.

Budget: I already mentioned that acoustic guitars are generally more affordable.  An entry level model can purchased for $100-$200.

With Electric guitars keep in mind that they are more versatile than acoustic guitars but require an amplifier & instrument cable.  This means that you will need to invest in some additional equipment & you won’t be playing it around the campfire since the amplifier will need to be plugged in.  You can find package deals & save a few bucks, but expect to pay $200-$400.

In either case you can spend less but you also can easily spend more. Be careful going too cheap as these low quality guitars can be more difficult to play resulting in the student quitting in frustration.  Of course you can buy used off craigslist.org or even some retail shops.  My students often email me links to what they find to get my input before they buy.  If you have an instructor, ask them if they would be willing to help you too.

Who wouldn’t want to learn the guitar?  It doesn’t take long to realize that guitar players get most of the glory and are often the coolest people in the room.  You don’t have to be a fan of Guns N Roses to know the name Slash but how many people can tell you the name of their drummer?

Don’t feel bad though. Most great and successful musicians were not child prodigies either.  They just practiced and worked at it.  So, back to the question at hand; at what age is a child ready for guitar lessons?

I have taught thousands of guitar lessons over the years, and from my experience children under six have hurdles that make learning the guitar challenging.  Now before you close out this screen and decide to wait before registering your child for lessons, please read on as the answer to this question isn’t as simple as throwing out a number.

Here are 3 common problems and solutions to consider:

1. Whose idea was this anyway?  There is a difference in guitar lessons being the child’s idea versus the parent’s idea. Obviously dragging your kid to their first lesson no matter how old the child, is a sign that that things may not go well.

            Solution:Talk to your child about music. Listen to a song they like and talk about the different sounds you both hear.  Go online and watch live videos of fun child friendly artists and talk about the different parts of the performance.  Point out the guitars, drums, microphones, etc.  Don’t be pushy and don’t dominate the conversation.  Let your child talk and make observations. This will develop a curiosity and maybe motivate them to try something new.

2. Motor skills: This is the big one. Undeveloped motor skills is the top reason younger kids struggle with guitar lessons.  It's also the reason that you want a good teacher and not pick some guy with a Craigslist ad. 

           Solution: At our teaching studio, we have teaching techniques that we use to combat this.  It’s about understanding the student’s limitations and knowing how to adjust for them. Let me say it again…Get a professional teacher! 

3. The bad experience: Once a child is open to the idea of music lessons, we don’t want to put out that fire.  If the child’s first foray into music lessons is with an instrument that is too cumbersome or requires cognitive skills that are not yet developed, it could lead to the student quitting. Some will leave feeling that music is not for them.  The truth is that kids of any age can benefit from music classes, but the path they were on was not right for them.