Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school DS2.7 asked for guitar lessons

The title says it all-- inspired by an open-house group piano lesson DS2.7 and I attended yesterday, he has asked to take guitar lessons.

We have a reputable local music school that offers lessons to children as young as 3, and I believe lessons can be as short as 15 or 20 minutes weekly. DS attentively sat through a 30 minute group piano lesson on Sunday, but began to goof around the 20-minute mark. He can sit for literally hours to read book after book, so attention span isn't a concern so long as the interest is there. We could potentially register for lessons starting in September. I only studied privately starting at 8, so I have no first-hand experience with music instruction for very young children.

What is your experience with exposing your young children to private music instruction early? Does it feed a broader love of music? Is the emphasis on enjoyment rather than skills acquisition at that age? How does the asynchrony between mental and physical abilities play out? Is this an endeavour better saved for a year or two down the line, when emotional and physical maturity catch up somewhat to the brain?

Regardless of whether we go the guitar lesson route, DS will be signed up for a group music and movement class for 45 minutes each week. I'm not in a rush to put him in lessons--and I wouldn't have actively considered the option absent his request. My initial instinct is to wait a month and see how strong this interest is, as registration doesn't begin until mid-summer. If DS isn't consistently enthusiastic, I'm inclined to wait until the next session, when he'll be 3.25, to reevaluate.

His hands are too small for guitar at this point, and it seems rather young to start formal lessons. You could buy the family a ukulele to play with (much smaller), and a method book.

My youngest asked for piano lessons at 3. He went for about 6 months for 20 minute lessons, but the teacher asked us to stop because his hands were too small and he was having trouble with holding his hands in the correct position while pushing down the keys. He could pick out songs with two fingers but not play correctly.

I'd personally to do "Sure, honey, we'll look into it..." and then drop it unless he continues to beg. I wouldn't recommend guitar that young for the coordination, size issues.

We had to talk the instructor into taking our DD at 6, though he was quite pleased with how well she was picking things up. The teaching focused primarily on basic skills acquisition, though he did try to tailor it to our DD's interests in order to make it fun for her. For example, he asked her to bring in a CD of a song she liked, and after listening a bit, he translated part of it into something she could play.

Here are our lessons learned:

1) Instrument quality matters. The child will not practice if it's going to sound bad no matter what she does. That creates a problem... how much are you willing to spend on a hobby that your child, at this age, is very likely to set aside after three weeks? If you know enough about guitars that you can accurately diagnose most basic problems, no worries (which I guess you can, given that you said you studied privately starting at 8). Otherwise, I suggest you find someone who can to go with you to pick out an instrument.

2) Size matters. My DD set aside her guitar for months when she thought she couldn't play the top strings. In this case, the guitar was properly sized for her, and she just needed a grip adjustment. But what's the market like for guitars correctly sized for 2.5yos? And wouldn't they likely be of poor quality?

I like the ukelele solution suggested earlier. Otherwise, drums and keyboards are good for budding 2.5yo rockers. In your place, I'd let your DS know the guitar is in his future if he still wants it, once his hands grow into it.

Well, others have nicely covered the physical limitations associated with physiology and the age of your child.

I'll add, though, something that you no doubt already know-- though IF you don't, I guess I am saying it now. Even in fairly $$ instruments, half-size instruments just plain aren't as good acoustically. Ever, pretty much. Quarter size exacerbates that set of problems.

I'm not even sure that a Uke would be a good choice for most 3yo-- my DD is 14 and very long-fingered, and her concert Uke is about the right size for her hands (which are otherwise XS).


It depends on the child and the teacher-- we couldn't FIND anyone that would take our then-3yo for piano. (We didn't want Suzuki)


Maybe?? I'm not sure-- it's a chicken-egg thing on some level.


I would think so-- developmentally, that seems most appropriate but it likely depends on how asynchronous emotional development is.

In that case, though, I might look for a KinderMusic class (or something structured like one) intended to provide a music foundation (rhythm, meter, mood, beat, counting, etc.) to 3-5yo. We found that to be a not-horrible fit for DD at nearly-three. She was the youngest in the class, and the most able (by far), but it worked for her, and she had fun.


Yes, in our experience-- frustration tolerance is likely to improve radically in a year or two, as will the physical strength, hand size and coordination needed.

DD started formal piano lessons immediately before her 6th birthday-- and she was young enough physically that the instrument, and serious study of it, have shaped her physiology somewhat, just as you see with athletes that commit to a sport very young.

She had begged for lessons from the time she was 14 months old. Really. I'm glad that we kept music of all kinds playing in our home, played musical and singing games, I taught her some theory using fun games and a soprano recorder, etc.

I'll just chime in on the topic of physical limitations by noting that practicing an instrument when your body is not sized correctly or strong enough for the instrument can create bad habits, and even injury.

At that age, we listened to lots of recordings and live concerts, we played for them so they could see proper technique (piano, in this case), and we sang or played rhythm instruments together. And make sure any instruments you have around the house are in tune, because there are few things more painful for a musical child than having perfect pitch tuned to the wrong reference pitches.

It seems like I'm in the minority here. I don't think it'd hurt to give it a try as long as his instrument is properly sized.

When I looked into it, the smallest fractional guitar I could find was 1/4 and it was sized for 4-6 year olds. Does his school have smaller guitars for younger students?

These are all great comments, and I appreciate the feedback. Thank you everyone!

At a minimum, I think it's worth my calling the conservatory for sizing recommendations to see if there are good quality instruments available in his size and receive cost estimates. He already takes weekly group music classes, so his teacher can put me in touch with be early childhood staff.

From brief Internet research, some decent manufacturers scale classical guitars down to 1/8 size, and Fenders scale to 1/4. I don't have deep knowledge around guitars, so I'm going to consult a teacher at the conservatory to discuss brand quality. DS specifically asked to learn electric guitar, because he "wants to learn to play the Beatles' music", which mitigates the acoustic quality issue. When I checked sizing guides, he is on the low end of the recommended height range for 1/4 guitars, which are typically sized for 4-6 year olds. He has big hands, wears shoes sized for 5-year-olds, and is above the 90%ile for height for age, so I'm fairly confident putting outer bounds on starting guitar at 4 based on sizing considerations.

If we hold off on guitar until next year or the year after, I love Dude's suggestion about drums! You know my boy well, Dude; he thinks Dave Grohl is amazing.

Mana, I specifically had you in mind with this thread. If you're comfortable, I'd love to hear more about your DD's experience with her classes, either on the thread or by PM. I think there is a strong case to be made on both sides, and it largely comes down to matching the right child with the right teacher when the child can reasonably physically handle the instrument.

Love this thread. We went through the exact same thing when our son was 2 3/4. He wanted an electric guitar like his Daddy's. (I was secretly hoping for Suzuki cello.) On a side note, at this point he had been playing on a drum kit since 2 and sometimes on his Mama's kit. Super passionate about music since he could talk.

Now, electric guitars. The problem with 1/4 size electric guitars is there is no truss rod so they are very difficult to tune. We tried a couple at a local music store and as soon as my husband tuned it it went out. Through lots of reviews I found one on Amazon for around $120. If you're interested I can look it up. Also, a 1/4 size electric guitar is VERY HEAVY for a little dude, but somehow they manage!

We tried a few lessons but it's hard for little fingers! What we ended up doing was putting a stand in his room with an amp, microphone (my DH and I have gear) and his little drum kit and he could jam out whenever he wanted. Between 2 3/4 to 5 he played a lot of drums and guitar. Wrote a lot of songs. We do Family Jams every Sunday morning still. I highly recommend noise canceling headphones if you get drums. He would sit at his kit and sing super loud while jamming out! He started formal piano lessons at 5 and I think because we backed off and let him mess around we timed it perfectly. He has become very serious about piano, but is now learning chords on his guitar. It's so much easier now that he can read music!

We go to a lot of local music shows and in store performances where he gets to meet local musicians. Very empowering!

Have fun! Your adventure is just beginning,

I highly recommend noise canceling headphones if you get drums.

QFT!!



Um... drums for anyone in the family, actually.

There are also electronic kits that are way quiet-- and can be routed through headphones during practice, or an amp for performance.

~Wife to a hobby-level drummer.