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

*Gives props*

My DD7 started piano last summer when she was about 6.1y We chose a piano teacher that came to her prior montessori school to give optional small group piano lessons starting at around 2 years and up though I think it was mostly 4-5 year olds doing it. I started chatting with her once when about starting DD who was then 5 and found that this teacher was apparantly quite accomplished and very booked. We had to wait until she graduated some students in the summer about 6 months later and then we started. I figured that it was probably good to start with someone who was comfortable with young children even though we probably didn't need someone of this caliber (and cost). Soon after, my youngest who was about 2.10y at the time started begging for her own lessons. After months of consistent begging, a spot opened and so I gave in and started her at 3.3y. Its a bit older than your DS and a different instrument but other than the cost of it, it has been fine. She loves the private lessons but I do not think she would have loved the usual group music classes. The teacher started with alot more fun type books and learning songs and coloring to learn the notes but quickly she seemed to teach DD3 the same she had started with DD6 (now 7). I am amazed at how well she reads music (for the notes she knows) and she quite loves doing the counting and the theory reciting. I am surprised by how easily she does it though I really should not be. They recite things like the space and line notes, intervals,order of sharps and flats, key signatures, 5 finger patterns and a lot of music terms. Sometimes she doesn't want to play the songs assigned and we do not do consistent practice at all but she does quite well at the lessons and has quite good technique actually despite her age. We don't even have a piano at home but just a full size pretty nice keyboard. In any case, that has been our experience in the 4 months or so since she started. In fact both my girls and another girl who is 5 are doing a trio at the end of the year recital this weekend. Should be fun. Also i fully expect she will lose interest and stop for awhile at some point but we will have a head start and could pick it up later if she wanted. I do admit that I am a little embarassed of starting her so young as I fully expect that most people think I am crazy and a pushy tiger mom for doing it. But I am not and who really cares anyway.

I'm not sure if this'd make you feel better or worse, DD started around 3.3 as well.

I think I'd know I've gone too far if I start limiting her other activities to make time for lessons and practice or if I start insisting that DD not participate in P.E. to avoid injuries. Then yeah, I'd be a pushy tiger mom.

Actually looking back it was closer to 3.5 so perhaps a little better? But mostly I fear it is not the best allocation of funds. I don't push her to practice much and the lesson is only 30 minutes and she loves the lesson itself. She is learning quite a bit for how little time she puts into it and she likes it. So for now it is enough for us. When her older sister starts soccer in the fall we will have more conflicts with schedules so we will have to consider then how interested she still is.

Thanks for letting me know how your daughter fared, coveln.

Hi Aquinas,

Just wanted to let you know we finally bought DS, now 4 and a half, a guitar and just started lessons. He loves the guitar and the teacher, so I'm feeling pretty happy about it right now.

The guitar we bought is the Cordoba Protege 1/2 size C1 with nylon strings. It was a little more expensive than some of the other options but sounds great. He may be 94% for height but this guitar is a little big for him. Am wondering if I should have gotten the 1/4 scale... His hands are huge though so he has no problem with the neck or strings. He seems to be right in between sizes...

If I had it to do over, I probably would have bought the 1/4 scale guitarworks for his 4th birthday and gotten this one as soon as he outgrew the guitarworks (which seems a bit more disposable). I have heard you shouldn't overspend on a 1/4 scale because a 1/2 scale will have a significant quality improvement. I don't know if that is true.

We didn't buy it then because he got inundated with stuff from the grandparents for his birthday. It was really just too much. I know, first world problem.

Yup. I started guitar at age 9 and even then I had to stretch my fingers still and it challenged my fine motor (which is normal) but I progressed quickly. I don't think anyone's hands are ready at 2.7 (regardless of fine motor ability... we're talking size and strength here... not to mention sensitivity to the strings - ouch! Even with nylon strings you still develop thicker skin on your finger tips and I think the initial discomfort would put a toddler off, no matter how interested).

An excellent alternative for the very young is ukulele. It's much smaller, the strings are much softer, and you can strum and fret it almost any way and it sounds good.

On the one hand I generally think there's no harm in trying... why not?

But just a note of caution: my kids were also interested in the guitar at one point and I bought them both child sized guitars for Christmas (I wouldn't let them near my Takamine ) It was just too soon for their hands and they abandoned it quickly. I can't remember their ages at the time but I'll guess around 5-7?

They both love music - they play piano - but now (at 11 & 12) they have no interest in returning to guitar because they see it as "too difficult" and "too uncomfortable." I think this is because they tried it too young.

Worth noting, however, is that both my kids have sensory issues, so that may be a factor. Still... for guitar it may be a better option to wait it out so that a child's first exposure is not a physically painful one.

Ukulele and one of the Alfred method books with DVD.