A common misconception about child prodigies.

When we see or hear of young children playing a musical instrument at a level far above those two or three times their age we image a dominating parent and a child begrudgingly going through the motions.  While there are definitely cases of extreme parents most are a far cry from any form of child abuse. 

The role of parents 

Young children's brains are developing and what is known as the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until we reach our 20s. Without going too deep it simply means we tend to act more before we think about our actions. This means young children are more in the moment and lack the self discipline to act in a way now that will benefit them long term. This is where parents come in. We want our children to have free choice and ultimately think for themselves but we need to also equip them with skills for their future and if like me you believe music is a valuable skill this should be included.

Should you let your child decide?

Our role is to help children to learn how to make better decisions. I know if my 4yo daughter was left to her own devices she would spend most of her time watching Tinker Bell, eating anything sweet and never cleaning her teeth or taking showers. When parents say to me that they will leave it up to their child to decide whether or not to practice guitar my answer is always the same. If you leave it up to them you may as well quit now. Guitar practice is like taking a shower, getting dressed, cleaning teeth etc. You have to train your child to carry out these activities or they simply won't get done. 

Genetics play only a small role

While genetics may give us certain advantages or tendencies they are far from the deciding factor especially with learning music. Those prodigies we see are rarely the result of fortunate genes but are the result of persistent parents who understand that children need to be nurtured. If you doubt this idea look at almost any so called gifted child and you will undoubtably find a parent who was responsible. Mozart is one of the best examples. His father was one of the leading music teachers in Europe at the time. He coached Mozart every step of the way. Mozart's sister was also an outstanding musician. For an in-depth understanding on this topic check out the book 'Bounce'. 

The G4 Guitar Method

The G4 Guitar Method is a structured method of learning how to play guitar. Its a unique system built on 27 years of research and experience based on a proven strategies. To view a video and learn more please visit our website at http://www.g4guitarmethod.com. 

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