How Children Learn Guitar

Children learn music very differently to adults. I have been teaching guitar and studying teaching for close to 30 years. What I have found is children learn primarily by association. That is they associate some kind of meaning to learning music. If that association is positive they will most likely continue to pursue music their whole life. If it is negative they will probably give it away at the first opportunity. This means that its vitally important that we build positive associations to music early and yes I understand this is easier said than done.

The parent's challenge
A parent's challenge is to a build this positive association to the experience of learning guitar. The good news is what matters most to children are their parents. Parents who work with their children especially in the first 6 to 12 months will generally have far greater success because this builds the positive association. Learning guitar = happy times with Mum and/or Dad. The benefits of working with your child go beyond just the ability to play guitar. In most cases your relationship with your child will grow and strengthen as a result.


The secret to your child's success on guitar
The secret is practice of course be this comes from parental support and guidance. If your child has recently begun lessons or seems to be losing motivation try sitting with them when they practice and help them work through the challenges. Leaving a young child to learn guitar by themselves is akin to giving a 3 year a book and telling them to teach themselves to read.

Getting your child started on guitar 
If you are interested in getting your child started on guitar please visit our website at; http://www.g4guitarmethod.com.



The G4 GUITAR METHOD
The G4 GUITAR METHOD is a structured method of learning guitar. Its a unique system built on 29 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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If you are a parent check out the ParentalGuidanceInfo.com website.

3 reasons people quit guitar.

1. No time. Time is the one thing we all get equally yet some  manage their 24 hours a day far better than others. When we claim we have no time we are usually lying to ourselves. What we actually have is a lack of organisation in our lives. The solution is to write down your priorities and then schedule those priorities beginning at the top of your list. If guitar is too far down on your list that you run out of time on your schedule you have two choices. Either move it up the list or forget about learning guitar. Why stress yourself out? Either you have the time or you don't. Your priorities will change so you can always come back to it once you finish university or building your dream home or scaling Mt Everest.

2. No money. I often here people claiming they want to learn guitar but can't afford to. I argue that guitar is perhaps one of the least expensive things you can do. Learning guitar will likely save you money. Most musicians would must prefer to be jamming with friends than going out on the town. Its more fun and lot less expensive.  Guitars are cheap, maintenance costs are very low and guitar lessons are affordable for almost anyone. When people say they can't afford it I ask them how much they think it will cost and then explain the real cost and most are pleasantly surprised.

3. No patience. Some students expect too much too soon. I know I did as a teen. Its what I call the 'Are we there yet' syndrome. Learning guitar usually takes longer than you think and far too often impatience sets in before reaching your goals. My suggestion is to find a teacher not just because they will help you to learn faster but because they will keep you motivated and put your learning in perspective. My blogs revolve largely around the psychology of learning guitar because your mind will be your biggest hurdle not your hands when it comes to learning guitar. Master your mind and you will succeed.

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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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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Finding the TIME to Practice Guitar

Finding the time to practice for most guitar students is their biggest challenge but this is especially true for the beginner. We know any new routine takes time to establish but we often overlook the fact power of habit. Think about the many things you now take for granted such as taking a shower, brushing your teeth, checking your emails, Facebook and so on. In the beginning none of these were habits. You had to consciously make a decision (or your parents did) to do them each and every time. But eventually they just became a part of your everyday routine and now they require almost no effort on your behalf.

The habit of guitar practice.The goal for you as a guitar student should be first and foremost to establish the habit of making time to practice. The best thing I have found for most students is to try and be regular with your guitar practice even if all you do is have a little fun. Once the habit of practice is establish you can work on the quality of your practice. 

Start small

Its actually better to begin with short practice sessions of say 20 minutes a day than doing say 2 hours one day a week. The reason is that a 2 hour session once a week is much less likely to turn into a habit and is far more likely to be skipped altogether or cut short.

Don't feel like practicing?

On those days you just don't feel in the mood try doing 5 minutes and then making a decision. Often your mood will change once you pick up the guitar. Skipping days will just delay the habit building process. I pick up guitar everyday and rarely have to make a conscious effort to do so but it wasn't always that way.

You might also like the following blog 

Are You Serious About Guitar? Take the 365 Day Challenge

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 series of checklists. To view a video and learn more please visit our website at http://www.g4guitarmethod.com. 

Would You Like A Structured Method For Learning Guitar?

 5 week Structured Beginner Guitar Course

G4 GUITAR METHOD 

Please follow the link to subscribe to our free online course. 

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Learn the notes on the guitar fretboard

Why is it important to memorise the notes on the fretboard? - Firstly knowing the notes will help you to quickly navigate your way around the fretboard not just for finding notes but also to locate chords. Secondly you will begin to see patterns which helps when structuring solos, riffs etc. Thirdly it will help you to learn songs faster. So what's the best way to memorise the notes?


Memorising the notes on the fretboard
Memorising all the notes on the fretboard is actually very easy and just 5 minutes a day for a month and you will have it down. Here is what you need to do.

1. Learn the chromatic scale. Just remember a simple rule. B and E have no sharps.

A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G.

Note that the sharps can also be called flats. E.g. A# can also be called Bb.  

2. Memorise the names of the open strings. The best way to remember anything is with a completely ridiculous saying. The more ridiculous the better. So here goes..

Easter Bunny Goes Driving At Easter (for kids)
Easter Bunny Gets Drunk At Easter (for adults)

Now you know the chromatic scale just begin from each open string and work your way up the neck.

   

Exercise. Try finding one note on each string. E.g. Find the C note on each string as quickly as you can.

5 Week Free Introduction to Guide

The G4 Guitar Method is a structured method of learning how to play guitar. A structured method means you don't waste time because every step has been tested. G4 Guitar is a unique system built on 27 years of research and experience based around a series of checklists. To view a video and learn more please visit our website at http://www.g4guitarmethod.com. 

*Master the Guitar Fret Board using The Pickin' Tool.

Follow this link to learn more.

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The Shortcut to Learning Guitar

This is a short article about a very important topic for those who wish to learn guitar but can also be applied to really learning just about anything. I'm often asked the question “What does it take to learn guitar?” It is the burning question that anyone who sets out to learn guitar would give almost anything to know. The difficulty with such a question is music is like language and it's the same as asking how long would it take me to learn to speak Chinese. Learning to speak Chinese will vary from person to person depending on a multitude of factors such as 'Do you have previous experience in the Chinese language?' or 'Do you already speak a similar language like Japanese which shares many of the same characters?' or 'Are you living in China right now?' and so on.

"How long will it take me to learn guitar?" 
  
As you can see the question is difficult to answer so lets ask a different question. . What is the one characteristic that stands out over and above all others when it comes to learning guitar? Answer. Effective communication. I have been working with guitar students and guitar teachers for 27 years and the one thing that seems to stand out among the best students and the best teachers is their ability to communicate. It trumps natural talent and even long hours of practice. Although these two particular traits give students a definite advantage effective communicators outperform other students for one simple reason. They waste less time.

The Dip will make or break you

I want to use some statistics to help illustrate the point. One of the most common scenarios that occurs with beginner students as described by the author Seth Godin in his book 'The Dip'. When we begin anything new we are highly motivated. In the case of guitar you may have went to a concert or heard a great song and decided it was time to learn guitar. After a few weeks or in some cases months the motivation begins to diminish. The honeymoon is over so to speak and guitar practice becomes a chore. This is known as 'The dip'. Now the dip is where most people start to skip practice and/or their lessons. In short they lose interest but more to the point they lose confidence in their ability to learn guitar. I would say almost everyone experiences the dip.  But there is a very obvious difference between those who get through the dip and those who do not.

The secret to getting through the dip

So how do we get through the dip? In a word 'COMMUNICATION'. This is without a doubt the one thing that stands out with those students who make it through the dip. These students will ask questions when things are not going well or their motivation is low. Students who do not communicate are far more likely to throw in the towel. This is even more likely with young children because parents often perceive their child's lack of interest and/or practice as a sign that they no longer wish to play guitar. Parents who communicate (i.e. speak to their teacher) dramatically improve the chances of their child getting through the dip. This is because in the majority of cases a loss of interest is really a loss of confidence. Parents play a pivotal role in their child's guitar learning experience. In fact I would go as far as to say the parents are often the deciding factor and those parents who communicate regularly are the ones who are most likely to see a successful outcome for their child on guitar.

Communication really is the key

In summary just remember communication is the key. If you aren't sure or feeling unmotivated, frustrated, bored or just lacking confidence make sure that giving up is your last option and your first option is to ask questions.


The G4 Guitar Method

The G4 Guitar Method is a structured method of learning how to play guitar and can be taught in groups or privately. Its a unique system built on 27 years of research and experience based on a series of checklists. To view a video and learn more please visit our website at http://www.g4guitarmethod.com. 

Guitar lessons: Private or Group? Which is better? The results may surprise you.

For many years I taught guitar privately believing that the one on one experience was superior because I could focus on the individual needs of the student. Logic told me that if I am teaching several students at one time it would be of less value to each student. Such logic was not based on any real evidence because up until that point private is all I had ever done. I had simply not even challenged this belief and probably never would have if certain circumstances had not arisen. 

What I discovered about group learning.

Over a decade ago now I started experimenting firstly with adult groups and later groups of children. It wasn't easy for me as a teacher because I was out of my comfort zone. Initially my group teaching was quite poor so I did a lot of research and also attended seminars to learn how to engage groups. It didn't take long before the obvious advantages to group learning were revealed. There have been several studies done on 'collaborative learning' that show people learn better in small groups compared to private lessons. Check out this paper on Cooperative Learning. 

Small groups are ideal

The group dynamic has a certain energy about it which you don't get from private lessons. It does require a skilled teacher but the results in my experience exceed private learning. I think ideally guitar students should learn in small groups and then supplement with the occasional private lesson when required. At the very least students should form a peer group to share ideas, jam and to generally motivate each other.

The G4 Guitar Method

The G4 Guitar Method is a structured method of learning how to play guitar and can be taught in groups or privately. Its a unique system built on 27 years of research and experience based on a series of checklists. To view a video and learn more please visit our website at http://www.g4guitarmethod.com.