Guitar is fun, here’s how
If you guitar or piano or singing is not fun then why do it? When guitar becomes fun then your child will not be looking at their phone as much or playing games. It’s a battle for their attention these days. In the very first lesson I give the student a choice of 2 famous songs, riffs and they get to choose one to play.
It’s on one string and uses one finger. So they are playing something right away. Then the next lesson I get them playing to a backing track which is like the full band playing. It’s very cool and at first they usually think I can’t do this but we take it slow and they do great. They are playing something they’ve heard before and it’s exciting and fun. First time touching a guitar. I love to see their reaction and keep encouraging them in the process. And this is a complete beginner.
Then I can teach them to make up their own riff or group of notes and they learn to be creative. Later when they learn about music theory and how to create music they can really get creative with all the options they have. Now they’re using their imagination.
Playing with your guitar teacher
Once they can play something then I want them to be able to play it with me. We call this a duet. Teacher and student playing, performing together. Many guitar players can play the right notes but not with good timing. Playing with the backing track will train to play with good time. Not just go home and just play to air. And also playing with their guitar teacher will develop good timing and start the process of playing music with other guitar players.
Or sometimes I play the part then have them play it right after me. I call this trading off. It works really well, because they get to hear a pro play it and they try to copy it.
A Looper for guitar is crazy fun!
One of the best things to buy your child is a looper pedal. They can plug their guitar into it and record their playing. I could do a whole blog on loopers but can hear what they sound like after they’ve played it and either it sounds good or you can do it over. You can record as much as you want. If you need more info on this I can help you choose an affordable looper pedal for your child.
Conclusion
Whether it’s guitar lessons, piano lessons or voice lessons, your child should be having fun and learning music skills.
I believe they should be better musicians and better people after coming out of their lesson, than when they went into their lesson
At Metairie Music Academy my mission is to help your child learn and appreciate the beauty and the art of music.
Located in the heart of Metairie, La. serving our community with the arts. If you have any questions or would like to book lessons for your child call Sid 504-421-8811 or click on the Request Info button below. Thank you!