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So I have a family friend who has asked me to teach her nephew guitar. Five year olds being what they are I would be unsure how to effectively go about this. I do not want to cop out and just go with a method book and rely on the parents to push the kid into practicing. Rather, I would like to have the boy use his innate improv abilities and to have guitar be something more like play than like work. But obviously there needs to be some discipline in getting him to develop his coordination.
What say the foro? How could I at the same time give the kid an enjoyable experience but also see that he is making progress in his technique?
...and just what do 5 year olds listen to these days anyways?!
And I would not be teaching him flamenco but possibly some flamenco techniques....
RE: Guitar lessons for 5 year olds (in reply to jaggedsphere)
About 10 years ago the Suzuki guitar teacher here left to go back to hungary and handed me the keys...about 15 students...al So i had a crash course as i needed stable income.. They use the idea of 'Mother Tongue' as a method of teaching Music as a language...learning to speak...but with music they like their students to start around 4 years of age... so its all Aurally based working on rhythm on the right hand first using i & m in a variety of rhythms...ie 1+2+3 4 etc all rest stroke..alternating...resting thumb on 6th get them to try to mimic what you play rhythmically....work on their Aural skills then they learn a melody...a short tune...string by string....they start with the G and work up to the higher G on the first string...that will keep you busy for 6 months to a year technique is the building block....work on that first...you will need alot of patience...but kids get it... probably a great idea to have the parent in the room...encourage them to play and take part in the lesson...so it becomes a natural part of life...something the kid and the mother/father can do together... you may end up with two students...
you could work on strumming as well thumb and fingers....thumb on the beat fingers on the off...up down or down down...or any variation you see fit.. use simple left hand chords...like A minor to E...Use coloured dots for the left hand Use Music notation eventually...let them see the music you are showing them with the guitar...introduce tab when they have enough technique to deal with it...i found the teenage Susuki kids did'nt like tab or written music...they are always more focused on what their teacher is doing so they learn by aural transcription....memorization also plays a huge part .... in the end not a bad way to learn music.... and organize for them to perform somewhere...school etc...you tube
I've taught several four year olds...some of which really got it...quite amazed...but all these students had parental involvement...
I did this for a few years [Suzuki Teaching] and still have a couple of 6 year old students...but am teaching less as time goes on...and also using my own ideas...
it is a method but not like any other...the organizations are almost 'cultish'...and are expensive for the parent but i think it's worth researching because of the 'success' they have in getting kids to play music well by the age of 8 or 10
My Daughter did viola till 12 years old...although she is now focused on the Bass Guitar Chick syndrome she does have perfect pitch...and great time.
Posts: 481
Joined: May 6 2009
From: Iran (living in London)
RE: Guitar lessons for 5 year olds (in reply to jaggedsphere)
I have a 6.5 year old daughter who unintentially hums most of the songs that I practice. Poor thing, I suppose there is no way out of it for her
She used to come to me asking to have a go on my guitar which I wasn't really happy about as I couldn't trust that she would not drop the guitar or bang it to something. So, I asked her if she'd like to have her own guitar so we can sometimes practice together. The answer was yes and I bought her a 3/4 Yamaha and put a golpeadore on it.
So, one would assume that she is interested! However, she only takes the guitar out once in a blue moon (when she wants something from me and she wants to cheer me up!). I have been trying to teach her very simple tunes and techniques but she insists that she wants to play her own thing! I don't push her because I don't want her to feel obliged and throw it in one corner forever. I let her play whenever and whatever she fancies. She is learning subconsciously.
When I spoke to my teacher about her long ago, he said that she’d be better off starting at around 10-12 years. As we all know, there are a lot of people who have started at even around 4 but their circumstances are different from our children. By that I mean, they’re all surrounded by Flamenco music and culture and learning Flamenco and playing/singing/dancing is part of their entertainment.
I really don’t know what can be taught to young children and how. When it comes to guitar, I am still learning myself; but generally speaking I don’t think that I would make a good teacher.
Posts: 407
Joined: May 26 2010
From: Sarpsborg,Norway
RE: Guitar lessons for 5 year olds (in reply to jaggedsphere)
The only think I can say is to not be too strict, but instead be encouraging.
I think the best way to teach anything is positive reinforcement. That way he will relate guitar with something good, and you will get a good relationship with the student
Maybe take him out for ice cream or something if he was very good one day and start focusing on fun when he is that young.
I dont really have any experience with teaching kids guitar, but this is how I was taught art so.. I really loved it as a kid.
Keep in mind that group activity is also a good learning enviroment for kids..
RE: Guitar lessons for 5 year olds (in reply to jaggedsphere)
So far we have a consensus of making it fun. :) AlVal, I will start reading on some Suzuki method. I was always aware of it so it is good that I see it mentioned here. Also you make lots of other great points!
I know him and him Grandma listen to the local hard rock station LOTS. So I am not sure if he will cry for an electric or something that his dad has but IMO classical, flamenco styles of guitar have greater versatility and variety in technique.
As for myself, I do remember being a little lad crying at the piano being forced to practice. :'(
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