| Do you have a child expressing interest in lessons? | | | | When children begin lessons at a very early age, |
| Are you wondering whether they are old enough? Will | | | | meaning less than 6 years old, their progress is |
| they really learn? Will it be a waste of money? Read | | | | extremely slow. It's not necessarily a waste of money, |
| my guitar tips to find the answers to your questions. | | | | but if your goal is to give them a head start on a music |
| Is your child expressing an interest in lessons? | | | | career, my opinion is that it won't do very much in that |
| That is always a good sign, regardless of the age. | | | | department. |
| Age is not always the absolute deciding factor. A lot | | | | Spend some time with your child yourself. Call it music |
| of parents are the ones deciding upon lessons. So, if | | | | appreciation. Dance and play with them to music. They |
| your child is the one who has the interest, that's a | | | | will develop coordination and appreciation for music. |
| good start. | | | | And one added benefit, they get to spend time with |
| Are they old enough? | | | | you. |
| This question is put to me very often. It is usually | | | | Is it a waste of money? |
| asked over the phone where I have no idea of the | | | | Only you can decide that. If you need to have your |
| character or development of the child. It is very much | | | | child supervised and you want it to be on the theme of |
| an individual thing. I generally don't accept children for | | | | music, it might be a choice you want to make. If you |
| singing or guitar, under the age of 6 years. When I | | | | want your child to just have some fun and do |
| taught for the Conservatory, they started children at 7 | | | | something interesting, you may well feel that it is worth |
| and 8 eights of age. | | | | the investment. If you are looking at seriously getting a |
| I would say that children being ready to start earlier | | | | head start on your child's musical development, unless |
| than that is more the exception than the rule. If your | | | | they are the exception, you may be wasting your |
| child persists with their interest and they are younger, | | | | money. |
| they just might be one of those exceptions. Ask a | | | | So there you have it - my guitar tips for parents. You |
| teacher to evaluation their attention span, or just | | | | now have some information about how young children |
| purchase a single lesson. I often will meet with a | | | | should start lessons. You may have some research to |
| student prior to lessons without a charge. Many | | | | do, in setting up an assessment, but now you are |
| teachers will do this. | | | | informed and know what you're doing. |
| Will they really learn? | | | | |