*Parents are the key to success – Parents are without a doubt the best teachers of all. As any teacher knows, without parents, even our best efforts have little impact. Because we understand this so well, we have created this page to help you, as a parent, understand what your children need to do to ultimately achieve success on the guitar.
* Practice as a habit: By giving your children (especially young children) the option to practice or not, they will usually choose not to. Genuine practice in most cases is a tedious and boring task, but a necessity. Think of learning music like learning to read. The early stages require concentration and are not particularly pleasant. If young children were given a choice, they would probably prefer to watch television and never learn to read. But later in life they would regret it. The fact is that most parents work hard with their children teaching them to read and write. Music is no different. If you really want your child to learn music, we highly encourage you to get involved. The first year is when they need you the most. Children do not have the wisdom of adults and leaving them the choice of what, when and how to practice will mostly result in abandonment. Kids who put in extra hours will make a habit of practicing. In almost every case where a child excels on guitar, there is a supportive parent behind the scenes.
* So what do they need? – Junior students will mainly work with two sources;
Progressive Guitar Method Book 1
G4GUITARMETHOD Student Portfolio
These items are included in the starter kit. Additional brochures will be provided as needed.
*As a parent, what do I need to know about G4GUITARMETHOD? – In the front of your binder is a checklist. (open your binder and it should be the first page you see). This checklist will have a list of all the requirements for the current level. As the student progresses, boxes will be checked to show that she has successfully performed a particular skill or song. Basically, the focus of your practice should be where a box is a tick. The teacher will sometimes write comments in the section below. Parents should check this every week. Once all the boxes are checked, you will receive a certificate and move on to the next level.
* So how can I help with your practice? – Take a little time each week to see what they are learning. Ask your child exactly what he is working on. The best time to ask is right after the lesson. If you ask them regularly, they will often pay more attention in class knowing that the questions will come. Try to understand it yourself. Even better, try learning to play the guitar yourself. We also have classes for adults, so don’t hesitate to sign up.
* Performance – Set specific dates for your child to perform their last piece for family or friends. Once a quarter (4 times a year) would be fine. That way they have something to work for. Make sure to reward them in some way.
*Incentives: It is important to understand the difference between an inducement and blackmail. Blackmail is forcing someone to do something that only serves you. An incentive is a positive way of encouraging the individual in question to reach her potential. Using prompts with children helps them eventually discover that practice has its own rewards. Instead of just taking your kids to a movie or buying them a PlayStation game, use them as incentives.
*Starting at a young age of 5-7 years old: the focus for young children is more fun to develop positive associations with the guitar. Learning guitar requires the development of fine motor skills, auditory awareness (listening), and comprehension. Fine motor skills for playing the guitar develop more slowly in a young child, but the work they do at this age pays off later. These skills are the same as learning to speak, read, and write a language. You should expect their development to be more or less the same. If your child practices writing for 10 minutes a day, he’ll notice gradual improvements over time. Because children practice speaking much more than reading or writing, they develop speech faster. It is simply a matter of practice. We wouldn’t expect a 5-year-old to write a novel, but we do expect him to communicate at a reasonable level. The early years are essentially foundation building and the habit of practice. Don’t expect too much, just encourage them and be mindful of the time they put into your practice.
* Listen: the music your children listen to plays an important role in their learning. If you want your child to appreciate and ultimately be a passionate guitar player, you need to expose them to guitar music. Instead of 2 hours of TV or computer a day, give them 30 minutes of music appreciation. Find music that features obvious guitars like Eric Clapton, Santana, The Beatles, Green Day, etc. Why not try classical, flamenco or jazz guitar? Most libraries have a good variety of CDs. Especially the Sydney Conservatory of Music. Also try renting a DVD of a concert instead of a movie. Check out the ‘School of Rock’ DVD. It’s a humorous and light-hearted look at elementary school-aged children learning music.
* Guitar Fitness: Learning guitar is often confused with playing guitar. Many people decide to learn to play the guitar because they think it will be fun. They are focused on playing the guitar. Learning guitar is not particularly fun. Playing the guitar is fun. Playing the guitar is one of the best feelings someone can experience. But learning to play the guitar is HARD WORK. It’s like being in shape. Getting in shape is hard work. Being fit is a great feeling. But as you get fitter, it gets easier. Young children need a lot of parental support and involvement. Try to sit with them when they practice and watch them. Pay close attention to what they are doing. For children under 10 years old it is essential.