Which Guitar To Select For Your Child’s Lesson
A question I often get from parents when considering guitar lessons for their elementary-age kids is what guitar they should purchase. Small children’s tiny fingers represent a particular challenge to guitar teachers, as they are cannot fit around a wide neck or command adequate grip strength for certain types of strings. Over the years, I have found a few models that work well and have compiled a few recommendations for prospective students.
The problem with many guitars diminished in scale is that they fail to stay in tune due to lack of substantial construction. This classical guitar not only stays in tune, but the nylon strings make it easier on the the child’s fingertips. However, nylon strings are not ideal for strumming and can sound a little plastic when attacked with a pick. It also does not have a place for a strap, which limits the student to playing while sitting.
This is also a well-constructed guitar as it is actually intended for backpacking musicians, but it also works very well for kids. This guitar, moreover, has excellent tone for a guitar of small scale. The strings are steel, so this does place added strain on the fingers. However, I’ve had very few kids complain. It is also a little pricey, yet still the best acoustic guitar you can get for small hands.
Electric guitars often have the most issues with tone and tuning when shrunk in size. The trade off is that the steel strings are thinner than the acoustic and will not punish your child’s fingers as much. This one has the least amount of tuning issues and if you have a rather raucous child, they may enjoy rocking out on an electric. The rest of your family, conversely, may be less enthused about that.
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