Choosing the right guitar is very important as it can make a huge difference between your child’s choice about want to continue playing or losing interest because it’s too difficult for them. Getting a kids guitar online is often difficult as your child should really try the guitar first to see if it suits them. All guitars are not the same and they all have plus and minus points to consider.
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that usually has six strings. It is typically played with both hands by strumming or plucking the strings with either a guitar pick or the fingers/fingernails of one hand, while simultaneously fretting (pressing the strings against the frets) with the fingers of the other hand. The sound of the vibrating strings is projected either acoustically, by means of the hollow chamber of the guitar (for an acoustic guitar), or through an electrical amplifier and a speaker.
The guitar is a type of chordophone, traditionally constructed from wood and strung with either gut, nylon or steel strings and distinguished from other chordophones by its construction and tuning. The modern guitar was preceded by the gittern, the vihuela, the four-course Renaissance guitar, and the five-course baroque guitar, all of which contributed to the development of the modern six-string instrument.
There are three main types of modern acoustic guitar: the classical guitar (Spanish guitar/nylon-string guitar), the steel-string acoustic guitar and the archtop guitar, which is sometimes called a “jazz guitar”. The tone of an acoustic guitar is produced by the strings’ vibration, amplified by the hollow body of the guitar, which acts as a resonating chamber. The classical guitar is often played as a solo instrument using a comprehensive finger-picking technique where each string is plucked individually by the player’s fingers, as opposed to being strummed. The term “finger-picking” can also refer to a specific tradition of folk, blues, bluegrass, and country guitar playing in the United States. The acoustic bass guitar is a low-pitched instrument that is one octave below a regular guitar.
Electric guitars, introduced in the 1930s, use an amplifier and a loudspeaker that both makes the sound of the instrument loud enough for the performers and audience to hear, and, given that it produces an electric signal when played, that can electronically manipulate and shape the tone using an equalizer (e.g., bass and treble tone controls) and a huge variety of electronic effects units, the most commonly used ones being distortion (or “overdrive”) and reverb. Early amplified guitars employed a hollow body, but solid wood guitars began to dominate during the 1960s and 1970s, as they are less prone to unwanted acoustic feedback “howls”. As with acoustic guitars, there are a number of types of electric guitars, including hollowbody guitars, archtop guitars (used in jazz guitar, blues and rockabilly) and solid-body guitars, which are widely used in rock music.
The loud, amplified sound and sonic power of the electric guitar played through a guitar amp has played a key role in the development of blues and rock music, both as an accompaniment instrument (playing riffs and chords) and performing guitar solos, and in many rock subgenres, notably heavy metal music and punk rock. The electric guitar has had a major influence on popular culture. The guitar is used in a wide variety of musical genres worldwide. It is recognized as a primary instrument in genres such as blues, bluegrass, country, flamenco, folk, jazz, jota, mariachi, metal, punk, reggae, rock, soul, and pop.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar
Try Before You Buy
Before you make a final choice on which guitar to purchase for your child speak with their guitar teacher or at least take them to a music shop so they can get the feel of different guitars size and styles, and then find a comparable type online.
The first few months of learning the guitar its crucial the guitar you chose is comfortable and easy to play to encourage your child to stick to playing, then they are very likely to become a guitar player for life.
The younger and the shorter a child’s attention span is the more important it’s to get them the right guitar or they may not to want to play or practice and will quickly loose all interest.
How to find the right Guitar for your child
Find out your child’s preference in music folk, rock, electric, acoustic or metal.
A person who loves electric rock may find if boring and uninspiring playing folk tunes and someone who loves classical of Spanish flamingo won’t be imprested teaching them heavy metal.
Of course there is always going to be overlaps and preferences in musical taste, but starting to learn a sound that makes someone feel good and comfortable is bound to keep up their interest levels
Finding the correct size guitar so suit a player is also important as playing comfort really does matter. Small hands often cannot easily reach the chords on a full sized guitar and the large body will not sit comfortably on a small frame.
The weight is also important because a heavy guitar can cause a lot of stress on a young body
Classical, Acoustic or Electric
Many people suggest that a classical guitar is the best choice for a beginner, this is mainly because they use nylon strings which are easier on young soft fingers, but this is only an issue for a very short time until the fingers become stronger. If your child likes the sound and is happy then that is fine, otherwise pick a guitar type that makes the sound they like.
An acoustic guitar is similar to a classical guitar the main difference is the steel strings which give it a louder brighter sound found in pop music.
An electric guitar is normally smaller than an acoustic guitar and has steel strings which are often lighter than found on an acoustic guitar.
Because of their smaller size an electric guitar is often more suitable for a younger player and the strings are easier. The down side is electric guitars are often heaver so could be difficult for a small person to manage. But they do make children’s electric guitars so there is room for compromise. It’s recommended because each child is different; they have the chance to try different guitars.
Article Source: 123articleonline.com
