Okay, so, the chances of anyone becoming the next Jimi Hendrix are slim to none, right? Even so, that doesn’t mean you can’t assist your child in becoming an axe wielding maniac of the musical kind. Not only does playing the guitar give kids something to keep them out of trouble, but it’s very good for their personal development and mental health too. While you might not realise it yet, music can have a significant impact on mood, and playing it yourself increased this impact tenfold. How do I know this? I’ve been playing the guitar for more than fifteen years now, and I still send myself into a meditative trance when I sit down with the instrument.
With all that in mind, I’m going to take a few moments out of my schedule this morning to explain how you should go about this endeavor. A lot of parents think that professional lessons are the way forward, but from my own experiences, I can tell you with all certainty that lessons are not the right way to go. If you want your son to become interested in the guitar, he needs to learn what he wants, when he wants. Tying him down to some kind of syllabus is never going to work.
Buy him a good guitar
I understand the reasons why some parents opt to get their son a cheap guitar at first, but that isn’t going to inspire him very much. For that reason, you should check out websites that list Rickenbacker, Fender, Gibson and Ibanez guitars for sale. While they might set you back a few hundred dollars, having a quality instrument is important if you want him to progress quickly and remain interested.
Play quality guitar music constantly
You son needs a burning desire inside of him for the guitar, and he’ll only get this when he fully appreciates what it can do. So, heading down to your local music shop or downloading some of the best albums from the internet is a good idea. You should look towards Eric Clapton, BB King, AC DC, Slade, Pink Floyd and any others you deem to be appropriate. Listen to them in the car on the way to school, provide him with a personal music player loaded with tracks for break times and start attending live music gigs together.
Help him start a band
No matter where your son goes to school, there will be at least one person with the skills needed to keep a beat on the drums, and so you should encourage your son to link up with him. Also, it can be difficult for kids to get gigs at music venues, so acting as their manager and helping them out with this is wise. Playing live is often what encourages musicians to continue with their trade. Each gig will provide him with a huge adrenaline rush he won’t ignore.
So long as you do all this, the chances of your son becoming a rock god will be vastly increased. Good luck with everything, and hopefully I’ll see him on the TV ripping licks like nobody’s business very soon!