Hey folks,

yesterday i decided it was time to try and form a band with the kids. (age range 3-6... all girls LOL so its an uphill battle i guess) anyway, my guitars are at work so i was stuck on my daughters 1/2 size yamaha classical which was kinda fun doing mini versions of 'Mood for a Day'. Any suggestions on the appropriate age to expect anything from them or how to start them off so their interest sparks? I was able to get the 6 year old who wants to learn drums to at least sit down with the thing but she was just happy strumming the open strings or barring with one finger at various spots in the neck. I'd like at least ONE of them to take a solid interest in the guitar so I can have someone to jam with one day in the house. I suppose it would help having a boy... i'm a bit outnumbered to say the least.

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YMMV

Chont's Mustang Presets

I have three grown sons who heard me play guitar the whole time they were kids...the oldest never cared to try,but the middle and youngest both play very well.
The only band I play with right now is my youngest's,he started out on drums when he was around 9 or 10 and then also started learning the guitar...he can play bass just as well...I have a great time jamming with his band.

It's never too late man,I'm 58 and my son is 26...I've jammed with him all the way since he was just forming his first bands.....I'm his "special guest" at all his shows,and come in after the first set and play the rest of the night...that's good for me since I get pretty tired after about 3 hours.
His friends who have been following his music since day one still come and hear his bands,now they're all grown up and some have kids of their own.
Keep encouraging your kids,I'll bet it will reward you in the future.

i have 2 kids who have no desire to play. as thet are in their mid 20's now i have pretty much given up hope.

next up-the grandkids. and if they don't want to play all my stuff will be donated to a school for the arts when the time comes.

Yeah,I told my oldest son,who is 33,...not too long ago that he still had time to learn to play and that he would probably have talent for it if he wanted to try...he said,"yeah,if I wanted to"...which translates into I don't care.

My son is 7, has interest on and off, guess he would like to do what daddy does, you know. But hands being small, concentration, long practice, he drifts on and off, they dont have patience of an adult. Well I dont get upset, he'll learn when he's ready.

I'm in a similar situation as some of you with my Granddaughters. I have two with another on the way in April. I also have one Grandson age 11. The 5 1/2 year old girl is the most promising of them all so far. She has a Jr. size Yamaha acoustic and loves to strum along with her favorite music and sing through her little sound system. She amazingly knows the tune and words to all her favorites. she has asked for an electric guitar. We bot her a mini Strat and a VOX VT20+ amp for Xmas. the youngest is 3years old and will inherit the Yamaha. Her little ukulele will go back in the box for the newborn when she begins to notice it. My grandson has a Fender telecoustic acoustic electric with a Marshall MG15 amp. but doesn't seem to be inclined to learn to play. I guess some folks are not nuts like me. With some luck and lots of positive influance and training maybe at least one of them will advance to become a good guitarist. I hope I'm still around to see it.
----Danny,

Things like xbox get in the way

I have some hope for my 2 year old. She loves music and her eyes get big when I bring out one of my guitars. Sometimes she dances around while I play for her and sometimes she wants to "play". I lay it on the floor and she just sits there strumming away. My wife always worries that she'll break it but tell her, it's a Strat, she ain't going to hurt it.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

Never sell that guitar and one day she can say I've been playing this old strat seance I was 2 years old.
----Danny,

+1,000,000
Keep it up, and if you are lucky, like Rebelsoul and myself, you will get the chance to experience the joy of performing with your own kids. This is my son, age 20, and me doing a acoustic gig this last Saturday. What a gas!

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“All music is folk music, I ain't never heard no horse sing a song.” Louis Armstrong

You are, a lucky man. somewhere along the line you did something right. very cool
----Danny,

Thanks

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“All music is folk music, I ain't never heard no horse sing a song.” Louis Armstrong

My son (now 32) grew up listening to me play and always had an interest. At school, he wanted to play an instrument so, as usual, they picked for him what they needed in the band - a trombone! We went to the music store and bought a good, used trombone and he managed to learn to play it well enough that he really, really hated it.

So one day I said, let's go back to the music store and bring that trombone. We traded the trombone in on a brand new Peavey Combo 115 bass amp, Black Widow 15" speaker and 100 watts to kick butt. I put him to work learning to play bass on my first-year Tele bass and he picked it right up.

At 15, he started playing bass in my country band, CrossRoads. At 16, he'd saved enough gig money to buy himself a Fender Standard fretless Jazz Bass! He always wanted a sunburst Fender Jazz and he always wanted a fretless! Go figure. He played with me all through high school and then he wanted out.

Today he is teaching my 9-year-old grandson to play guitar. When we get together - WE JAM!

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

I'm glad to see others who love to play music with their kids,it really creates a bond.
I've posted this pic a couple of weeks ago,but here we are in a club jamming....I'm the one with less hair.