Today my daughter asked me if I could help her learn guitar. It was as if I was in a dream. I thought this day would never come. Sharing my hobby with my kids has been a personal dream of mine since I started guitar about a year and 1/2 ago.
So, my daughter is 14 and a singer. She’s got a background in music. She’s in the school choir and been taking private voice lessons for over four years. She auditioned and performed in youth theater shows during much of that time. She’s very dedicated and I’m really proud of her. It’s given her a great head start in learning guitar. I’m honestly amazed and a little jealous by how much of an advantage it has given her compared to when I started as a beginner.
First of all, she can read music notation and can identify notes by ear. I’m still hoping I develop the skill in either and not even close to starting.
What is She Starting Out With?
She’s starting out with the, “Hal Leonard Guitar Method” book. My son originally gave it to me as a Father’s Day present, but I haven’t really used it. It teaches guitar using musical notation and I really don’t have an interest in relearning all the basics just to start reading sheet music. However, it seems perfect for her. She’s reading the notes and comfortable with the staff and notes.
Share Your Suggestions and Experiences
Aside from showing her the open chords and the basics of the guitar, I’m not really sure what I can teach her. I’m not that much more advanced myself and I’m afraid that I’ll teach her bad habits.
Hey, If you’ve got kids and they’re asking you to teach them guitar, what are your thoughts and suggestions? I really enjoyed sharing my hobby with my daughter and I want to nuture that. Please share your thoughts in the comments below.