"Dad... Teach Me How To Play..."

[Hamerhack]

Dear HFC:

My son plays guitar.

When my daughter was younger, I used to bug her about playing guitar... "you have long fingers, you can sing... it'd be easy!" No dice.

How 'bout bass? Nope.

Bought her a keyboard. Same story.

Nagging (not surprisingly) didn't work. Leaving instruments lying around didn't work.

Then, out of the blue, a few weeks ago...

"Can you teach me how to play 'Dear Prudence'"?

Her boyfriend (the same one from a previous post who she forced to watch 'Spinal Tap') likes this movie "Across The Universe", which enacts a whole bunch of Beatles songs. She wants to learn to play 'em all!

Next thing I know, she's online looking at guitars!

I have only one year until she's off to college, but we're finally under way!

Sincerely,

One Happy HFC Dad

PS: How many of you with kids have passed on the guitar (or other instrument) playing?

[Jeff R]

My oldest son plays guitar. He's a better pianist, but he's no slouch on the axe.

My second oldest, 13, has expressed interest and we're going to start working on it soon when he spends the weekends with me.

[zorrow]

My daughter is 10. She sings pretty well and her voice has a quite unique tone. Coincidentally, she's also a big fan of the "Across the Universe" movie! She's also into Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Black Eyed Peas. However, so far she's not interested in guitar playing. In fact, the closest thing to playing she does is trying to play melodies by ear on my keyboard.

[shredmeister]

My son took up playing about 3 years ago. This summer he has been putting in some serious time.

I taught him how to sweep pick arpeggios and how to understand scales and how they relate to chords as well as some mechanical stuff on the left and right hands.

It will take him years to learn but I see how guys like Jason Becker and Steve Vai got so good so fast. If you have an advanced teacher like they did (Marty Friedman or Satch) that puts you on the fast track you can learn a ton in a short time.

[svl]

My 8 year old son has just started learning guitar. I gave him my '61 Melody Maker to start and got him a Peavey Vyper, and so far he's enjoying himself. To me that's the key to continuing, gotta love it to live it.

My five (six this Friday) year old daughter wants to grow up and be a pop star, so she's dinking with the guitar as well as piano. Haven't started her on formal with guitar yet, but piano lessons will start in a couple weeks (my son as well).

[Carl.B]

My son play's Bass, Guitar and Key's, he got inspired once I reconnected with an old buddy. My buddy is a Bass player by trade but has his basement turned into a recording studio and practice space. My son was about 11 when he first saw all the toy's he has and it really turned him onto playing. I had tried several times before to get him interested but nothing worked. We found a really excellent teacher who he stayed with for 5 years. Now he is 18 and going off to collage this fall. He was in the HS varsity jazz band in 9th grade playing bass and guitar.

Yeah I am a pretty proud dad he loves the same music as I do, play's a mean Bass or Guitar plus he has brains (Pysics Major).

[G Man]

Nothing yet, although my daughter is not quite 8 and my son is only 4, so there is plenty of time still. I really hope that they both take to an instrument, as the older and grumpier I get, the more it will be nice to have some younguns around to jam with.

[mathman]

My 13 year old daughter is singing pretty well and taking piano lessons. She wants to learn guitar so I am getting one ready for her.

My son is sorta wanting to learn drums. I've been looking for a electronic set to alleviate the noise problem but I may get a small set of acoustic and put them in the garage. The problem is the noise and the heat here in florida.

[Frank]

Both my children are grown with kids of their own. The daughter used to play bass. My son played guitar, bass, trumpet, and baritone horn, but now it's just guitar when he has time which is rarely (he's a head chef). The grandson is very interested in music, but since he's just 4, so far we're sticking with toy keyboard and guitar. The grand daughter is just 2.

[m chops]

In middle school and freshman year of high school, my daughter played tuba. And she's got Nathan East fingers - a natural for the bass.

I've been buggin' her for years to try an learn bass. She'd plunk a bit, but never really pursued it.

In her freshman year of college, she started reading a book called something along the lines of "Chicks who Rock"

A couple of weeks ago I took her to her first rock concert: the Moody Blues

A week ago, she asked for some help with basic bass technique (fingers, no bloody pick ).

A couple of days ago, she sent me a text asking about how to avoid the string buzzing.

Tonight, I told her I was going up to play for a bit. She didn't take the bait. After playing a bit I, I suggested that we go into the basement and jam a bit.

We just spent about 90 minutes playing "Maggot Brain" and "Crimson & Clover" (long version). My T-51 never sounded so good through an AC30. And SHE WAS GREAT!!!!!

Her Nathan East fingers were showing much better technique than I ever had, and unlike most of my band mates from the past, she understands dynamics.

I'm one proud papa tonight!

(Now if I could only learn to play guitar . . . .)

[Brooks]

no kids here. but i have taught enough kids to appreciate one w/ natural ability and willingness to practice. they are fun to teach, the others are like torture for me (and the reason i don't have any students now).

[cmatthes]

My 16-year-old started listening to Hendrix, the Clash and Nirvana (among others) at 6-7, so I showed him some guitar basics and got him a 3/4 sized starter guitar. He played on that thing for a while, but at 9 decided he wanted to save his money for a yellow Strat. He did, and took lessons and played that, but a promising soccer career in a challenging league kind of occupied a lot of his free time. A couple of years ago, he had a bad knee injury that ended his soccer days, but he started gravitating towards bass - mostly messing around, but he seemed to prefer it. He started up guitar lessons again, and was progressing nicely and working on his vocals as well. He started playing with a band in between Crew seasons, and got his first taste of a real club gig last year. Right now, I think he's enjoying bass the most, but also bought his own mandolin and plays a uke when nobody is looking. I'm not sure where he'll go, but at least he enjoys it and I'm not going to pressure him into it. A good friend of his is a phenomenal musician, and at 16, is a very gifted guitarist. I'd venture to say that most of us here would go slackjawed watching him play. I think hanging around another player his own age like that will motivate him to really up his game.

My 12-year-old is learning guitar and bass, and switches between them every now and then with his teacher. He originally wanted to play bass because his brother played guitar, but wants to learn both.

Like most kids their ages, they have pretty full schedules, and could probably spend more time playing/practicing and less time tapped into the internet or Xbox. I just remind myself that they're kids, and will probably go in the opposite direction if I push things too much. They enjoy the occasional basement jams, and are not at all shy about grabbing a guitar and going to a friend's house to play. As long as they keep finding fun and joy in it, I'll be happy!

[sonic1974]

My 16-year-old started listening to Hendrix, the Clash and Nirvana (among others) at 6-7, so I showed him some guitar basics and got him a 3/4 sized starter guitar. He played on that thing for a while, but at 9 decided he wanted to save his money for a yellow Strat. He did, and took lessons and played that, but a promising soccer career in a challenging league kind of occupied a lot of his free time. A couple of years ago, he had a bad knee injury that ended his soccer days, but he started gravitating towards bass - mostly messing around, but he seemed to prefer it. He started up guitar lessons again, and was progressing nicely and working on his vocals as well. He started playing with a band in between Crew seasons, and got his first taste of a real club gig last year. Right now, I think he's enjoying bass the most, but also bought his own mandolin and plays a uke when nobody is looking. I'm not sure where he'll go, but at least he enjoys it and I'm not going to pressure him into it. A good friend of his is a phenomenal musician, and at 16, is a very gifted guitarist. I'd venture to say that most of us here would go slackjawed watching him play. I think hanging around another player his own age like that will motivate him to really up his game.

My 12-year-old is learning guitar and bass, and switches between them every now and then with his teacher. He originally wanted to play bass because his brother played guitar, but wants to learn both.

Like most kids their ages, they have pretty full schedules, and could probably spend more time playing/practicing and less time tapped into the internet or Xbox. I just remind myself that they're kids, and will probably go in the opposite direction if I push things too much. They enjoy the occasional basement jams, and are not at all shy about grabbing a guitar and going to a friend's house to play. As long as they keep finding fun and joy in it, I'll be happy!

Awesome! I'm glad to hear about all these kids getting into music, it brings a smile to my face. When I was a kid, I lived for my saxophone. I basically gave it up for guitar, but one of these days I'm going to buy one again.