MusicalBarrs
a resource for parents and students
What guitar?
Guitars are generally more straightforward to purchase than keyboards so long as you bear a few guidelines in mind.
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it needs to be a classical guitar
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it needs to be the correct size for the student
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you also need the correct accessories
Classical Guitars
A classical guitar should look like this:
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It should have nylon strings not metal
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It should not have a strap
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It should not have any volume controls or inputs!
Correct Size
Like children, guitars come in different sizes! It is always adviseable to take your child with you to make your purchase so that there are no problems afterwards.
Accessories
In addition to the tutor book. there are two main accessories that are quite important and are adviseable to have from the start.
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a music stand
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a guitar footstool
These can both be purchased from most music shops or from the Instruments and Accessories section of this site. An optional accessory that becomes more important a little later on is a guitar tuner. Tuning a guitar can be very difficult and they do go out of tune very easily which can make practice time sound quite bad.
Helpful Tips
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do not lean the guitar against a radiator - it will go out of tune
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store the guitar away from direct sunlight - it will go out of tune and the wood will dry
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don't let your child hold the guitar by the strings - it will go out of tune
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don't place the guitar on the floor strings down - guess what - it will go out of tune!
Where Can You Go?
If you feel that you would like the expertise of a music shop to help you choose the guitar for your child, then most instrument selling music shops would be happy to help. Alternatively, you can go to the Instruments and Accessories page and order through Musicroom who will send a donation to Great Ormond Street with every purchase.