best acoustic guitar for 8 year old image
goodinthec
My 8 year-old daughter (this week)wants to learn to play guitar. Her choice has varied between electric/classical/bass. She loves rock n roll music and most music generally but I'm not sure SHE knows exactly what she wants to learn. Will playing a video guitar game help learn guitar before we spend money on the real thing or will she pick up bad habits that may retard her learning progress later on?
Answer
Guitar Hero is a video game, and the "guitar" that comes with it is just a video game controller. Playing the game is nothing at all like playing a real musical instrument.
Comparing Guitar Hero to playing a real guitar is like comparing a flight simulator video game to flying a real airplane because they both use a joystick.
If she wants to play guitar, get her an acoustic guitar to start with, and some lessons -- regardless of what style of music she eventually wants to play, an acoustic guitar will get her started with the basics.
Guitar Hero is a video game, and the "guitar" that comes with it is just a video game controller. Playing the game is nothing at all like playing a real musical instrument.
Comparing Guitar Hero to playing a real guitar is like comparing a flight simulator video game to flying a real airplane because they both use a joystick.
If she wants to play guitar, get her an acoustic guitar to start with, and some lessons -- regardless of what style of music she eventually wants to play, an acoustic guitar will get her started with the basics.
What is the best acoustic guitar to get for a beginner?
ILoveJBieb
I have a guitar already and it is really old and the strings have snapped. I am starting acoustic guitar lessons and I just wanted a good make guitar which is easy to play and good for beginners
Much appreciated :)
Answer
Nothing wrong with an old guitar if it still plays well. Might be worth $5 for a new set of strings just to see how it plays and sounds. I got an old guitar from my grandpa. It didn't look like much. The finish was checking and some strings were missing and one of the tuning pegs was bent. I, being young and stupid, tried to fix it up by sanding it and refinishing it. removing the bridge and "adjusting" it, and putting new tuners on it. Turns out it was an old Gibson Kalamazoo guitar which I complete ruined by trying to fix it up like a "new" guitar. Sorry guitar lovers it still breaks me up that I was so dumb too!
But if it's actually an old piece of junk or you just want a crisp new guitar, you can get some decent beginner guitars in the $100 range if you get one with a laminate top. Laminate (plywood) tops don't have the tone or sustain of a solid wood top but for a beginner the bigger thing is the playability of the guitar. The Takamine Jasmine is a decent guitar for a beginner on a budget (way better than comparably priced Dean, Gibson Maestro, and other sub $100 guitars). Guitar Center has a Mitchell guitar they sell for $129:
The full size dreadnought model:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Mitchell-MD300S-Solid-Spruce-Top-Acoustic-Guitar-105769301-i1505586.gc
If you need a smaller bodied guitar there's this orchestra model:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Mitchell-MO100S-Solid-Top-Orchestra-Guitar-105343248-i1460870.gc
At just around $200 my favorite is the Yamaha FG700S. It's a full size dreadnought with a solid spruce top. Yamaha makes excellent beginner guitars and I recommend these to many of my students who want a bit better beginner guitar that will last them a few years.
If you want a smaller body the Yamaha FS720S is a great option but you're getting up in the $275ish price range now. Still a good guitar if you want something smaller bodied but still a full size guitar.
You're right to realize people have preferences when it comes to choosing guitars and I'm sure some very experienced guitarists on here will disagree with some of my recommendations and have options of their own that are equally good. The ones I'd avoid (again my preference and experience picking guitars for my students) are:
Dean - I've played several of their lower end guitars and the majority are just unplayable because they are set up so badly from the factory. They buzz, are difficult to fret and have horrid intonation.
Fender - If you want a strat or telecaster or a good tube amp then Fender's great, but they're acoustic guitars just don't have the tone you'd expect from Fender.
Gibson Maestro - yuck! Why waste $100 on one of these toys when you can get a real guitar like the Takamine Jasmine for the same price?
Ibanez - again, great electric guitars and basses but their acoustics, while they play OK just don't have the tone I like.
Epiphone - some are OK but not the cheaper ones. If you love Gibson and want to look like you own one from a distance they're OK but not music to my ears. Besides my first guitar was an Epiphone and it was a bear to try to play. They have chunky necks and high action which are not ideal for an 8 year old learning to play guitar (that's what I was, no idea how old you are).
Yamaha is much better than those for the price (again just my opinion).
Nothing wrong with an old guitar if it still plays well. Might be worth $5 for a new set of strings just to see how it plays and sounds. I got an old guitar from my grandpa. It didn't look like much. The finish was checking and some strings were missing and one of the tuning pegs was bent. I, being young and stupid, tried to fix it up by sanding it and refinishing it. removing the bridge and "adjusting" it, and putting new tuners on it. Turns out it was an old Gibson Kalamazoo guitar which I complete ruined by trying to fix it up like a "new" guitar. Sorry guitar lovers it still breaks me up that I was so dumb too!
But if it's actually an old piece of junk or you just want a crisp new guitar, you can get some decent beginner guitars in the $100 range if you get one with a laminate top. Laminate (plywood) tops don't have the tone or sustain of a solid wood top but for a beginner the bigger thing is the playability of the guitar. The Takamine Jasmine is a decent guitar for a beginner on a budget (way better than comparably priced Dean, Gibson Maestro, and other sub $100 guitars). Guitar Center has a Mitchell guitar they sell for $129:
The full size dreadnought model:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Mitchell-MD300S-Solid-Spruce-Top-Acoustic-Guitar-105769301-i1505586.gc
If you need a smaller bodied guitar there's this orchestra model:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Mitchell-MO100S-Solid-Top-Orchestra-Guitar-105343248-i1460870.gc
At just around $200 my favorite is the Yamaha FG700S. It's a full size dreadnought with a solid spruce top. Yamaha makes excellent beginner guitars and I recommend these to many of my students who want a bit better beginner guitar that will last them a few years.
If you want a smaller body the Yamaha FS720S is a great option but you're getting up in the $275ish price range now. Still a good guitar if you want something smaller bodied but still a full size guitar.
You're right to realize people have preferences when it comes to choosing guitars and I'm sure some very experienced guitarists on here will disagree with some of my recommendations and have options of their own that are equally good. The ones I'd avoid (again my preference and experience picking guitars for my students) are:
Dean - I've played several of their lower end guitars and the majority are just unplayable because they are set up so badly from the factory. They buzz, are difficult to fret and have horrid intonation.
Fender - If you want a strat or telecaster or a good tube amp then Fender's great, but they're acoustic guitars just don't have the tone you'd expect from Fender.
Gibson Maestro - yuck! Why waste $100 on one of these toys when you can get a real guitar like the Takamine Jasmine for the same price?
Ibanez - again, great electric guitars and basses but their acoustics, while they play OK just don't have the tone I like.
Epiphone - some are OK but not the cheaper ones. If you love Gibson and want to look like you own one from a distance they're OK but not music to my ears. Besides my first guitar was an Epiphone and it was a bear to try to play. They have chunky necks and high action which are not ideal for an 8 year old learning to play guitar (that's what I was, no idea how old you are).
Yamaha is much better than those for the price (again just my opinion).
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Title Post: Can games like Guitar Hero teach how to play guitar or does it encourage bad habits?
Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
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Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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