[thechat] Guitar Stuff

[Erika]

I never had as much trouble w/ strings as people expected, growing up.
I started w/ nylon at 8, tho, and then moved to steel at 12.  So that's 
different.  Adults were over-worried and I had my first steel-string 
guitar set WAY TOO LOW action on account of that, and in fact it was the 
BUZZING of the frets that drove me nuts... because of the bad action... 
to the point of QUITTING.  I never had issues with fingers, & it really 
doesn't take that long to build some callouses.

I think, give him baby steps, with goals.  Ask him what he wants... I 
had a 6 year old who wanted to learn Johnny Cash "Hurt"  bound and 
determined  on his little black guitar... (his mom had met Johnny Cash!) 
He understood that he would have to get his fingers and muscles in shape
first... he was determined to do it.  His family moved to Austin after 
lesson #2 in which he DID learn the Am chord.  I like to think he's 
playing Johnny Cash tunes and originals in some smoke filled bar down 
there... he'd be 12 now.

I am against teaching sight reading to beginning students, esp guitar 
players.  But that's me.  I'm a rocker.  I think using your 
ear/hands/heart should be first, read later (or never).  (Suzuki teaches 
you to hear before you read, too I think.)

IMO, kids are tough creatures.  My daughter learned to blow trumpet
in days... I don't know how... I can't get a decent sound outta that
thing... but I'm not that interested.  My daughter has no interest in 
playing guitar, except as a percussion instrument.  Diff'rent strokes 
for different folks.

Erika