Guitar for a 7 year old

We bought a childrens guitar from a music shop when the youngest started learning to play. I wouldn't spend too much as he may soon loose interest like mine!
I would search selling pages on facebook or look oneBay for a childrens guitar and then watch some youtube videos to start with!

I would ask about opportunities in school first. At my kids!!!8217; school, Year 4 learn as a class, with guitars supplied.

Half size Spanish guitar. Go to a real music shop, not online or Argos. And ask the person in the shop to play it, run your fingers along the neck to check for rough edges to the frets - they may throw in a set up for free, a discount for external lessons if LO wants to continue after the school's budget has run out for lessons, etc.

Clip on chromatic tuner at home, along with a pack of LR2012 (flat) batteries from Amazon. About £3. You won't need an expensive one.

Pack of Alice brand nylon strings from Amazon, light gauge/tension. About £3.45 when I ordered some for work yesterday afternoon.

Case with a long strap (easier to carry on the school run than just two little handles). The shop might be prepared to throw it in for free.

Name on the back and on the case.


Change out of £40 for bottom level, £60 if you go for something a bit nicer/better made, £80 if you want something more. £120 if you want to go for a big name/something that, with a few repairs, would still be used everyday in a school 25 years after purchase (like the ones at work).

You don't need picks/plectrums, straps, for Spanishes. 'Acoustics' tends to mean steel strung, which is a little rough on little fingers.

Oh, and about £3 for a couple of packets of stickers so LO can personalise their instrument. (which also ensures that nobody else takes the guitar home because they've bought the identical one and snapped a tuning peg/machine head or stood on theirs - character stickers on the front will make it harder to remove all evidence of it being your LO's - like sewn in name badges lessen the chance of you being left with the manky, shrunken 5 year old school jumper instead of the brand new one you got at Christmas )


5-10 minutes practice a day will make them improve more than 95% of the class, you'll spend a lot of time retuning the guitar when the strings are new. Keep it away from radiators, don't leave it laying on the floor, and, if you want practice to be something done by choice, reverse psychology suggests allowing them to play guitar when told it's time to do their timestables/spellings/etc, as they associate it with good things, rather than homework/interfering with TV time.


[I do this for a living]

I!!!8217;m glad going to a proper music shop was suggested. It!!!8217;s a good idea to buy a decent instrument (funds allowing) as the sound will be so much better - hopefully meaning your little one is more likely to enjoy it and stick with it!