Pictures of our ROCKIN' kids?!

[mg196]

Why not? Here is Noah with his first electric. I even got him a stand for it! Looks like a Flyin'-V to me!

[gata]

Okay, I'll bite. My son Oliver with the Elvis snarl.

[ozmoid]

My Three-year-old with her uke. She can remember and hit the C chord about 4 out of 5 times. Still working on those motor skills...

[mg196]

At what age can kids start lessons? 5? I can't see my Noah being patient enough for a 1/2 hour long lesson anytime soon.

[gata]

I don't think five is too early to learn music, as long as the teaching method is age-appropriate. At five, I don't think formal lessons are necessary, unless you're the kind of parent who wants to groom a Mozart, which may have the opposite effect. I would suggest that if you play yourself, teach one simple song, or one simple riff, or one simple rhythm (or a family friend who can play something). Then give the kid some time to mess around with it and digest it. You'll know when or if it's time to go to formal lessons. After a few lessons, and noodling around, the bug hit me at nine.

I've taught guitar to kids before, and it's common for them to drop in and out of interest. If they really are interested in an instrument, one of those times they'll eventually stick with it. Let 'em try out a bunch of instruments, but I wouldn't suggest investing big money until you, or your kid knows for sure.

At the time of the pic above, my son was three. He's now six, and he's been immersed in music his whole life. My wife and I have music going most of the time and not much TV. After he messed around enough with the toy guitar in the pic, he realized he couldn't get real music out of it (age 5). I bought him a little travel guitar that's his size and plays easily. He actually came to me asking how to play Twinkle Twinkle, which he can play on one string. We then went on to learn Rock Lobster (I'm assuming that if you've got a Johnny Thunders quote, you know the tune, of course), and the band that all kids seem to love, The White Stripes, Seven Nation Army. I only teach when he's receptive to it, but I do ask periodically if he wants to learn something, especially if he likes a song, melody or rhythm.

Despite what many don't realize, listening is a learned experience, and if you're getting your kids interested in music early, you're already educating. They'll eventually choose the piano, guitar, or drums over Bionicles, and Xbox.

Hope this helps. :guitar:

[mg196]

Great advice, Gata! Noah is only 2.5 yrs, but he really loves music. Actually, he went to his first concert yesterday! "Ralph's World," which is nominated for a Best Kids' Album Grammy. He just STARED at the instruments (especially the guitars). Not "kiddie" music as much Rock music for kids that appeals to parents (www.http://www.ralphsworld.com )

One scary thing about Noah's musical influences, is his choices in songs to sing to his parents. Last Sunday while my wife and I were asleep, he climbs into our bed and starts singing songs in order to grab our attention. Here is exactly what he sang:

-Twinkle, Twinkle little star
-ABC's

followed by...no joke...

-Too Much Junkie Business (by Johnny Thunders, of course!)

He just kept singing the chorus over and over! Too Much Junkie Business, Too Much Junkie Business!

[gata]

Very funny. . . and then, of course not. I totally understand, and we have to screen so much of our music. It's surprising what kids pick up.

My visiting mother-in-law was once woken up by my son singing,

"Shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather
Whiplash girlchild in the dark
Kkiss the boot of shiny, shiny leather
Shiny leather in the dark :sing:

Not at all as serious as Noah's, but it sure put some questions into my mother-in-law's head. She knows nothing of the Velvet Underground.