Posts Tagged: Kids

Most American children do not learn how to play an instrument at school anymore due to many schools having to eliminate music programs from their curriculum.  In recent years, however, a rising number of young children and teenagers want to learn how to play instruments like acoustic guitars, keyboard, electric guitars, singing and drums for kids.  This new interest has been influenced by the several different video games out there that mimic singing, musical bands and playing guitar and other instruments.

Some of the first video games that came out that were about performing musically were ones that involved singing.  Many of them requires having a special microphone to hook up to the game console and then you could pick a song to sing to usually in a karaoke -like technique.  The most popular ones were the kind that copied popular singing shows like American Idol.  You could create yourself into a video contestant and then sing before a panel of judges and a large crowd.  Your performance was then followed by the critic of how well you did.  You actually had to learn how to sing on key and to follow the song, or you would perform poorly.  Due to these types of games, more kids than ever now want to take singing lessons because they enjoyed singing through their video game so much.

The next popular video game that came out that has increased the interest in kids   wanting to learn an instrument is the game Guitar hero.  This game comes with a real looking electric guitar that attaches to the game unit and has buttons on it that are color coded.  In order to play the correct note, you must press the correct color button when it shows up on the screen.  For beginners it has some slower easier numbers to get the hang of it and the speed and difficulty increase with the higher levels.  This is a fun way for someone who does not know how to play guitar to feel like a real guitar playing rock star.  Because so many teenagers have liked this game so much, they have been showing up for guitar lessons at a record rate since the debut of this video game.

The last great game that was created to join the other musically influenced video games is called Rock band.  This takes the same idea as the American Idol one and the Guitar hero game and put it all together with a complete rock bands with a singer, drummer, guitar player and a keyboarder.  Because so many games only accommodate one or two participants at a time, this has been a great one for a group of friends to do all together. This has made teenagers to want to learn all of the various instruments featured in this game.

Many parents do not like the fact that their kids play so many video games but the fact that some of these have encouraged many of them to learn how to play a musical instrument is a great thing.

You understand that learning a musical instrument has a lot of benefits for your children. It helps them learn about music, helps them function in a group setting, enhances their self esteem, and also develops their creativity. In fact, they have even expressed a desire to learn an instrument. The problem is, you worry that they wont stick with it and you will have wasted time and money.

Well, one of the biggest reasons kids do not stick with an instrument is because they do not consider it exciting or cool enough. Yes, you may have purchased a shiny new trumpet for them, but if they are a fan of rock music, this instrument wont seem exciting for them. In fact, you will probably battle with them constantly to get them to practice until you both eventually quite.

Want to avoid this scenario? Then why not choose musical instruments your kids will stick with? Here is some advice that will help you make a wise choice. These are all instruments your child will stick with because they are not considering geeky or uncool.

Acoustic or Electric Guitar

Your child has a choice between the acoustic and electric guitar and both appeal to a variety of musical genres. For example, if your child loves to sing and play at the same time, an acoustic is a good choice. If they love rock music, an electric guitar is a good choice.

Consider what kind of music they like and it will give you a clue as to which to buy for them. Keep in mind that if they are serious about learning the guitar, they will probably want both an acoustic and an electric eventually. They will stick with this because they can play music that appeals to their personal taste.

Bass

The bass is also another good instrument to choose from because it is also considered “cool”. All the popular bands have a bassist, and if your child has aspirations to be in a band with some friends, this may be a good choice. Basically any type of band be it a jazz band or heavy metal group needs a bass player.

Drums

Drums are also another instrument that kids stick with. Drummers stand out. They are responsible for keeping the beat and if they are off beat, the entire band will sound terrible. They are depended on. To a parent, it may seem as if the only thing the drums are good for is generating a lot of noise. But, they actually hold all the benefits of learning any music instrument. This is a good choice for someone who has a sense of rhythm.

Tags: Instruments, Kids, Musical, Stick
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