This page is a must for all parents who have children learning a musical instrument.

For information on the G4 GUITAR METHOD please visit our website www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

*Parents are the key to success - Parents are without a doubt the greatest teachers of all. As any teacher well knows without parents even our best efforts have very little impact. Because we understand this so well we have created this page to help you as a parent understand what your children should be doing to ultimately achieve success on the guitar.

*Practice as a habit - By giving your children (especially young children) the choice of practicing or not, they will usually opt

*So what do they need? - Junior students will mostly be working from two sources;

Progressive Guitar Method Book 1
The G4GUITARMETHOD Student Folder
These items are included in the starter kit. Additional handouts will be given as require.

*As a parent what do I need to know about the G4GUITARMETHOD? - In the front of their folder is a Checklist. (open their folder and it should be the first page you see). This checklist will have a list of all the requirements for the current level. As a student progresses boxes will be ticked to show they have successfully executed a particular skill or song. Basically the focus of their practice needs to be where a box is un tick. The teacher at times will write comments in the section below. Parents should check this each week. Once all the boxes are tick they will receive a certificate and move up to the next level.

*So how can I help with their practice? - Take a little time each week to see what they are learning. Ask your child exactly what they are working on. The best time to ask is straight after their lesson. If you ask them on a regular basis they will often pay more attention in class knowing the questions are coming. Try to understand it yourself. Even better try learning the guitar yourself. We also have adult classes so feel free to sign up.

• Performance - Set specific dates for your child to perform their latest piece for family or friends. Once a term (4 times a year) would be good. That way that have something to work towards. Make sure you reward them in some way.
• Incentives - Its important to understand the difference between an incentive and blackmail. Blackmail is forcing someone to do something that only serves you. An incentive is a positive way to encourages the individual in question to reach their potential. Using incentives with children helps them to eventually discover that practice has its own rewards. Instead of just taking your children to see a movie or buying them a Playstation game use them as incentives.

*Starting at a young age 5 -7 years- It is important not to put too much responsibility on to the child. Learning guitar needs to be a combined effort from both child and parent and the focus should be on fun. Keep your expectations low and you will both enjoy the experience.The focus for young children is more on buidling up positive associations with the guitar. Learning guitar requires the development of fine motor skills, aural awareness (listening) and understanding. The fine motor skills for guitar are slower to develop in a young child but the work they do at this age pays off for them later. These skills are the same as learning to speak, read and write a language. You should expect their development to be roughly the same. If your child practices writing for 10 minutes a day you will notice gradual improvements overtime. Because children practice speaking language much more than reading or writing they develop speech faster. It is simply a matter of practice. We would not expect a 5 year child to write a novel but we do expect them to communicate to a reasonable level. The early years are essentially foundation building and building the habit of practice. Do not expect too much just encourage and be aware of the time they spend on their practice.

*Listening - The music your children listen to plays a big role in their learning. If you want your child to appreciate and ultimately be passionate guitarists then you need to expose them to guitar music. Instead of 2 hours of TV or computer a day give them 30 minutes of music appreciation. Find music that features obvious guitar like Eric Clapton, Santana, The Beatles, Green Day etc... Why not try classical, flamenco or jazz guitar. Most libraries have a good range of CDs. Especially The Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Also try renting a DVD of a concert instead of a movie. Checkout 'The School of Rock' DVD. Its light hearted comical look at school age primary school children learning music.

*Guitar fitness - Learning guitar is often confused with playing guitar. Many people decide to take up guitar because they think it will be fun. They are focused on playing guitar. Learning guitar is not particularly fun. Playing guitar is fun. Playing guitar is one of the best feelings anyone could experience. But learning the guitar is HARD WORK. Its like fitness. Getting fit is hard work. Being fit is a great feeling. But as you get fitter it gets easier. Young children need lots of support and parent involvement. Try and sit with them when they practice and watch them. Pay close attention to what they are doing. For children under 10 years its a must.

Reasons why children do not follow through on learning guitar;

1. Misunderstanding. Children often are unaware of what learning guitar involves. If a student realises that even before starting that the first 6 to 12 months are the hardest because this is where the routine has to be established they are more likely to stick at it. We all live by routine (school, sleeping, eating, showering etc..). Establishing a new routine of lessons and practice require giving something up. Usually TV or Play station time. The more they realise the sacrifice involved before starting the better the chance of them following through.

2. Parent involvement. As a parent it is important that you are also committed to your child learning guitar. This involves monitoring their practice and progress. We have systems in place to make this easy for you as well as a Parent Page on our website http://www.g4guitar.com.au/parent.htm and a monthly Lesson Supplements that provides extra lesson material and information. Parents do not need to be involved indefinitely. Its like teaching your child to read. Help them in the early stages and as they get into the routine of it all you can reduce your involvement. The early stages are critical.

3. Building confidence. The reality of learning guitar is often harder than what they imagined and children can lose their confidence if they feel they are some how not progressing fast enough. It is important to work with them through these phases and assure them that if they practice it will pay off.

4. No passion. Children are not always passionate about music. It may seem cool to play guitar but are they inspired by the idea of being cool or is it the music. Try playing lots of guitar music. Anything from Rock classics to Jazz to blues. Find out what works for them. Get DVDs, go and see concerts featuring guitar players.

5. Teacher: Sometimes the connection with the teacher is not there. Children might say they do not want to learn guitar but it may be they just don’t feel comfortable with the teacher. For this reason it is important for parents to sit in on the lessons especially in the early stages so as to witness how their child reacts in this situation. Do they seem comfortable?