Kids guitar lessons in Ashfield
Fun, structured guitar lessons that help kids build confidence, learn real songs and enjoy making music.
Is your child interested in learning guitar?
Many parents worry that:
-
Their child will lose interest after a few weeks.
-
Lessons will become repetitive.
-
Progress will be slow and boring
-
They won't know whether their child is actually improving.
At G4 Guitar Ashfield, we've built a structured learning system designed to keep students engaged and moving forward.
Why We Teach In Groups
We break learning into two separate parts: first, we take kids through a 5-week one-on-one course. This is 5 private half-hour lessons where kids can learn the basics of how to play with a competent, experienced teacher.
After they have their feet under them, we stream them into a small group program, usually with 1 - 4 other kids in the group.
Children often learn faster when they learn alongside others.
Our group classes help students:
-
Stay motivated
-
Develop confidence
-
Learn teamwork and listening skills
-
Make friends with other young musicians
-
Enjoy lessons instead of feeling isolated
Maximum 5 students per class.
A clear path from beginner to confident player
Many guitar lessons teach songs.
We teach a progression.
Students follow a structured pathway that develops:
-
Chords
-
Rhythm
-
Technique
-
Ear training
-
Song performance
-
Improvisation
Parents can clearly see what their child is learning and where they are heading next.
What age should children start guitar lessons?
We usually recommend kids start guitar from about 5 years and up. They definitely can learn earlier but with attention spans in young children being what they are it can be an uphill battle.
Testimonials
Easily Accessible In Ashfield
You can find us just across the road from the Ashfield train station, the entrance is a brown door next to Ga On Hair.
FAQ
Q: Where are you located?
A: Our school is literally right outside Ashfield train station, accessible within ten
minutes of any of the Inner West's main train stations. You'll also find ample parking
within a short walk of the school.
Q: Do you kids?
A: Yes, we have a range of students, from very young children to teens and up.
Q: Can anyone learn guitar?
A: Yes, with very rare exception, guitar is learnable by just about anyone. Unless you
have a very extreme learning disability or severe mobility issues in your hands (and
I mean very severe) guitar is a really accessible instrument.
In fact, you might even find it assists with these issues. Often children with ADHD or
other learning difficulties come to us and find that guitar is an excellent avenue to
channel their focus into. Because it uses all parts of the brain in tandem, it can be
a great help with things like mental focus or even rehabilitation of the hands after
an accident.
Q: What will my child's first five lessons look like?
A: Generally, we believe group guitar lessons are superior to one-on-one: statistically kids are more likely to stick to guitar if they're learning with a friend or group. They get insights from peers that they might not get from just a single teacher and, frankly, it's just more fun!
However, it is important kids familiarise themselves to the basic mechanics of the guitar so the first five lessons will be just them and a teacher to allow them to get a grounding in the fundamentals. Their teacher will take your child through the core competencies of guitar: picking, strumming chords, learning basic scales, learning to read music and more. By the end of this phase they will have a knowledge of the rudiments of guitar.
Q: Can't they learn songs?
A: They could just learn songs by themselves and we certainly encourage them to do so and will teach. But it's the old proverb of "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach him to fish, he can feed himself for a lifetime." Focusing on skills first, gives kids the skills to eventually learn any song you like as well as a leg up from your their teacher showing you how to play certain songs too.
Q: When is the best time for my child to start learning guitar?
A: We recommend that young students start guitar lessons as early as 5. That's about the time when they have developed the motor skills to begin complex movements like playing the frets and strumming. However, you can start introducing them to music and guitar toys after only a couple of months.
Q: How long does take to learn guitar?
A: That is a big question with lots of variables. Some guitarists can play songs within just a week or two, some can take years to make meaningful progress. However, generally, players go through a few stages:
1 to 5 weeks:
You have just started and are in the honeymoon phase. You can't really play anything yet, but you're excited and are practicing hard.
5 weeks to 3 months:
You realise guitar is a bit harder than you thought. If you have a good teacher you can usually play a simple riff or two, but mainly you're focusing on your basics: chords, notes and rhythm.
3 months to 6 months:
You might find yourself really struggling at this point. Yeah, you can
play some stuff but the endless practice doesn't seem to be really
getting you anywhere. Many players quit at this point. Which is a
shame because:
6 months to a year:
Most guitar players (especially if they have a quality teacher)
will have a breakthrough by this point. Your strumming comes together
and you can change fluently between chords. The scales are starting to
make more sense to you and you can improvise at a basic level. Now
you can actually play some stuff and that feels great!
1 year to 3 years:
This is where most guitarists will start to specialise. You might go into
blues rock, or start to learn jazz voicings. Maybe you want to be a
metal guitarist. All the things that you heard that made you want to pick up the guitar in the first place are becoming available to you. You're not perfectly proficient yet, but you can see where things are going.
3 to 5 years:
By this time, if you've been practicing diligently, you can likely play anything you set your mind to. Yes, there might be some crazy-fast players with licks that are beyond you but generally, given enough time and instruction, you can figure it out.
Q: How often should my child practice the guitar?
A: As often as possible, obviously: the more guitar practice they do the faster they're going to get good. But if you want a hard number to set for your weekly practice amount, 3 hours a week will get them where they need to be.
Q: How do I get my child to practice?
A: This is by far the most common issue I find most parents have when their child begins learning guitar. The typical response to asking how they're doing is, "She loves the lessons, but she hates practicing!"
I'd say this is the case for most students -- probably four out of every five -- so If you're struggling to get your child to sit down and practice, don't worry, you're in the majority. Most adults find it hard to stick to a regular practice routine, let alone kids. All is not lost though.
The first thing is to actually expect resistance. Understand when they say, "I just have to finish doing this," or "But I don't want to do," that this is not really your child saying they don't want to learn guitar: it's them saying, "I find this hard and I need you to help me." The best way to do that is to make it a routine. Sit down with your child and try and find a reasonable time for them to do consistent practice. Attaching guitar practice to an already established habit is an easy option. Bundling this in with homework (I would recommend before rather than after) is a good avenue for this.
Another technique if your schedule is a bit more regulated is setting a specific time every day. Set an alarm and when it goes off, it's guitar time. Just be aware that you're likely to get some pushback and this is totally normal and ok. "Let's just do ten minutes and see how we feel after that," is a good one to get them going.
Finally, make sure to reward your child after they finish their practice. This can be anything from a favourite snack to a song they like, or even a silly dance that makes them laugh. We're teaching them to associate guitar with positive emotions so make sure they get that win at the end!
After a few weeks (or even months) you'll notice the pushback will decline and eventually, your child will end up playing guitar all by themselves. At this point, you know they've formed a habit and you have successfully taught them one of the key skills they'll need to learn guitar or anything else in life.
