Jammin in The Sun: 4 Ways to Help Your Child Become A Guitar God 🎸🎸

Ah, summer is here. The warm weather, kids finishing school, trips to the beach, longer days, and family vacations. Summer can also be a time of tremendous musical growth for your child.  I remember my first summer as a guitarist. I was 15 and I spent the entire summer in Slovakia. I spent countless hours practicing the guitar.  I barely knew anything.  I only had a couple of lessons and only knew a handful of chords. I clumsily played some Nirvana tunes which I had learned from a friend, and some hymns from a church songbook. When I came back from Slovakia, I was a much better guitar player. I had made dramatic progress. I was slowly becoming a guitar god.  😉🤘🏻

Here are 4 ways to help your child become a guitar god this summer:

1. Create a Schedule:

Numerous studies have shown that the key to success is consistency. The same holds true with practicing the guitar. Setting up a schedule is indispensable to creating an enjoyable, life long habit. Summer days aren’t as structured as school days, so introducing a specific practice time can be really rewarding because it’s not as stressful as during the school year.

2. Practice Outdoors

Take advantage of the beautiful weather by practicing in outdoor settings. Encourage your child to practice on the porch or deck, by the pool, beach, park or even encourage them to bring their guitar on your vacation.  Practicing doesn’t have to be boring or monotonous.  Introducing some variety into your child’s practicing regiment can yield great results and make it more fun.

3. Maintain Overall Wellness

Music, like any other discipline, requires a holistic approach.  Make sure that your child gets proper nutrition, exercise, and rest. Daily exercise is vital to their development on the guitar and in all areas of their lives.  I live by this ideal as well. I run 5-6x a week, and I try to sleep 6-7 hours a night in order to ensure that I’m at my peak physical and mental shape. While it's important for your child to have fun during the summer, it’s also important that they remain healthy and focused especially during the summer months. 

4. Attend Live Performances

Take your child to music festivals, outdoor bands in the park, or beach, maybe even Sunday afternoon classical concerts.  Introducing them to other music genres and live performances can really boost their enthusiasm and resolve to be a musician.  Summer time is loaded with these opportunities.

With these simple 4 steps, you can help your child stay motivated this summer. By simply changing your approach and using some creativity this summer, you will see your child drastically improve, and most importantly have fun in the process.  I’ve seen this transformation many times before and it’s always exciting!