þÿ<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en" xml:lang="en"> <head> <title>Guitar ideas for Beginners</title> <meta name ="description" content="Unbiased suggestions from a guitarist and Berklee grad on what guitar to get someone just starting out. Also, tips if it's a Christmas or Birthday gift." /> <meta name ="keywords" content="Guitars for Beginners, Starter Packs, Gifts, lessons, Ibanez, Fender, Gibson, First Act, Esteban, Kids, Sale, Acoustic, Electric, Top Ten, Top Five, Children, Never Played, Bar Mitzvah "/> <META NAME="robot" CONTENT="index,follow"> <META NAME="revisit-after" CONTENT="1"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/1.css" type="text/css" media="screen,projection" /> </head> <body> <div id="container"> <div id="header"> <h1 class="right"><a href="http://www.erikzmusic.com">Erik Z Music</a></h1> <h1> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dsr%5Fnr%5Fn%5F2%26me%3DAIMZUKBRH6H15%26qid%3D1280504560%26rh%3Dn%253A11971381%252Cn%253A11971401&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Guitars for Beginners</a></h1> </div> <div id="sidebar"> <br> <h2><i>Top Rated</i> Guitars & Gear</h2> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/musical-instruments/11971401?ie=UTF8&ref_=zg_tr_nav_MI_3_11971381&ie=UTF8&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Beginner Electric Guitar Kits</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/musical-instruments/11971421?ie=UTF8&ref_=zg_tr_nav_MI_4_11971401&ie=UTF8&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Solid Body Electric Guitars</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/musical-instruments/11971391?ie=UTF8&ref_=zg_tr_nav_MI_4_11971421&ie=UTF8&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Semi/Hollow Body Electric Guitars</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/musical-instruments/11971291?ie=UTF8&ref_=zg_tr_nav_MI_4_11971261&ie=UTF8&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Beginner Acoustic Guitar Kits</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/musical-instruments/11971261?ie=UTF8&ref_=zg_tr_nav_MI_3_11971251&ie=UTF8&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Acoustic Guitars</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/musical-instruments/486410011?ie=UTF8&ref_=zg_tr_nav_MI_3_11967641&ie=UTF8&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Electric Guitar Amps</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/musical-instruments/11968361?ie=UTF8&ref_=zg_tr_nav_MI_4_486411011&ie=UTF8&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Electric Guitar Effects</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/musical-instruments/486412011?ie=UTF8&ref_=zg_tr_nav_MI_3_11967641&ie=UTF8&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Guitar Cases</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/musical-instruments/486420011?ie=UTF8&ref_=zg_tr_nav_MI_3_11967641&ie=UTF8&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Guitar Strings</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/musical-instruments/486415011?ie=UTF8&ref_=zg_tr_unv_MI_4_11968681_1&ie=UTF8&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Guitar Picks</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/musical-instruments/11967641?ie=UTF8&ref_=zg_tr_nav_MI_2_11965871&ie=UTF8&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Guitar Accessories</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&ref_=nb_sb_ss_i_0_12&field-keywords=guitar%20instruction&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&sprefix=guitar%20instr&_encoding=UTF8&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Guitar Instruction</a></li> <br><br> <br> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=erzmu-20&o=1&p=42&l=ur1&category=holiday&f=ifr" width="234" height="60" scrolling="no" border="0" marginwidth="0" style="border:none;" frameborder="0"></iframe> <br /><br /> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=erzmu-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B001R2FZ8M" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=erzmu-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B000FPPZLE" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <br /><br /> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=erzmu-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B00365FIV2" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=erzmu-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B0035GW54A" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <br /><br /> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=erzmu-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B000KYOBH4" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=erzmu-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B000PFLKAY" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <br /><br /> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=erzmu-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B001L8NGTC" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=erzmu-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B001L8NFPW" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <br /><br /> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=erzmu-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B001DDHB9G" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=erzmu-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B002LLFAKG" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <br /> <br /> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=erzmu-20&o=1&p=42&l=ur1&category=sss&banner=1ND1R56GYX44AQW9ZG02&f=ifr" width="234" height="60" scrolling="no" border="0" marginwidth="0" style="border:none;" frameborder="0"></iframe> </center> </div> <div id="content"> <center> <image src="beginner-guitars-collage.jpg" border="0" alt = "Which Beginner Guitar Should I get for christmas or a birthday?" title = "Which Beginner Guitar should I get?"> </center> <h2>Help!! My child wants a guitar and I don't know anything about guitars. What should I buy?</h2> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; First of all.... <h3><i>Stay away from big box stores.</i></h3> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If a store specializes in Flat Screen TV's and Clothing, it was not meant to sell guitars. Stay away. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And Second.... <h3><i>Buy the best guitar you can afford.</i></h3> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A $100 guitar sounds like a relatively cheap investment to test the waters, but in the end you will get what you pay for. <h2>What about those Esteban guitars they sell on TV?</h2> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I know you may be tempted, but real guitars don't cost three easy payments of $39.99. <h2>How about the guitars at Target, Walmart or Toys R Us?</h2> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Some are ok but most are just toys made to look cool. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26redirect%3Dtrue%26ref_%3Dsr%5Fnr%5Fn%5F1%26bbn%3D11965861%26qid%3D1280515286%26rnid%3D11965861%26rh%3Dn%253A11091801%252Cp%5F4%253AFirst%2520Act%252Cn%253A%252111965861%252Cn%253A11971241&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">First Act</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> guitars aren't too bad, but for the same price you can get something from some of the best guitar companies in the world like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26redirect%3Dtrue%26ref_%3Dsr%5Fnr%5Fn%5F0%26keywords%3DFender%26bbn%3D11971241%26qid%3D1280515402%26rnid%3D11965861%26rh%3Dn%253A11091801%252Cn%253A%252111965861%252Cn%253A11971241%252Ck%253AFender%252Cn%253A11971381&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Fender</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26fsc%3D-1%26ih%3D4%5F1%5F1%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F1.109%5F74%26field-keywords%3DGibson%26url%3Dnode%253D11971381&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Gibson</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />. <h2>What kind of guitar should I get then?</h2> <h3><i>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; First off, Your first guitar should be an Electric Guitar</i></h3> <h2>Why an Electric Guitar? Won't an Acoustic be a better starter guitar?</h2> <h3> 1. Electrics are easier to learn on.</h3> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Electric and Acoustic guitars are essentially the same thing. They're played the same way, have the same number of strings, are tuned the same, etc. However acoustic guitar stings are thick, very tight and hurt your fingers when you play. Learning to play guitar on an acoustic is like learning to drive a car using an 18-wheeler. It s big, it's bulky and there's a good chance you may get hurt. Electric guitar strings are much thinner and easier to press down making them much easier to learn on. <h3> 2. Electrics are Quieter</h3> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Electric guitars require an amplifier to be loud. If you don't plug it in, it's basically silent. You can learn to play at your own pace, any time of day, without having to let the world hear you becoming a rock start. Plus if you have an amp or computer program that allows a headphone attachment, you can crank it up in your headphones and rock out all night long. <h3> 3. Electrics look cooler</h3> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Electric Guitars just look cool. If the guitar looks cool, you feel cool, you're more likely to stick with it. <h3> 4. You're going to end up buying an Electric anyway.</h3> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cheap guitars, especially cheap acoustic guitars, are just stepping stones to better instruments. So why waste the money buying two guitars when you can buy a good one from the beginning. <h3> 5. It takes up less room in the closet.</h3> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Electrics are tiny in comparison to bulky acoustic guitars. Plus... in the event that music isn't their calling, well.... it takes up less room in the closet. <h2>So which Electric guitar should I buy?</h2> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A $200 combo pack can be a good idea, but I would recommend something more in the $500 to $1000 range to start. I know it may seem like a lot, but the sound quality and craftsmanship is far superior, and in the end you get what you pay for. <br /> <br /> <center> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fss%5Fi%5F0%5F8%26fsc%3D11%26ih%3D9%5F0%5F1%5F2%5F1%5F0%5F0%5F1%5F0%5F1.62%5F118%26field-keywords%3Dfender%2520stratocaster%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dmi%26sprefix%3DFender%2520S&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957"><image src="500-dollar-Fender-Strat.jpg" border="1" alt="Fender Stratocaster" title="Fender Stratocaster"></a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26fsc%3D-1%26ih%3D11%5F2%5F1%5F1%5F1%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F2.63%5F51%26field-keywords%3DFender%2520Telecaster%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dmi&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957"><image src="500-dollar-Fender-tele.jpg" border="1"alt="Fender Telecaster" title="Fender Telecaster"></a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26fsc%3D-1%26ih%3D6%5F4%5F5%5F1%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F1%5F1.62%5F62%26field-keywords%3DEpiphone%2520Les%2520Paul%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dmi&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957"><image src="500-dollar-Epiphone-Les-Paul.jpg" border="1"alt="Epiphone Les Paul" title="Epiphone Les Paul"></a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26fsc%3D-1%26ih%3D8%5F6%5F6%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F1%5F0%5F1%5F1.78%5F51%26field-keywords%3DGibson%2520Les%2520Paul%2520Studio%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dmi&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957"><image src="500-dollar-Gibson-Les-Paul-Studio.jpg" border="1" alt="Gibson Les Paul Studio" title="Gibson Les Paul Studio"></a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> </center> <i><center>These are what I would get for a beginner</center></i> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; All of these are great Rock n Roll guitars, are in the $500 range and are great places to start for someone who is serious about learning to play guitar. As long as you stick with the major names like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26redirect%3Dtrue%26ref_%3Dsr%5Fnr%5Fn%5F0%26keywords%3DFender%26bbn%3D11971241%26qid%3D1280515402%26rnid%3D11965861%26rh%3Dn%253A11091801%252Cn%253A%252111965861%252Cn%253A11971241%252Ck%253AFender%252Cn%253A11971381&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Fender</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26fsc%3D-1%26ih%3D4%5F1%5F1%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F1.109%5F74%26field-keywords%3DGibson%26url%3Dnode%253D11971381&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Gibson</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26fsc%3D-1%26ih%3D4%5F2%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F1.78%5F68%26field-keywords%3DIbanez%26url%3Dnode%253D11971381&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Ibanez</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26fsc%3D-1%26ih%3D1%5F4%5F3%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F1%5F0%5F3%5F1.0%5F77%26field-keywords%3DJackson%26url%3Dnode%253D11971381&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Jackson</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D12%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26fsc%3D-1%26ih%3D3%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F1.141%5F1515%26y%3D24%26field-keywords%3DESP%26url%3Dnode%253D11971381&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">ESP</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26fsc%3D-1%26ih%3D5%5F1%5F0%5F1%5F0%5F0%5F1%5F0%5F0%5F1.79%5F91%26field-keywords%3Dschecter%26url%3Dnode%253D11971381&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Schecter</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />; you'll be in good shape. <br /><br /> Remember... <br /><center> <h3>Price matters and you will get what you pay for.</h3> </center> <h2>What about learning to play guitar? Should I get a teacher?</h2> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If they're serious, definitely look into getting a real guitar teacher. I'd probably start with some of those <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470481331?ie=UTF8&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470481331">Guitar For Dummies</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0470481331" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> books that come with an instructional CD or DVD. Also, a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NDESLQ?ie=UTF8&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000NDESLQ">subsciption to a Guitar Magazine</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000NDESLQ" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> is a great idea (especially if this is a gift). The Guitar Magazines these days come with instructional CD's or DVD's as well, and have easy to learn music to all the latest hits. Of course there's also Youtube, the single biggest game changer in Guitar teaching history. You can actually go on-line, type in "teach me to play guitar" and there will be someone on-line who made a video to teach you any song you've ever wanted to play. It's crazy new world out there. <h2>What if I'm not sure my kid will really play it?</h2> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Just get them a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26fsc%3D-1%26ih%3D1%5F5%5F1%5F0%5F1%5F0%5F0%5F1%5F0%5F1.78%5F43%26field-keywords%3DRock%2520Band%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Rock Band</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26redirect%3Dtrue%26ref_%3Da9%5Fsc%5F1%26keywords%3Dguitar%2520hero%26qid%3D1281638901%26rh%3Di%253Aaps%252Ck%253Aguitar%2520hero&tag=erzmu-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Guitar Hero</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=erzmu-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> for their video game system. Seriously, learning an instrument takes dedication. A basic guitar setup is a only a few hundred dollars, so it's not that big of an investment, but if they're not really serious don't waste your time or theirs. Get the video game and call it day. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That's about it. Hopefully I helped you out a bit. </div> <script src="http://static.freewebs.getclicky.com/38328384.js" type="text/javascript"></script><noscript><img alt="Clicky" src="http://in.freewebs.getclicky.com/38328384-fwdb2.gif" /></noscript> <div id="footer"> <p><center> <a href="index.html" title="Return to Erik Z music.com home">Home</a> | <a href="news.html" title="What's new with Erik Z Music">News</a> | <a href="threehalfyearsgone.html" title="Listen to Erik's Music">Listen to Erik's Music</a> | <a href="videos.html" title="Watch Videos of Erik Z">Videos</a> | <a href="history.html"title="History & Bio">History & Bio</a> | <a href="warmothstrat.html"title="Erik's Gear, Guitars and more">Gear & Guitars</a> | <a href="purchase.html"title="Purchase Erik's Music">Purchase MP3 Downloads</a> | <a href="store.html"title="Purchase T-Shirts and other swag">Store</a> | <a href="links.html"title="Links to other things">Links</a> | <a href="contact.html" title="Contact Erik Z Music">Contact</a> | <a href="privacypolicy.html" title="The Legal Stuff">Privacy Policy</a> </p></center> <p> <center><p>©2009-2012 Erik Zukauskas</p></center> </p> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-9350605-2"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}</script> </body> </html> tch(err) {}</script> </div id="container"> </body> </html>