The Benefits of Guitar and Music Lessons in Children

Written By Patrick Jordan

Music plays an essential role in child development, offering cognitive, emotional, and physical benefits. As children engage in music lessons, particularly with instruments like the guitar, they develop a wide range of skills that contribute to their overall growth and well-being.

Music has a profound impact on a child's cognitive, emotional, and physical abilities!

Cognitive Development

Learning music has a profound impact on a child's cognitive abilities. Studies have shown that music lessons enhance memory, attention, and spatial-temporal skills. Schellenberg (2004) found that children involved in music training demonstrate improved IQ levels and academic achievement. Music engages various areas of the brain, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills (Patel, 2008).

Guitar lessons, in particular, challenge children to develop both hands independently, which strengthens coordination and multitasking abilities. The process of reading musical notes and translating them into hand movements requires children to activate multiple cognitive functions simultaneously, improving focus and concentration.

Music also supports mathematical understanding. Playing guitar, which involves timing, rhythm, and finger patterns, helps children grasp mathematical concepts like fractions and patterns. According to Vaughn (2000), children exposed to music education generally score higher on standardized math tests.

Emotional Development

Music lessons offer children a chance to express themselves emotionally. Playing the guitar, for example, can provide an outlet for children to convey emotions they may struggle to articulate verbally. This emotional release can help children process feelings, leading to better emotional regulation and increased self-esteem (Hallam, 2010).

Guitar practice also fosters resilience, discipline, and patience, as mastering the instrument takes time and dedication. As children make progress in their guitar lessons, they experience a sense of accomplishment, which boosts their confidence and self-worth.

Language and Communication Skills

Learning music, particularly guitar, enhances language and communication skills. According to research by Moreno et al. (2009), musical training improves phonological awareness and auditory discrimination, which are essential for language development. These auditory skills translate to better reading abilities and heightened verbal memory.

Playing guitar requires careful listening to pitch, tone, and rhythm, which strengthens a child’s ability to discern subtle differences in sounds. This heightened auditory processing can improve a child’s ability to differentiate between speech sounds, aiding in language acquisition and communication.

Physical Coordination and Motor Skills

Guitar lessons are especially beneficial for improving fine motor skills. Playing the guitar requires precision in finger placement and coordination between both hands. Children develop dexterity, agility, and muscle memory as they learn to play different chords, scales, and melodies.

The act of strumming with one hand while forming chords with the other helps children improve hand-eye coordination and bilateral coordination. Over time, this fine motor control also transfers to other activities, such as writing, drawing, or using tools.

Conclusion

In summary, guitar lessons provide children with valuable cognitive, emotional, and physical benefits. From improving memory and math skills to enhancing emotional expression and motor coordination, learning the guitar plays a significant role in child development. Encouraging music education, specifically guitar instruction, can help children grow into well-rounded individuals with a strong foundation for future learning and personal growth.


References

Besson, M., Chobert, J., & Marie, C. (2011). Transfer of training between music and speech: Common processing, attention, and memory. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 94. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00094

Hallam, S. (2010). The power of music: Its impact on the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people. International Journal of Music Education, 28(3), 269-289. https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761410370658

Koelsch, S. (2013). Brain and music. John Wiley & Sons.

Moreno, S., Marques, C., Santos, A., Santos, M., Castro, S. L., & Besson, M. (2009). Musical training influences linguistic abilities in 8-year-old children: More evidence for brain plasticity. Cerebral Cortex, 19(3), 712-723. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhn120

Patel, A. D. (2008). Music, language, and the brain. Oxford University Press.

Schellenberg, E. G. (2004). Music lessons enhance IQ. Psychological Science, 15(8), 511-514. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2004.00711.x

Vaughn, K. (2000). Music and mathematics: Modest support for the oft-claimed relationship. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 34(3-4), 149-166. https://doi.org/10.2307/3333641

Patrick Jordan

Patrick is the lead guitar instructor and songwriting instructor at Rosendale’s 88 Keys Academy.

Originally from Lexington, South Carolina, Patrick has lived in several places including Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, California. Patrick now resides in Woodland, California with his family.

Patrick first began his journey with guitar when he was 10 years old, and has now been playing guitar and writing songs for 26 years. Patrick originally taught himself guitar. Patrick has performed his original music throughout the years for churches, audiences at Potbelly restaurants in Washington, DC, Sony Music talent agents, busking at the Santa Monica Pier, touring in the Los Angeles region, and throughout a musician residency with the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Patrick was also a Worship Pastor while living in Los Angeles.

Patrick began teaching music and guitar after graduating from Clemson University with a BA in Production Studies in Performing Arts. Patrick created his own guitar teaching business, was a music teacher for an alternative school, and taught music, guitar, acting, and film production at a performing arts center in Lexington, South Carolina. Patrick is also a School Outreach Educator for the Woodland Opera House and teaches Musical Theatre.

Patrick teaches guitar and songwriting for all levels, starting at age 7, exclusively at Rosendale’s 88 Keys Academy in Woodland, California. Patrick teaches lessons on Tuesday, and Thursday, as well as Music Circle on Friday evenings.

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