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by Sanjay Johari

A guitar should be purchased with due care to avoid any problems with it in future. Identifying a good instrument is an important guitar lesson.

Should you purchase a new or an old instrument? You should consider purchasing an old instrument only if you trust the source. The sound quality of musical instruments generally improves with playing, which is a plus point for an old instrument. You can also get it at a lower cost unless it is an antique piece or some other value is attached to it. But there may be mechanical damage in the guitar which is not easily detectable. You have to really use your judgment. When in doubt, go for a new one. You can get a warranty for a period in a new guitar, but you will not have this comfort in old instrument.

New guitars may be mass-produced or custom made. The mass-produced instruments will be less expensive. Custom made guitars come in wide price range depending upon the material, skill and effort put into their construction. You can use one rule of thumb in deciding which one to buy - if you can discern the superiority of sound quality in a custom made guitar then you can consider purchasing it. Otherwise purchase a mass produced one. You can purchase custom made guitar later when your ears are better trained.

Before purchasing you should see all its parts critically. I am giving here my views on what you could look for in a new piece.

It is always good to prepare a checklist for purchasing anything which is somewhat costly. Based on the considerations given below you can prepare a checklist of your own which will help you to remember all the points you have to verify.

Overall Appearance - Guitars come in different colors, designs, sizes. You can select a piece to your liking. Inspect thoroughly to satisfy yourself that there are no visible defects.

Body - This is the hour-glass shaped part with sound hole in the front. It is where strumming is done. It is hollow from inside and provides resonance when strings are played. The resonance enhances the sound volume and makes it "rounded". The body is designed to provide resonance over entire range of notes played on the guitar. You should check the sound quality with each string played at different notes.

Neck - This is the long piece attached to the body over which your finger moves to play chords. On the other end on the neck there is the head in which tuning posts and tuning heads are fixed. Neck should be examined carefully for any warping or twisting.

Fret Board - This is the piece glued over the neck on which strings are pressed to play chords or individual notes. The distance between fret board and strings is critical. If the strings are too close you do not get "clean" notes. On the other hand if the strings are too far away you have to press harder to play the notes causing greater strain to your fingers. Also, the string gets stretched while playing. Ideally, pressing the strings over the fret board should not stretch it. But if the strings are too far above the fret board, they get sufficiently stretched while being pressed to change the original tuning of the string.

Strings - You can have a choice of strings made of different material. They come in two broad categories - metallic and nylon strings. Nylon strings are easier on the finger tips. There are also "heavy" and "light" strings which vary in cross section. All these strings have different sound quality and "feel" while playing them. You can take your pick.

The position of strings on the guitar is also an important criterion. Finger sizes vary widely in individuals. Your fingers should comfortably reach and press the last string. The distance between the strings, and the width of the fret board should match with the size of your fingers.

Tuning Heads and Posts - For each string there is one set of tuning post and head. They stretch the string for tuning it when you turn the tuning head and keep the string in that stretched position for playing it. You should ensure that the movement of the tuning heads should is smooth, and the tuning posts retain the stretched string. The string should not become loose while playing.

After you have considered all these points you should play the instrument, or get the salesperson to play it. See how it sounds, how it feels. You should be satisfied with its overall performance before you decide to buy it. When you buy a good guitar which is to your liking you will be motivated to take you guitar lessons more seriously.

by William McRea

You understand that learning a musical instrument has a lot of benefits for your children. It helps them learn about music, helps them function in a group setting, enhances their self esteem, and also develops their creativity. In fact, they have even expressed a desire to learn an instrument. The problem is, you worry that they wont stick with it and you will have wasted time and money.

Well, one of the biggest reasons kids do not stick with an instrument is because they do not consider it exciting or cool enough. Yes, you may have purchased a shiny new trumpet for them, but if they are a fan of rock music, this instrument wont seem exciting for them. In fact, you will probably battle with them constantly to get them to practice until you both eventually quite.

Want to avoid this scenario? Then why not choose musical instruments your kids will stick with? Here is some advice that will help you make a wise choice. These are all instruments your child will stick with because they are not considering geeky or uncool.

Acoustic or Electric Guitar

Your child has a choice between the acoustic and electric guitar and both appeal to a variety of musical genres. For example, if your child loves to sing and play at the same time, an acoustic is a good choice. If they love rock music, an electric guitar is a good choice.

Consider what kind of music they like and it will give you a clue as to which to buy for them. Keep in mind that if they are serious about learning the guitar, they will probably want both an acoustic and an electric eventually. They will stick with this because they can play music that appeals to their personal taste.

Bass

The bass is also another good instrument to choose from because it is also considered "cool". All the popular bands have a bassist, and if your child has aspirations to be in a band with some friends, this may be a good choice. Basically any type of band be it a jazz band or heavy metal group needs a bass player.

Drums

Drums are also another instrument that kids stick with. Drummers stand out. They are responsible for keeping the beat and if they are off beat, the entire band will sound terrible. They are depended on. To a parent, it may seem as if the only thing the drums are good for is generating a lot of noise. But, they actually hold all the benefits of learning any music instrument. This is a good choice for someone who has a sense of rhythm.

Twice a year, I take my daughters to the symphony in Portland, Maine. We live in rural Maine, so a trip to Portland takes a good part of the day, but it is always a treat. Thankfully, the Portland Symphony Orchestra gives a special school day educational presentation twice each year: once in the spring and once in the fall. On those days, school children from all over the southern part of state of Maine are brought in on school buses to the beautiful Merrill Auditorium in downtown Portland. Each time there is a special theme which teaches children something new about music, musical instruments, and other related subjects. One spring, the theme was modern composers of the musical scores in popular movies. We were treated to the symphony playing the themes from Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Jaws, and Titanic, just to name a few. Another time, the theme was jazz music, complete with dancers and clap-alongs with the audience. One of our favorites was when the symphony devoted the entire morning to the music of Beethoven, and the beloved story, Beethoven Lives Upstairs was read aloud by two actors who acted out the story as they went. It is safe to say that each time we visit the symphony during one of these special performances, we are never disappointed.

Today, we went to the symphony once again. As always, the Portland Symphony Orchestra first sent us, as homeschoolers, a compact disc with all the music we would be hearing that day, as well as a set of paperwork detailing the music, the composers, the theme, and of course, the instruments. The packet was sent to us several weeks in advance, so we had plenty of time to become familiar with the music and understand what we were going to hear. The conductor we had seen and grown to love over the past several years had recently moved on to a different job, so we were curious about the new conductor. But we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived, as we always are.

There was a guest conductor at the symphony on this day, and he was wonderful with the school children in the crowd. He began by explaining that the symphony has four parts to it: the composer, the conductor, the musicians, and the audience. He then went on to illustrate each of these details as the forty-five minute presentation proceeded. After delighting us with the Marriage of Figaro K. 492, be Mozart, the conductor brought out a composer of classical music and had him explain to the children how he became a composer, and what it means to him. We were treated to one of his modern classical songs which was quite different from the Mozart we had just heard. Then, we heard Dvorak's symphony number 9 in E Minor, and the conductor explained that it is his responsibility to decide how fast, slow, loud or soft as song will be played. He then talked about the musicians and what they like to play; he went on to have them play Ravel's Mother Goose Suite: The Enchanted Garden, which is a favorite of the musicians. We were treated to a violin solo for Wieniawski's Polonaise brillante number 1, op 4 D major. Lastly, he spoke about the audience and their participation. At this point, the orchestra played a rousing rendition of Offenbach's Overture to Orpheus in the Underworld, to which we all clapped along on designated parts.

The morning was wrapped up with an all time favorite: Rossini's William Tell Overture. Looking across the expanse of Morrill Auditorium, one could see school children delighting in the music, bouncing up and down, and loving every minute of it. The children were encouraged to feel the music, participate with the clapping, and respond to the conductor and to the music. They learned that popular music they hear on the radio is not the only music that can make them smile and make them move. The Portland Symphony Orchestra's children's program today was a wonderfully educational experience, but pleasurable as well; which is as music should be. And the best part is that we can go home and continue listening to the compact disc, remembering our day, appreciating the music, and looking forward to the next time we get to go to the symphony.