help teach a 6yr old!

Hey Rattles and welcome to Chordie!

Don't know about teaching sites for kids. Try finding songs she likes and breaking them down into easy playing (i.e. many people are taught their first G chord as 1st string 3rd fret, and only strumming the top 4 strings. Likewise, C could be played with 2nd string 1st fret and only strumming top 3 strings, etc).

If no-one comes back with your ideal answer, this method might be worth considering.

Best of luck with it to you and your daughter!

I got a beginner book for my daughter when she was about that age.  She never took to it, but I retain the book just in case.  It looks like a pretty good method to me.  The title is Progressive Guitar Method for Young Users.  It comes with a CD.  Once your child gets the easy chords, I'd suggest adding some songs where you sing and she strums a steady rhythm.  I'd suggest using a metronome when you get to this stage because once you get a steady beat in their spirit, it's there for life. 

Good on you for giving it a go. 

Above all, be patient.  I've been trying to teach my daughter the easy chords for years, but she just won't listen to me.  Her friends enjoy a quick lesson now and then.  My daughter tries to solo without knowing any chords or any scales or any theory.  That makes it tough on her.  Eventually maybe she'll humble herself enough to admit what she doesn't know and let me teach her something. 

- Zurf

I show my 13 yr old son how to play chords by using a chord chart. If i could just get him to be patient through the break in period he could learn. He wants to give up after just a few minutes of practice. I finally just told him to study the chord charts and how to use it on his spare time. He was just given a 1950 something model Silvertone from his granddad and he really wants to play it the way i do but he just don't understand that he has to learn the basics first. I guess you really have to love the guitar to take time to learn and accept the fact that learning to play it won't be easy.

I got my son an electric guitar last year for crimbo. It kept him occupied for about 3 days on and off. It is now back in its box. He was interested but I think they think they can just pick it up and do it.

I would say Zurf's advice is good, hold on to it. I am keeping this guitar for when my son says " I want to learn"

Even when kids seem to be really interested they lose it very quickly when they have to actually learn something.
My daughter is a different story, she is learning the violin and the flute and can play a wee bit on the keyboard and she is only 9

Ken

I taught my daughter from the age of 6.

to start with some simple songs (theres loads on Chordie) and have them playing the root note of the chord. so just play the A note instead of an A chord etc. this will help them get the feel for the guitar.

you can teach them how to hold the guitar,  tempo, the names of the fingers, the names of the strings, the musical alphabet and the idea of moving up and down the frets. after they've done the low notes have them play the same notes an octave higher so they learn some higher notes and the names of those strings. thats not lesson one thats some months work. it all takes time.

then some easy songs in the key of A (the chords A D and E). you can transpose some songs to A if you run out of songs

I taught my daughter from 6 to 8 using "abracadabra guitar" which is a book published by A&C Black and later used a video called Kids Guitar from Homespun video. both focus on traditonal songs/nursery ryhmes and introduce chords.

J

Thanks all for your replies.
I started with teaching her and her older sister (9) a simple song at the weekend. Michael Finnigin (the wind blew his whiskers innigin!!) it only has 2 chords and we used the simple G. This has done the trick so far as they have both praacticed a few times.

I will see if I can get hold of the abracadabra book here in Australia.
I will also look at the web site.

Just for the record, it's not so much that I want to teach her it is more she wants to learn. Since I got my guitar for uni last year there has barely been a week go by that it does not sustain another ding! This is because she keeps trying to play it and doesn't seem to realise how big it is  in relation to her little body.
Also I think it is hard to teach these kind of things to your own kids because they don't want to listen to you.

Ayway we will keep trying as long as she is interested.

The guitar we have is a nyon striing and actually has a better tone than mine! I think this is because it is about 15 years old and a reasonable quality.  I think Santa may bring her her own if she keeps it up.

Thanks again