Teaching Juniors - A Little Help for Parents

Learning guitar is an exciting journey, and as your child has takes their first steps, I want you to know something: You don’t need to be a musician to make a huge difference in their learning!

I see first-hand how students thrive when they have the right support at home—whether that’s encouragement, a little practise structure, or simply showing interest in their progress. During the lessons I do my utmost to encourage and inspire children to have fun learning guitar - but without your help at home, my efforts aren’t always enough.  

But here’s something better: If you’d like, you can learn guitar alongside your child! I have extra guitars in the studio, and I’d love for you to join in during lessons. Even just picking up the basics and learning to read music on guitar can have a big impact on your child’s motivation and confidence.

It’s important to me that every child I teach has the same opportunity to learn to love making and sharing music. So I do hope this guide will help you better understand how you can support your child's weekly guitar lessons as they evolve and progress—not as their teacher, but as their biggest cheerleader. Music is something we share, and with your involvement, your child will not only learn to play better, but also develop a lifelong love for it.

Why Your Involvement Matters

Unlike school subjects that are reinforced daily, a weekly guitar lesson alone isn’t enough—regular engagement at home is key. Children learn best when they can practice and discuss what they’re learning regularly. Without daily reinforcement, new skills can fade quickly. Your encouragement and active involvement can make all the difference in helping your child develop a love for music and a habit of regular practice.

Your Role is Powerful

Your support can be the difference between your child thriving in their guitar journey or losing interest. By showing enthusiasm, getting involved, and making music a shared experience, you’ll be helping them build skills, confidence, and a lifelong love of making music on guitar or any other instrument.

How You Can Support Your Child’s Musical Learning

Talk About Their Lessons – After each lesson, I’d love for you to ask your child what they learned, what they enjoyed, and what they found tricky. Even a simple “What was the best part of your lesson today?” can go a long way. Showing interest in their progress helps them stay excited and motivated. And of course, any feedback you think might help me do a better job in the 1-2-1 lesson, please do pass on to me.

Encourage Songs They Already Know

 Kids learn best when they’re playing songs they recognize. If your child hears a song from a TV programme, game, toy, film, or the internet and wants to learn it, that’s fantastic! I’m always happy to help them play music they love—it makes learning faster and much more fun.

Listen to Music Together

The more your child hears and engages with music, the more naturally things like rhythm and melody will come to them. Play music in the car, sing along, or even just tap your foot to the beat together. These little moments help build their musical instincts.

Learn Alongside Your Child

If you’d like, I’d be more than happy to teach you alongside your child during lessons. I have extra guitars in the studio, and learning together can be a great way to keep them motivated and make practice feel like a shared experience rather than a chore. Plus, it’s a fun way to bond!

Create a Practise Routine

Consistency is key! Even just 5 or 10 minutes of practice each day is far more effective than cramming right before a lesson. If you can, help your child find a regular practice time that fits into their daily routine—it makes a big difference. And remember, for young children, practise time is fun time, so it's not about what they achieve, so much as whether their practise time is happy.

Provide Encouragement, Not Pressure

Learning guitar should be a positive experience. I teach all my students to embrace their mistakes as part of the learning process—not as something to be feared or immediately "fixed," but as a way to improve and refine their playing. Mistakes help them understand what needs more attention and bring them closer to their goal for each piece. At home, you can reinforce this message by celebrating their progress and effort rather than focusing on perfection. A little encouragement goes a long way in building their confidence and keeping them excited to play.

Stay in Touch with Me

And remember, I’m always happy to chat! Whether it’s about practice strategies, song choices, or just how things are going, staying connected helps me support both you and your child in the best way possible.  Thanks for all your support! See you soon,