Teaching Young Children, Pt. IV – Parts of the Guitar

Although I had written about the parts of the guitar in a previous blog post it is worth mentioning again – especially when teaching young children. When working with younger children it is best to use the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, stupid). Children do not need to know all the nuances of the guitar such as the binding or upper and lower bout, but rather the “bigger picture” parts they will be using or interacting with. Here is a list of the parts of the instrument that I cover with students and all are listed with on this diagram:

· Head 

· Neck 

· Body 

· Tuners 

· Nut 

· Frets 

· Fret Dots 

· Sound Hole 

· Bridge 

· Saddle 

The parts of the guitar are important to know for young students to know and should not be overlooked as it gives them a sense of ownership over the instrument. Moreover, you should review the parts of the guitar with your students each week for the first few lessons as well as ask parents to review them with their child at home.