Every kid, at some point in their life, want to be a rock star when they grow up. I know I did. So what is the best guitar size for a 7-year-old? I did some research and here is what I found.
So, what is the best guitar size for 7 year-olds? For a 7-year-old child beginning on a classical or acoustic guitar, an instrument 34 1/2 inches is the right choice. If you are shopping for an electric guitar, search for what
Finding the right guitar is important to help your child learn how to play right. However, all guitars are not created equal, and the pink guitar you find in the toy section at Wal-mart may not be the best choice if your 7-year-old is serious about learning to play.
How to Pick the Right-Sized Guitar For Your 7-Year-Old
For a novice, walking into a music store can be intimidating. The walls are usually lined with guitars of all different sizes and colors, and the dude with the nose ring and face tattoo at the counter is too scary looking to talk to. What in the world are you suppose to do?
Fear not! Picking the right sized guitar for your 7-year-old child isn’t as hard as it seems. The most important thing is that the guitar feels natural in your child’s arms and seems easy to play.
Here is a chart that can give you an idea of what sized guitar your 7-year-old may feel comfortable playing.
| Child’s Height | 4 ft (and below) | 4 ft 5 in | 4 ft 5 in (and up) |
| Guitar size (cms) | 99-114 cm | 117-135 cm | 137-150 cm |
It will be obvious if the guitar is too big for a 7-year-old child. If their fretting has to be at full extension to reach the top of the guitar’s fretboard, then the instrument is too big.
If the elbow on the strumming arm doesn’t bend close to a 90-degree angle while resting directly above the strings, then the guitar is
The perfect sized guitar should reach the middle of your 7-year-old child’s chest when resting on your child’s knee. Their fretting arm (typically the left are for right-handed folks) should be able to extend past the stock of the guitar a full hand’s length when the guitar is resting on the knee.
The strumming arm (typically the right arm) should have easy access to all six strings. If there is any struggle at all to reach the last few strings then the guitar is definitely too big.
Picking a guitar is like picking a new pair of shoes. In order to see if it feels right, you need to pick it up and “walk around” in it for a moment. I recommend going somewhere you can strum a few guitars to see what suits your needs before you buy.
You may order a guitar online only to find out that it’s too large when it reaches your home.
Different Types of Guitars
Now that your child has decided that she wants to rock, you will need to decide not only what size is right, but what style of guitar as well. There are three types of guitar, each played using similar techniques, but for distinct styles and genres of music.
The three types of guitar are classical, acoustic, and electric.
Wherever your child’s taste in music lies, will determine what type of guitar you will want to choose.
A Classical guitar is used in a lot of tradition and folk music. Think classical music and Flamenco. Classical guitars use nylon instead of steel strings giving them a mellow, rich tone and is traditionally played with a lot of finger picking.
The beautiful sound these guitars produce makes them very versatile. The nylon string makes them softer to play, perfect for a beginner.
Acoustic guitars are the bread and butter of blues and country. Acoustic guitars are generally larger than classical guitars giving them a deeper meatier tone, but in a small beginners model, it will more than likely be the same size as the classical guitar.
These are the most popular option for newbie guitar players and can be used to play just about every genre of music, from jazz to bluegrass, that is out there.
The Electric guitar has enchanted music lovers since it was first introduced in the early 1930s. When it is paired with an amp to give it a louder sound, an electric guitar’s tone can be changed to give it a variety of different sounds.
Anywhere from cool jazz to high voltage Metallic style metal can be played on one of these bad boys. My personal favorite, the only problem you will have with an electric guitar is trying to hear yourself think over the noise.
There is no “right” guitar to pick when you first start playing. It all depends on personal tastes and preferences.
Best Guitars for Children
Here are just a few great guitars that you should buy as your 7-year-old child’s first guitar.
Yamaha JR1
Yamaha always produces top of the line instruments, and their guitars are no exception. The JR1 is small enough to be handled by a child and has a smooth action for ease in playing. It has a beautiful rosewood fretboard that isn’t just for looks, but durability as well.
To top it all off, the JR1 comes with a starter kit that includes a guitar case, a strap, a tuner, picks, a play-along CD, and more. You won’t have to take a trip to the music store anytime soon if you go with the JR1.
Epiphone Les Paul Player Pack
The classic Les Paul sound and look now child-sized. I know it’s a cliche, but I love Les Paul guitars. This guitar has a sound so great that it’s addicting. You won’t want to put it down.
The Les Paul Player Pack also comes with a lot of other great tools that can be difficult to pick out for a first timer–things like a gig bag and an amp. It also comes with a free lesson download so you can learn how to rock right away.
Fender FA-15N
Fender has always made a great guitar, and their children’s classical guitar is no exception. This instrument has a surprisingly rich tone for being so small. The beautiful look of this guitar makes it not only impressive to listen to but to look at as well.
The FA-15N comes with a gig bag so you won’t have to worry too much lugging it around to different locations. If your 7-year-old child is looking to get started on a classical guitar, this is a great choice!
Those are just a few options out there. If at all possible, get a chance to play the model of guitar you want before you buy it.
New VS Used Guitars
There are a lot of great used guitars that you can buy out there. Used guitars are a great option because they usually come in good condition and can be somewhat easily repaired if they do have any damage.
The only problem with buying used is the lack of options. The perfect guitar, especially a child’s guitar, can be hard to find online.
In general, if you decide to buy used, I would avoid anything brightly colored or with a cartoon character on it. That usually mean it’s a toy and not a real guitar.
Make sure that if you buy used, you get a chance to play it before you commit to buy.
New guitars are a bit pricier, but you know exactly what you are getting when you buy.
You can find good deals however you decide to buy.
Related Questions
Should my child learn ukulele before they start guitar? A lot of great guitarists started out with ukulele before they learned guitar. Personally, I think that if you want to learn guitar you should play the guitar. If you want to learn ukulele, play the ukulele.
A lot of the technique does transfer well from ukulele to guitar, but you will learn faster if you dedicate yourself to one instrument at a time.
What instrument should my child learn? There are no easy instruments. Every instrument takes some amount of time to play well. Some of the most popular instruments that people begin with are flute, trumpet, and saxophone.
