5-Year-Old Daughter Wants a Guitar — What Should I Do?

I fear she might develop tinnitus later in life. So I don't know if it's good to buy a little guitar for her. If she really likes to play, then she will like concerts. Sometimes I think that when she grows up there will be a cure or treatments (10 or 15 years from now), but I am not sure.

Any opinions?

 

Get her the guitar. Get some earplugs. Lay down the rules. Always tell daddy before playing. Do you play? Can you teach her?

 

My dad bought me a guitar when I was young. He was also in bands and he also had tinnitus.

He warned me about protecting my ears, not to listen to music through in-ear headphones too loudly and to be wary of loud noise. This didn’t stop me going to nightclubs and the concert which eventually gave me T. Still, I don’t blame him. He tried. I guess I didn’t understand the true horror of T until I got it. I cherish the guitar though that I still have and I occasionally play it (with protection in).

I’d say buy the guitar and teach her about noise damage etc and, as @JohnAdams said, request that she forewarns you before practicing. Learning an instrument is a valuable skill and I’m personally thankful to have it

 

I am a hobbie player, John, but I can teach her the first steps.

 

I'd say yes. Research has shown that playing musical instruments at a young age stimulates the growth of brain circuits which will quite literally help her grow up to be smarter

& I agree with John; lay down the rules to keep her "safe" from hearing damage, use earplugs, limit her playing time, etc. I think that if she'll end up attending music events frequently later in life, it is crucial to warn her about T and H then & there (when she'll actually understand).

Perhaps T & H will be history by then, like you said.

 

I was thinking of buying a classic or acoustic guitar instead of an electric one.

 

Get a used one. Don't spend more than $150.

Also, get a stand, a bag, a string winder and an electric tuner.

 

Most of my friends growing up (and lots even now ) loved going to concerts and only a small fraction played instruments. I wouldn't withhold a guitar from a daughter or son based on the conception that an instrument will add to that risk.

Music has so many social, physical, psychological, intellectual and even spiritual benefits, Don, and I'd wager that's magnified if you can learn how to play an instrument or sing. Absolutely be mindful of teaching her about hearing safety and as others have said, be on guard about your own ears if you find guitar particularly aggravates your tinnitus.

 

Thanks for your opinions. Maybe Santa Clauss buys a little guitar.

 

Be grateful she doesn't want to be a drummer

 

I woke up to Metallica from the bedroom room next door all my life. It wasn't me that got the tinnitus 20 years ago. Good earplugs for the daughter yes then everything should be fine

 

I have been playing bass for 35 years, and I didn’t like attending rock concerts unless it was YES, or Rush... bands with good players. So.. just because someone plays, it doesn’t mean they will be a concert fiend, and they can always use protection out concerts with education (and MRIs for later in life!)

Acoustic or electric guitar? A little acoustic guitar won’t hurt anyone’s ears. Stay away from the silly drummers though. If she stays interested and wants to join a band in 10 years, invest in the technology to protect her ears.

 

I would say yes. Get her an acoustic one. Maybe after a few lessons she won't continue anyway.

And yes, tell her the rules and stuff but please not in preacher style..

 

Teach her to protect her ears. Problem solved.

 

I would help her in the way you would do it if you could start over - if you didn't have tinnitus.

I would get an acoustic guitar and musicians' ear plugs (custom plugs, right?). I would try to encourage acoustic folk music and dissuade going to concerts. Explain how bad tinnitus is if you get it.

 

Definitely an acoustic one, and start with nylon strings that are easier to play, and quieter.

 

I saw Rush 11 times. I think it was the 8th concert that gave me low frequency tinnitus. I didn't get the other tones till after the 11th one, plus a few other concerts.

However I still say these concerts are safe for most people. After all, most people who attend don't get tinnitus do they? I know people who have seen bands like Rush over 100 times and their ears are fine. It may even have been excessive headphone usage that prepared the way for my downfall in the end.

As long as you educate her about hearing protection, amplification if or when the time comes, etc. and she doesn't show any signs of an ETD or TMJ then let her follow her musical passions.

 

Classical guitar sounds like a good idea - I always thought the violin must be a bad instrument to play when you consider that you have to hold it so close to your ear to play it.

 

If it was my daughter asking, I'd get her the guitar that she likes (if she likes electric, then be it).

Noise education is orthogonal to playing music: you'd want to educate her on the dangers of loud noise whether or not she was a musician herself.

 

Get her the guitar Don, playing music is great, not all people will get T and it doesn't necessarily come from noise either, many other factors are at play here. I'm a pro musician, most of my friends have been to concerts and/or played gigs for most of their life but only a few have mild T, and from what I hear I seem to be the only one who has very bad T and I know almost for sure that mine are more related to stress.

 

Yes. But I fear the hereditary factor :S

Anyway -being optimistic- I think there will be no problem with some nylon strings.

 

Indeed, hereditary can be possible, sincerely hard to be sure, each time I got mine after intense stress periods as did my recent new tones, so there must be a link.

And you're right on nylon stringed guitars are safer then electric guitars

 

@Don Tinny

I understand your concerns but I don't think you have anything to worry about regarding your daughter wanting to play a guitar. The truth of the matter is this: In todays climate the most common cause of Noise induced tinnitus, is listening to music through headphones at too high a volume and for long durations without giving the ears sufficient rest. The other cause is visiting places where loud music is played: clubs and concerts.

By all means advise your daughter of the dangers of loud noise and tinnitus when you feel it's necessary. There will probably be a time when she'll want to use headphones. Therefore, it would be prudent to tell her of the risks of listening to music at too high a volume and for long durations. I don't think it is necessary for her to start wearing earplugs if you decide to buy her a guitar - this I feel is over the top.

Michael

 

100%, buy her the guitar. I teach guitar professionally for a living and 3/4 size nylon string guitars are not loud at all. In fact, I see no risk in my steel string acoustic either which I’ve never stopped playing since my tinnitus became severely intrusive. That’s my escape and I can easily got lost in a song.

Do not associate a nylon string guitar with an amplified live performance. They are not in the same realm.