My Suzuki students exclusively use nylon-stringed classical guitars, as the Suzuki method is a classical guitar method.
Classical Guitarists hold their guitar in a way that maximizes stability. This posture is necessary due to the advanced nature of classical guitar technique. This posture is different from how one holds a steel string and other non-classical guitars; the guitars are constructed with this in mind:
- The fretboard board on a steel-string guitar extends further away from the body; thus, the left hand has to stretch the left arm much further when playing notes on a steel-string, drastically increasing tension in the trapezius muscle. Additionally, this stretch puts the fingers of the left hand at a disadvantageous angle, requiring excess muscle tension in the hand to compensate.
- The lower section of non-classical guitars is typically much wider. This width further compromises the classical posture, forcing the legs to spread uncomfortably wide; due to this, the guitar is much more prone to slipping out of the student’s lap. Slipping causes the child to need to cling onto the guitar, minimizing the freedom of movement of their hands and increasing tension.
- The extra width can also cause tension in the right trapezius muscle, as the shoulder may need to be raised to get “up and over” the guitar.
- Nylon strings sound very different than steel strings; playing the Suzuki repertoire on a steel-stringed instrument won’t sound good.
- Nylon strings have a larger diameter and much lower tension than steel strings, and thus, nylon string guitars are easier and less painful for children to play. There is no need to develop a callous with nylon stings, which avoids the “you need to play until it stops hurting” period needed with steel strings.
Since many problems with a steel-stringed guitar are dimensional, putting nylon strings on a steel-stringed guitar will not solve the problem. Additionally, the lower tension of nylon strings will create structural issues in a guitar built for steel strings (and visa versa).
Additionally, most entry-level guitars steel-string guitars are low quality and need better quality control; creating a beautiful sound on these guitars can be impossible even for a professional guitarist, much less a child beginner. While an experienced guitarist will notice all the details (high action, high string tension, etc), even a layperson can hear how quickly they go out of tune.
Loog guitars, while popular and affordable, will not work in this program due to differences in dimension, tone, and, most importantly, number of strings. Functionally, Loog guitars are designed to simplify chord learning for kids. As the Suzuki method is fingerstyle-based and not a chord-based guitar method, the Loog guitar provides no advantages and numerous disadvantages in my program.
Once students are ready to branch out into other styles, they can use a different guitar style to play their non-Suzuki repertoire.
Some exceptions are made for very young (typically, 3-4 yr old) students for whom finding an appropriately sized guitar would be difficult; in this instance, we begin on a ukulele.
