Kids Guitar Zone

ArtAll Grades

About This Curriculum

Free online guitar lessons for kids presented by Australian guitarist Andrew Keppie, featuring 10 structured video lessons that progress from basic guitar fundamentals to playing popular songs.

What makes it unique: Completely free, kid-friendly video guitar lessons with instant gratification through recognizable songs

Kids Guitar Zone: Free Online Guitar Instruction with Structured Progression

Kids Guitar Zone is a free online guitar curriculum featuring 10 video lessons by Australian guitarist Andrew Keppie. The program systematically progresses from basic guitar fundamentals to playing popular songs using tablature and chord instruction.

Best for

Elementary and middle school students learning guitar independently or families seeking free, structured guitar instruction without formal teacher support

Evaluation Criteria

2 strengths · 1 concern · 3 neutral

Direct InstructionStrength

The curriculum relies entirely on video demonstrations with clear, step-by-step instruction. Multiple reviewers found the lessons easy to follow and effective for skill development.

Reviewers describe videos as 'easy to follow' with one noting she learned guitar basics in under an hour and felt proud when successfully playing songs

Technique InstructionStrength

The curriculum provides explicit instruction in guitar techniques through video demonstrations. Keppie systematically teaches posture, strings, frets, single-string playing, and chord progressions.

Reviews note that Keppie begins with basics on strings, frets, and posture, then teaches simple tunes, gradually introducing more complex techniques and chords

Art History KnowledgeConcern

The curriculum focuses on practical guitar skills rather than music history or cultural context. While it uses popular songs, there is no evidence of teaching music history or artist backgrounds.

Reviews mention songs like 'La Bamba,' 'Yellow Submarine,' and 'Shake It Off' but do not describe any historical or cultural instruction about these pieces

Teacher TrainingNeutral

As a direct-to-student video curriculum, it requires minimal teacher support but provides no formal teacher training materials. Parents may need to preview content for appropriateness.

The curriculum includes downloadable PDFs and the creator notes that content is approved by a qualified teacher, but Cathy Duffy suggests parents preview lessons 8-10 for content concerns

Structured Vs OpenNeutral

The curriculum is highly structured with logical progression from simple to complex skills. However, it appears to offer limited opportunities for creative exploration beyond learning prescribed songs.

Reviews praise the 'logical and sensible progression' and systematic approach from single-string playing to chords, but mention only learning specific predetermined songs

Vocabulary BuildingNeutral

The curriculum teaches basic guitar vocabulary through practical application. Students learn about strings, frets, chords, and tablature notation.

Reviews mention that Keppie teaches strings, frets, chord identification by letters, and uses tablature notation which reviewers found intuitive

Sources: cathyduffyreviews.com, dynamicmusicteaching.com