Six-string Summer Fun: Guitar Unit Study for Homeschool

Summer is the perfect time to introduce a special activity or try something new in your homeschool. The relaxed atmosphere of summer homeschool gives you an opportunity to learn something new and fun, with less pressure than a more structured course. Why not pick up a musical instrument and play around with it for the summer? The guitar is a great family instrument! It’s wonderfully portable, requires little space, and can easily be shared by several siblings. Check out this Homeschool Living for some fun history facts about this popular instrument, science experiments exploring the sound of stringed instruments, tips for learning and teaching music, and more.

Summer Homeschool Sounds

While stringed instruments have been around for thousands of years, the guitar as we know it today really began its development in Spain in the late 1700s. Over the course of a few centuries, it developed into a well-loved instrument that has become almost synonymous with several different genres of music, including country, blues, and rock and roll.

This fascinating walk through the construction of a guitar shows just how much care and intricacy goes into the making. The article is also a great overview of a step-by-step process, so it makes a good resource for students learning logic and language arts.

It’s no secret that the strings are the integral sound-producing component of a guitar, but how important is the rest of the design? Learn how a guitar works and try your hand at a simple experiment to learn just how beautifully balanced the various parts of a guitar are and how they work together to create beautiful music.

Influential musicians are the ones whose style, skill, and passion left a legacy for future generations of musicians and music-lovers alike. Check out this list of 12 of the most influential guitarists in history, and learn about the signature styles that helped make them legends.

Looking for more ways to bring music into your summer homeschool? Check out this Homeschool Living post, “Making Music in Your Homeschool.”