Elaiza Is Learning the Guitar

Our home is a place where stories get written and music gets composed. And lately, someone has been practising as well: our daughter Elaiza is learning the guitar.

Music school — but at her own school

The lessons are arranged through the music school, but they take place right at Elaiza’s own school — where she is anyway. For us, that is a real stroke of luck: no extra journey, no back and forth.

A guitar her size

To start with, we chose a classical guitar: the Yamaha CS40II, a 3/4-size student model in a natural finish. It is smaller than a full-size guitar, and the nylon strings are gentle on fingers that are only just starting out.

To go with it, we also got a black padded gig bag from Faswin — with two shoulder straps, so Elaiza can carry it like a backpack, and a front pocket for sheet music.

The first notes

For now it’s first fingerings and single notes, slowly turning into chords. But ever since the guitar arrived, our home sounds a little different.

My books already have soundtracks of their own, such as the one for «LeoZeit: Schatten». Maybe one day Elaiza will play songs of her own. And maybe then I will be the one writing the story to go with them.

Dreaming of the big stage

And because dreaming is allowed, there is already a rock-star Elaiza: leather jacket, spotlights, a sea of lights. This picture was made with AI — for now, reality is the garden and the first chords. But everyone starts small.