Guitar Teachers Thread

i currently hand write everything. i do have some copies of some jazz tunes if the students are interested. do you think Finale is the way to go if i start working on a book? i don't have any experience with notation software.

 

Hey you guys look familiar

Pencil and paper, clipboard
old school.

both tab and staff.
I think tab gets a bum rap.
It's a great tool.

I would love to have the internet in my teaching room.

Like any good teacher, I prepare for the day with copies
books guitars cds whatever.

I use the Tascam slower downer/ looper
And a Boss looper.
Looping is essential to my quick paced teaching style.

 

I use Guitar Pro - I think it rocks. Both notation and tab and I can enter notes and chords on a virtual fretboard.

Question - do you require your students to learn to read notation? I don't myself, I use tabs and chord charts instead.

 

I require my students to buy a notebook of music paper. I write all notes and assignments in it. For the ones interested in learning to read I recommend a book to them.

 

Reading rhythm at least is essential. Learning to do the "math" to add up all the intervals to match the time signature is just basic arithmetic and there is no reason everyone can't do that. It also provides teh framework for counting teh rhythm.
It can make all teh difference in the feel of a song.
As a doctor, I spent 6 yrs and then some learning the language of medicine, so I could communicate wiht other doctors and them wiht me.
Ignoring the language of music means you can't really communicate effectively wiht your student.
eg play the 8th, then the 16th , not the 16th first etc

 

I basically have my students buy a tab book and then I write exercises in it along with words of wisdom and what not. My first lesson with any student is talking about what THEY want from the lessons. I then re-visit that idea from time to time. Some students seem to just want to come in and chit chat about stuff. I have a 15 year-old girl that just wants me to tab out songs for her to play. I make her play them at least a couple times but she's pretty shy. Her parents also divorced recently so sometimes we talk about that. I have another student that wants to go to music school but just doesn't seem to want to do the things I tell him. It's always one excuse after another about why he couldn't learn this or that. I'm always searching for better methods of teaching so this is a cool thread. I like Joe Satriani's quote that goes something like, "If a student comes in wanting to play Slayer songs, don't show them Joe Pass methods." Teaching guitar I think is actually one of the harder instruments to teach because it's a melodic but also a rhythmic instrument as well. Piano has books and excercises and almost all other instruments have single note studies to work on but guitar has soooooo many possibilities and styles.

I actually like the Sheets of Sound books for technical stuff as Jack really has some neat ideas to fool around with in there. I think it's all about getting students to release the music from within them. I make them write songs and then talk about why things sound the way they do and offer tips using other songs to provide options.

Chris

 

Hi guys. I tuaght guitar years ago at my old shop. These days I am a teacher of students with special needs at a public school. Last year I started a pilot Music program. THis year, with much needed donations I kicked it off full force. I teacher everything from history, to very basic theory. I also included daily guitar lessons, with guitar being the primary instrument, basically becuase that's about all we have! We do have one keyboard and I'd love to snag an electronic drum kit, but we'll see. We are so underfunded, they typically have maybe 1 regular textbook per every 3-5 students, sad really.
A few of my students have REALLY taken to the guitar and have come out of their shells. All is going better than expected as semester winds donw.
Just wanted to pop in, say hello, and shed a different aspect to your discussion.
Rock on!

 

Special needs kids really seem to dig music huh?!

My son who is ADD/ADHD is unbelievable at the guitar and I think most kids like him would excel at music as they have that "hyper-focus".

Chris

 

Wow, this is a cool thread. I'm contemplating going back to take lessons again after a many year hiatus of practicing, gigging and playing. I've jumped in and it's hit me pretty hard again. So much so that I'm dropping at lot of coin on guitars, materials, etc... and I'm literally walking around the house feeding the kids dinner with a guitar strapped on :AOK
I always think the guys at the local music shop might not have what I'm looking for as far as instruction is concerned but I guess I should give them a shot... they are small but they sell nice gear and are really cool. The only downside is that they do lessons in semesters ($250 a semester). It's actually easier for me to do $25/week than $250... don't ask.
Mark, I have been poking around your site, really cool.

 

Pen and 4 types of paper: Tab, Notation, chord grids and Bass tab
I usually write my own tabs even though students have found tabs of their fave songs on whatever tab-site. They seem (luckily) to have more faith in my transcribing it for them during the lesson.
I also find myself making up a lot of arrangements for my students. Kids come in with large band arrangements or a piano song and want me to convert to an "easy guitar' type of piece. I LOVE challenges like that!

With kids I usually start out reading notation but if it doesn't work I'll switch to tab. I don't want to take away their pleasure in learning guitar.
That said, I don't want to always give my student to power of choice, as someone here stated in the other thread. Sometimes a student needs guidance and be shown some other options than the ones he/she leans toward.

 

Another question - how much time do you spend preparing for a lesson on average?

 

Hard to say how much time I prepare cause I think of my students quite often throughout the week and what I can do help them achieve their goals. I always try and keep things fun, so sometimes I bring in a cool effect or a new cd or even sometimes a video on my portable dvd player.

Chris