Giving Guitar Lessons

[antique_dream]

Hello all,

I'm an intermediate player studying classical and jazz guitar, and I will be teaching a beginner in the summer. I was wondering about the things I should start with. I'm thinking of doing it in an order similar to this:

Segment 1: Open Major Chords

Segment 2: Open Minor Chords

Segment 3: Blues I-IV-IV

Segment 4: Major Scale Positions

Segment 5: Minor Scale Positions

I'll adapt stuff according to his progress, as well as his interests. Am I missing anything?

[daveq]

1. Growling power chords

2. Frantic Whamy Bar usage

3. Screaming pinch harmonics

4. Lightning fast diminished runs

5. Ear piercing feedback and amp destruction

6. Proper form for throwing the guitar over the shoulder (ala Yngwie)

7. 80's hair in general

I love that stuff but seriously - I have taught a few people in my time (not as a paid instructor) and noticed a few things:

1. Try not to frustrate a beginner by throwing too much techincal/theoretical material at them right away. Example: instead of going through the theory of building scales and chord naming - show them a few shapes (scales/modes) and let them build an interest in why they exist. For the people that I taught - learning to create something that sounded good to them without needing to know music theory was pretty key in keeping them into it.

2. Let them pick a part of a song that they want to learn and show them how to play it. I think it's OK to show them even if it's beyond their capabilities but I can see why some people may not. This helps keep their interest and makes it all a bit more personal for them.

3. Keep the lessons to about 30 to 45 minutes. Beyond that, things seemed to get lost pretty easily. Make sure they keep a notebook!

You probably already know much of this but I just wanted to share what I experienced when I was doing this. I am no Juliard candidate- so if that's the type of student you are teaching - I'll quitely crawl back under my rock now.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It's a great feeling to be able to open doors to a new guitarist and see them enjoy it.

[marksound]

My teacher used this 35 years ago. I've used it myself with a student or two over the years.

[mledbetter]

What does the person want to play? I am self taught, but my desire was to play rock and blues.. so for me, learning power chords, pentatonic scale and modified blues scales was where it was at. That unlocked everything for me.

Now a friend of mine started taking from a guy, he was 29 at the time and had never touched a guitar. Spent a year learning from the ground up starting with scales, then chord theory and formation, then the classical progression from a theory point of view and a year later he could play almost anything. I've played for 15 years and while he think's I'M better than him, all I have going for me is confidence (i know by boxes) but I know that he knows a lot more than I do and in a year is already way more versatile than I ever will be. Makes me wish I had learned like that. I love jazz but i have no clue where to start. I barely know the names of the chords i've been playing for the last decade or so.

But if the person just wants to play rock and roll.. then teach them rock and roll. It's hard now though because a lot of the progressive bands that are popular actually know their stuff and if you want to go pick apart their music you'd better know your theory..

[monkey69962000]

My teacher taught me the major penatonic scale first. then integrated the blues scale into that. Then taught me I-IV-V with the 12 bar blues. And then taught me the bar and 7th chords.

[antique_dream]

Well, I'll meet with him in the next week or so to talk about what he wants to learn. I suppose i should judge based on that.

Thanks!!!