Where do we go now?

[Andre S]

In the Beginner's class of my schools guitar club, which I started back and am teaching, with a friends help, we taught them the

 

note on each string, open

A-G chords, skipping B and F, since they are bar chords, or at least the position I remembered then was.

 

Next week, I plan to do the

A-G minor chords, then major the week after.

 

What do we do after?

We were thinking of teaching a few easy songs like 21 guns, to keep them interested.

?

[Californiaman]

C and D and G.

Then you can teach them D, C, G, D.

Which are the main chords to Sweet Child of Mine. Everybody recognizes it.

[LPguitarman]

When are you going to get into bar chords? They are a must in Rock 'n Roll. Assuming that's where you are headed with your students.

[Andre S]

Soon as they can, some of them it seems picked up the guitar a minute before, they can't skip a fret, bar chords on a classical guitar are horrible.

[Dub-T-123]

Soon as they can' date=' some of them it seems picked up the guitar a minute before, they can't skip a fret, bar chords on a classical guitar are horrible.[/quote']

 

Barre chords are used extensively in classical music.

[Andre S]

Barre chords are used extensively in classical music.

 

I know, but when you're eleven, and you are now getting accustomed to guitar, and your fingers hurt from nylon strings, barre chords are extremely difficult.

[dem00n]

I know' date=' but when you're eleven, and you are now getting accustomed to guitar, and your fingers hurt from nylon strings, barre chords are extremely difficult.

 

[/quote']

I know 9 year olds who can play Stairway and i think 11 yr olds can do barre cords, you might need to help them one by one and they will get it just like us.

[rocketman]

Teach them a little theory. My 8 year can name and play every note up to the fourth fret. He can also play a major scale. I think most kids that age can handle it...

[daveinspain]

You might show them the major and minor pentatonic scales... Where as there are fewer notes in those scales and it's easier to improvise, especially the major pentatonic, the kids might have fun with it.

[Andre S]

Yea, but remember most of them have only been playing for 3 weeks....some of them before...most not

[daveinspain]

Yea' date=' but remember most of them have only been playing for 3 weeks....some of them before...most not[/quote']

 

Thats the reason I suggested the pentatonic scales... I think they're much easier to learn. Besides, most 11 year olds I know are heavy into blues....

[TommyK]

To get and keep their attention, you MUST teach them a recognizable song ASAP, even if you only use the 'cowboy' chords. Once they have the confidence of a recognizable song under their belts, teach another in the same key, but with a different syncopation, or tempo. Have them work on the scale of the song's key you are working on. In this case G Major

 

Once they have one or two songs under their belts, change up keys on them go from G to, say C. You get to use two chords you already know and introduce a chord 'F' which can be played either barred or unbarred. X33211, or even xx3211 vs 133211.

 

Have them try it barred from the get go. For me it took a conscious effort to not play un-barred 'F' chords, maybe 6 months for my fingers to get the right strength and muscle memory to sound good. I fuzzed and buzzed for some time, the all the sudden, it clicked!

[TommyK]

Tell us, gibsonlespaul1319, a little about your class. If I remember right you are a high school student? What year? Do the students bring their own axes or use school supplied guitars? Are they all classical?

 

I applaud you for taking the initiative to fill a demand that most schools' music departments fail to supply. Usually, not to the music department's lack of caring, but due to shortness of time and budget. The music teachers are the most over worked, under appreciated professionals in most school districts. Most music teachers I come in contact with, and I come in contact with many, teach at multiple buildings, sometimes in different towns, from the primary grades through middle and high school, have 40 -100 students in a class. Most likely, he has contact with EVERY student in the district at one point or another. Is required to have at least 1, if not 2 or more after hours events (concerts) / class / year. No other teacher in any given district can boast such a work load.

 

Music teachers have more control over their classes than any other teacher. I have witnessed on several occasions, a single look from a music director bring a copse of inattentive, disruptive students back to attentiveness in a gymnasium full of 100 - 200 or more of his students plus as many parents.

 

If you, gibsonlespaul1319, can help bring music to a half dozen or more, otherwise un-music-ed, students, my hat's off to you. Keep up the good work.

[Andre S]

Tell us' date=' gibsonlespaul1319, a little about your class. If I remember right you are a high school student? What year? Do the students bring their own axes or use school supplied guitars? Are they all classical?

 

I applaud you for taking the initiative to fill a demand that most schools' music departments fail to supply. Usually, not to the music department's lack of caring, but due to shortness of time and budget. The music teachers are the most over worked, under appreciated professionals in most school districts. Most music teachers I come in contact with, and I come in contact with many, teach at multiple buildings, sometimes in different towns, from the primary grades through middle and high school, have 40 -100 students in a class. Most likely, he has contact with EVERY student in the district at one point or another. Is required to have at least 1, if not 2 or more after hours events (concerts) / class / year. No other teacher in any given district can boast such a work load.

 

Music teachers have more control over their classes than any other teacher. I have witnessed on several occasions, a single look from a music director bring a copse of inattentive, disruptive students back to attentiveness in a gymnasium full of 100 - 200 or more of his students plus as many parents.

 

If you, gibsonlespaul1319, can help bring music to a half dozen or more, otherwise un-music-ed, students, my hat's off to you. Keep up the good work.[/quote']

 

Ok...well I'm not sure what it translates to the US system, because we follow the UK Education System more or less. So, I am in whatever class the 17/18 year olds would be in US schools, xcept, I skipped a year, so I'm 17 this year.

The class, made up of the two youngest years in the school which is 11-13.

 

There is about 10 of them. They do bring their own guitars, mostly classical, one or two, acoustic and a few 3/4 sized.

The music teachers in our school, do not have any affiliation with the guitar club at any time of its existence.

The former music teacher, who also does maths at senior level, only taught theory.

The new music teacher teaches recorder, she is our liason with the principal, so we don't keep harrassing him.

 

One Economics teacher used to handle the guitar club, but in my 5 years before I was at a senior level to do something about it, we had maybe 5 meetings..

So now a friend and I took it over, I'm in charge of the advanced class, because I play lead stuff, and he does beginners, since he plays rhythm, ( kinda silly but) both of us help with every class so it doesn't really matter.

 

We are teaching the minor chords tomorrow, and the major on thursday. So far they have been keeping up with their guitar very well, a few of them going the extra step and finishing 21 guns which we kinda jumped the gun to start.

Next week, we'll practice a new song, and redo 21 guns.

 

At the end of the term we plan to have a concert, so we will encourage some beginners to play in it, if they want too of course, and most of the advanced will, I'm sure...

 

We have, on a good week, 2 beginner classes on lunchtimes, and 2 advanced, so I only have one lunchtime a week to hangout with friends etc, but GC, is really fun to manage so...not a big deal..

[TommyK]

Again... keep up the good work.

 

There is a special place in heaven for you, playing guit tar (harps are just a legend)