OMG... what have I done ?

[jemplayer55]

Originally Posted by whatisshredding

yes, having had no formal lessons myself you are right, but... I doubt the "value" of teaching standard notation when guitar tab is so easy and so available - especially with guitar pro and other programs about.

That's one of the problems with a lot of guitar players today..... they can't "read" a standard piece of music! No Value???? I guess if you want to teach tabs alone that's your choice as a teacher. Just remember you'll be leaving out a key part of learning to communicate with other musicians. I don't think Yngwie learned Paganini via "tabs"!

[S-man]

I couldn't imagine teaching a total beginner anymore. Just the whole fretting 1 note without it sounding like Bzzzzz. The whole sore fingers thing. The total lack of finger muscle/coordination. The constant urge for the new guitarist to want to be able to instantly play a current song. The lack of interest in learning scales and other "boring" things that provide a good foundation for playing. That being said, your crazy. J/K....someone has to do it, might as well be you.

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by jemplayer55

That's one of the problems with a lot of guitar players today..... they can't "read" a standard piece of music! No Value???? I guess if you want to teach tabs alone that's your choice as a teacher. Just remember you'll be leaving out a key part of learning to communicate with other musicians. I don't think Yngwie learned Paganini via "tabs"!

so, tell me then where the value of it is again ? - people do not communicate in standard notation - they communicate with speech, body language and perhaps to a certain degree - pheremones.

Im not yngwie, satch or vai - if you can convince me that standard notation is crucial to a guitarists development then I will teach it.
I managed to get by in many, many bands for nearly 20 years without reading and for quite a few of those years I couldnt read tab either.
someone showed me the major, minor and blues scale plus bar chords then I was on my own.

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by S-man

I couldn't imagine teaching a total beginner anymore. Just the whole fretting 1 note without it sounding like Bzzzzz. The whole sore fingers thing. The total lack of finger muscle/coordination. The constant urge for the new guitarist to want to be able to instantly play a current song. The lack of interest in learning scales and other "boring" things that provide a good foundation for playing. That being said, your crazy. J/K....someone has to do it, might as well be you.

Yep, I cant imagine it either - but will soon experience it again !

[tTz]

Originally Posted by S-man

I couldn't imagine teaching a total beginner anymore. Just the whole fretting 1 note without it sounding like Bzzzzz.

Heh, I've taught a few friends/relatives the basics, and it still surprises me just how difficult they find fretting a note when it's as natural to me as breathing. One of my mates spent 3 hours learning the riff for Points of Authority (a Linkin Park song - look it up, it's made up of 3 powerchords, but tuned in drop-d, so they're just 3 fret barres...). On the other hand, I taught my cousin how to play Smoke on the Water on a ukelele last Christmas, and he had it down within half an hour!

[fettouhi]

Originally Posted by whatisshredding

OK - years ago I used to teach guitar for a shop - can you believe it

I also used to teach privately...

well, it drove me absolutely bonkers dealing with some really weird people who would always tell ya that after 3 months of playing... they didnt think that learning the major scale was important

so I got fed up and chucked all of my teaching material away and gave it up...
tonight I agreed to teach someone from scratch.... WTF was I thinking, its a slippery slope

ANYWAY !!!!!

having thrown all my teaching material away and not wanting to work too hard on generating new stuff... is there anyone who could help me out or point me in the right direction for a kind of teaching plan ???

EG:
week 1 - EADGBE and E to E (octave) note names
week 2 - learn the chords of E, and D
week 3 - buy guitar teacher a case of lager


etc...

I would be eternally grateful !

Jaden

I would switch week 1 and 3 .

Regards

André

[Jaden]

OK, im still after a real starting point - something for the student to take away from a first lesson to keep the interest.....
still after suggestions !!!

BTW - I learned to read standard notation so I will pass that on too... at some point..

[hyperlite_rider]

I would go with smoke on the water on the E string. just get him to say out the notes as he goes (E G A . E G A# A). Its a fun (important for newbies)catchy "Power riff", its easy enough and it provides a good base for notes as well as power chords
(throw in ebgdae while your at it)