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#1
10-13-2016, 08:12 AM
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Suggestions for teaching younder students
I am starting to offer guitar lessons and plan on using the Hal Leonard as my main course. But, for younger students, do you think it would be good, or should I look for a course like Mel Bay offers for kids. By younger, I mean 8 to 10.
Any suggestions on what has worked for you for all levels would be great! Thanks! 
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#2
10-13-2016, 08:39 AM
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I have never taught music but have spent about 25 years involved in various levels of education.
Ar that age, the learning is (IMO) more about the psychology than the mechanics. It is more important (I think) that you instill within them a desire to learn more. Make it fun, not grueling. Don't restrict them with some artificial "rules". Watch about a dozen Steve Stine videos on Youtube and listen to his approach, attitude and demeanor. He is a rough and tumble metal guitarist and he has the gentlest, most enjoyable, light-hearted approach to instruction I've ever seen.
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#3
10-13-2016, 09:03 AM
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I got away from all method books years ago. I provide a blank notebook, and the info is taylored to the client based on their goals and progress.
It seems to me that using a method book for all students, to some degree, erodes the value of the private lesson.
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#4
10-13-2016, 10:11 AM
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Quote:
For classical - or for any kid that has no preference and just likes acoustic guitar - a method book is good, because it provides an authoritative focus, and clear structured goals to work towards (short term and long term), so the kid can get a sense of how far they've come, how they can measure their progress - "OK I've done page 6, now for page 7!" And most method books designed for kids try to make it fun, with drawings or jokes as well as familiar tunes. But it's also worth remembering there's a big difference between the ages of 8 and 10! At 8, they're probably still OK with nursery rhymes, musical games, comical cartoons in the book. At 10, they'll be becoming aware of what's "cool", and will start to be latching on to famous singers, bands and players. The question then is: is an adult method book cool? Maybe it is (it's grown-up!  ), maybe it just looks old-fashioned  .Certainly, whatever route you choose, and whatever their tastes, you need to teach them tunes they recognise. It might be twinkle twinkle, it might be the Simpsons theme, it might be Smoke on the Water, it might be a Taylor Swift song. Any such tune can go alongside a more technical schedule, whether you teach classical fingerstyle or rock chords. But encourage them to find their own path, to make up their own tunes, adapt what you're giving them any way they like. They have to own the process. If you're teaching groups, then a book is even more recommended, because then they all know where they are, they can compare notes and work together - and it takes a lot of weight off your shoulders in terms of planning. But the issue of what's "cool" (in their eyes, of course, not yours) can still raise its head. Hopefully they'll all agree among each other... BTW, if you get a parent who wants junior to get his/her grades, but the kid doesn't seem enthusiastic... Tell them you're too busy! The enthusiasm has to come from the kid - or you have to be able to inspire them by the end of lesson one. Likewise, if you get a kid who consistently fails to practice between lessons: stop the lessons! Maybe in a few years time that kid will find the will to do it, but for now you're wasting your time as well as his/hers. As I always say (and as you should tell them): the world needs no more guitarists. If you don't want to play, what's the point? But if you do want to play - don't let anyone stop you!
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"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen. Last edited by JonPR; 10-13-2016 at 10:25 AM.
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#5
10-13-2016, 10:58 AM
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I am not a teacher, but I payed attention to what my grandson was being taught when he first took lessons. The guy was teaching him tablature which I had no problem with since he was learning his way around the guitar.
Soon enough, he quit and I began to show him how chord structures could be used to learn soloing and vice-versa. As he progressed he began to want to understand the fretboard and all that goes with it, chord variations, moveable chord shapes, triads and the scales. All the while he is learning some solos that he liked, I am showing him how those solos were formed around the chord patterns and how double stops and triads add flavor to soloing, not just bends. I showed him how slides and hammer-ons do the same. Gilmour is his favorite so his style fits right into all that. He has progressed to the point where he can solo over a blues progression with some creativity. He is having fun and getting better. At the end of the day, that's where most of us want to be.
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#6
10-14-2016, 07:22 AM
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Good advice!!
Great advice everyone! Yes, teaching is not about a set method, but is all about connecting with the student and seeking to inspire him/her to develop his God given talents and to enjoy music! Thanks and God bless!!
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#7
10-14-2016, 10:50 AM
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...Hal Leonard? IMO that's the quickest way to have your young student get bored and leave. Start with chords, and songs they know....
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#8
10-14-2016, 11:03 AM
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Chords and pentatonic scale for key of E an A. Get them learning at least two positions of each and teach them to make up their own tunes with just 3 chords and leads. The world needs musicians, not more portable radios....
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#9
10-14-2016, 12:16 PM
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It has already been said, but why is the kid there? Tailor the class to the student.
At age 6 my son started learning guitar, and he chose which songs he wanted to learn and how he wanted to play them. He took off. Nursery rhymes would never have worked - he started with Paul Baloche and praise music. You really need to balance the class. Some part towards the kids' desires (to keep him/her interested), some part towards pushing the boundaries and understanding music - so the child is growing, and some part towards fulfilling expectations of the parent - who is paying. Don't "dumb it down" with a child's method book. Teach the child the same material as an adult. The main difference between kids and adults is kids have more free time to potentially practice. They can comprehend most of the same things.
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