by Glen McCarthy | Jan 12, 2014 | Classroom, Education, News, Stories, Success Stories, Tips + Tricks
Mute strumming is very effective for teaching various rhythmic strums. I don’t think we spend enough time working on right hand strumming because we are so concerned about left hand notes. Isolating the right hand helps the students advance in their ability to keep a...
by Glen McCarthy | Dec 29, 2013 | Classroom, Education, News, Principles, Stories, Success Stories, Tips + Tricks
The Pentatonic Scale allows students to really stretch out and have fun with the guitar. But how do you teach it? Try this: Preliminary ear training experiences: 1. If keyboards are available have the students noodle on the black notes, perhaps one on the bass and one...
by Glen McCarthy | Dec 22, 2013 | Classroom, Education, News, Principles, Stories, Success Stories, Tips + Tricks
I went to Wikipedia to see what they say and can’t improve on the following: “The capo is most commonly used to raise the pitch of a fretted instrument so that a player can perform a piece in a different key using the same fingerings they would use if played...
by Glen McCarthy | Dec 9, 2013 | Classroom, Education, Principles, Stories, Tips + Tricks
As Matt Gerry pointed out in an earlier post, there are many differing opinions when it comes to teaching TAB. It has been my experience that, when a guitar student arrives in one of my beginning classes knowing how to read a notation system, it is most likely TAB. I...
by Glen McCarthy | Dec 2, 2013 | Classroom, Education, Principles, Stories, Success Stories, Tips + Tricks
We’ve all been there. You’re trying to teach an important new concept to your guitar class….and little Jimmy can’t keep his hands off the guitar while you’re talking! Well…. it’s little Jimmy….along with Fred, Wanda, and Gladys. It’s a classroom epidemic! To be fair…I...
by Glen McCarthy | Sep 27, 2013 | Education, Stories, Success Stories
An Interview with Skip Chaples, President, Music for Life Two years ago Michael was a high school sophomore with marginal grades. He didn’t see the need to apply himself in school; after graduation he assumed he’d follow in the footsteps of all his family members...
