TEACHING GUITAR WORKSHOPS
Classroom Guitar Blog
Introducing Rhythm with Mute Strumming
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...
How Do You Scaffold a Song for a Beginning Ensemble?
Many beginning ensemble pieces in the repertoire will assign one or two strings to a part. For instance, part one may be on E and B strings, part 2 on B and G strings and part 3 may get down to the D string. The best way to make sure that students are comfortable...
How do you teach the pentatonic scale?
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...
Teaching Tuning – Part II
Most students learn to play before they learn to tune; however laying the fundamentals for learning to tune can be done from day one. Most of the GAMA books have a play-along, demo CD included with the book. At the start of these CD there is usually a tuning track....
Why use a capo?
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 "open"...
Help the Class Bond with Ensemble Playing
There is a bonding experience that occurs once the class engages in playing as an ensemble. The class transforms from 30+ students playing exercises to a team of guitarists playing ensemble music. I find that this is so important that I wrote some easy duets that...
Oh No! I Have to Schedule a 90 Minute Block!!!
Teachers worry about keeping a class interesting. But when you have a guitar class for a 90 minute block, you need great content! First, think about the possibilities using the National Standards as an outline. Think, “What will my students do today that includes:...
‘Dude, Can I TAB That Out?’
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....
No Noodling!
When a student has an instrument in their hands, they want to use it! Making unwanted sound at inappropriate times can be distracting. A student might noodle out of embarrassment or to show off. One important rule to establish right away is “NO NOODLING!” How do...
Noodling…Grrrr!!!!
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...
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