Every guitarist should be able to use several strums and picking patterns. I have organized some very useful ones into a text document available here.
Meters include 3/4, 4/4 and 6/8; simple, compound and complex strums, arpeggio and travis picks are shown in tablature style.
You can use these patterns to play real songs. With these examples, practice with the A-D-A-E-A chord progression.
Do you know how many people received a guitar for Christmas? I don’t know either, but, trust me, there are thousands.
A few tips:
Now is a great time to advertise your services
Offer a starter package of lessons. Some people don’t want to commit to an ongoing lesson schedule, but will sign up if the lessons end in a specified time frame. This way, they feel that they can get a proper start
Offer accessories with your lesson package: some picks, a tuner, a capo or method book to sweeten the deal
Schools are a great resource for finding students. Contact the music teacher(s) and let them know about you. These teachers are asked often about referrals to private teachers
Contact you local classical guitar society. Even if you don’t play or teach classical, many classical aficionados like to play other styles
I hope some of these ideas are useful.
Teachers, why not have an email account for communicating with your students and/or business associates?
GuitarTeacher.org has email accounts available. Try yourname@GuitarTeacher.org. These accounts are Google mail accounts and come with too many features to list here.
I’ve only used the free version, but this appears to be a handy tool for music teacher with private students. It’s easy to set up and user-friendly, and contains many features for scheduling, billing and making reports. Use it to manage your studio.
http://www.musicteachershelper.com/
Here is a new website, GuitarTeacherWorld that teachers can use as a resource. The site’s look is very well done, the navigation is easy and the graphics/images enhance the site’s feel. It’s like having a guitar text online. Patrick MacFarlane has been working on this project for many years and his efforts have resulted in a great product. He also promises to add lessons. Many lessons are only practical for the electric guitar.
Lessons are explained in detail and accompanied by graphic and audio (midi) files, so students can see and hear the result. Many examples come with video (well-produced).
The Absolute Beginner section contains links to pages on the guitar anatomy, strings and tuning, etc., as well as an introduction to reading tablature, notation, chord charts and rhythms. Of course, the beginner will need a teacher to explain and answer questions. Lessons begin with clear objectives. Some lessons come with assignments and practice tips for the student.
Teachers can use this site to enroll and instruct students in a variety of courses. Computer savvy students and teachers can set up chats, feedback, lessons, tests and even certificates. It’s a powerful (complicated) site that will engage student and teachers for many hours. MacFarland has spent a lot of time and energy in presenting and organizing a coherent method for guitar teachers and students.
We’ll see what develops for GuitarTeacherWorld. I’d like to see more songs for beginners and people who have some, but not much experience in playing. There might be copyright issues to resolve. Public domain songs are not interesting to many students. I also think using mp3 files instead of midi files for the audio examples would enhance the site.
I hope this project gets a lot of attention and grows. I look forward to reading others’ comments about it also.
I’m posting songs that I created for beginning guitar students. Each song comes with:
1. An mp3 file of the song (with guitar)
2. An mp3 file of the song (without guitar)
3. The music (created with Finale Notepad) Get it free!
4. The music and tablature (created with Finale Notepad) Get it free!
5. The tablature
6. A text document (Word) displaying the notes in the song.
I am currently using these material with 1-6 graders. They like playing the songs because they play with the mp3 files, which are rock , blues or jazz. Feel free to download and use these files with classes or private students.
I am using GarageBand to make CD’s for my students. Here are a couple of examples.
One of my students is learning to improvise using the Dorian scale. Since it’s better to have some music to improvise with, I made a CD with accompaniment so he can practice while listening. The cuts I made for him include rhythm guitar, bass and drums. I also record the cuts at slow and fast speeds. When he practices, he can hear what it sounds like in a band setting, rather than just his guitar by itself. GarageBand contains many loops of guitar, bass and drum riffs (some of which can be edited). You just drag and drop them onto a layout, copy and paste to turn one riff into an ostinato, export your work into iTunes, then make a CD. If there is any interest, I can post an example.
With a class I’m teaching, I record the accompaniment for the songs I am teaching so that the students get a feel for playing in an band. I usually don’t make copies for them; I just use them in class. I’ve found them to be motivational. Students must keep a steady beat and tempo.
Let’s use this forum to share information and techniques. How do you get students? How do you keep them? Where/when do you give your lessons? What kinds of materials do you use to help your students learn?
These are just a few of the things we can help each other with. After teaching guitar students for over thirty years, I have learned a few things that will benefit newcomers to the field. I’m sure each of you can contribute your unique experience also.
Star is a program that hires artists to direct after-school programs. One of them is RockStar.
I just had my interview in Oxnard. Ken, the program director, is a super guy with great ideas. He’s hiring people for 13 elementary and 3 middle schools. $25 an hour. You set your hours (between 2 and 6 p.m.) and pick your school.
It looks interesting and I’ll have more to say about it later. Guitar teachers, this might be something to investigate because you can teach a class and make contact with students/parents who are interested in guitar.