Guitar Class teacher asking advice from teachers

[jeaniesing]

I'm a High School "class guitar" teacher who needs some help! I've taught choral/band/theory for 30 years, and guitar class for 9. I wrote my own curriculum with the help of several guitarists pro and amateur in different areas of the field, classical to country. (Schools love to have guitar programs, hate to pay for them). My quest, this year, is to make learning guitar more accessible to kids who have learning issues. Yes, we cater to individual needs - but I would love to hear what YOU have done to make guitar attainable for people that don't learn as quickly for others. I'm not looking for the latest app or book; I want to hear about teaching techniques.

So far, about 2 months into 10 month course, we have:
Learned babyC, babyG, and D7, are working our way through a strumming sheet (syncopation soon) using those chords. We then began working on the C Am G Em D chords that make 'em rock stars. We often use a combination of those to single or simple strums to play along while listening to youtube.
Additionally we've worked through strings 1-3 in standard notation using the no-nonsense (though plenty of corny jokes) FastTrack method book.

To help my target kids I have:
Created slide shows for notation notes that are printed into foldable flashcards (each one includes notation, letter name, and fret guide), then created slide shows with notation/letter name, and notation-only to quiz ourselves
We play notation examples in repetition with me saying the letter names for the first 2 repetitions
I am working on similar slideshow/flashcards for the chords (though the number of chord examples on the net with bad hand position is frustrating enough that I will likely 3D model a series, myself)

My goal is to give kids a little of everything. Before year's end we'll do several fingerpicking styles, strum in a few styles along with youtube, be able to figure out all the barre chords and play the usual culprits in time, interperet tab, and read notation to do some new age, some light latin/flamenco, some classical. Some kids need some extra help to get there - and I'm hoping to find fresh ideas!

[Steve DeRosa]

My wife and I used to run a successful guitar instruction program at the elementary school where we both worked, so I'm going to use our experience and some of your ideas as a take-off point:

I'm going to assume, rightly or not, that there's a culminating performance (Spring concert, assembly, get-acquainted open house for incoming students, etc.) later in the year - and if not, speak to the powers-that-be and arrange one now; when students who have little to no track record of success in the traditional sense can latch onto a goal and "own" it, IME they'll surprise you with their dedication, initiative, and in several cases their level of achievement...

You're clearly a very hands-on person when it comes to teaching materials, but I also suspect that you came up musically in a very different era (I'm 66 and started playing guitar in 1962). At the time I was taking lessons, a number of publishing companies produced multi-part arrangements of pop standards of the '40s-50s for guitar ensembles, in varying levels of difficulty (something that should be familiar to you as a band teacher), for use at the then-popular annual neighborhood music school recitals where every kid had to play regardless of ability ; I adopted a similar approach, writing four- and five-part arrangements with multiple players on each part: the less-advanced students were given simpler (but no less important) parts, while the future rock stars handled the complex lines. I recall one young man in a self-contained LD class who was rejected for the school band, enrolled in guitar class, and was assigned one of the supporting parts once he got a handle on the basics; he developed such a sense of focus and progressed so rapidly that we were not only able to assign him to a lead part at the Spring concert, he was also accepted into a gifted-&-talented program in music at the local middle school (where he became an equally formidable double-bass player)...

You might also consider - as we did - turning them on to some earlier/simpler styles of popular music, and/or introducing fretted instruments different in appearance and/or timbre to provide a "specialty" segment. With the popularity of Ken Burns' Country Music series, you've got a potential wealth of heritage material that can be used not only for performance, but for instruction in music history (development of instruments, the merger of country/blues/honky-tonk as the roots of rock, etc.) - FWIW we used to assign similar "TV homework" if we felt our students would absorb some valuable influences...

Scaffolding on the above (how's that for an educator term?) there's a session players' secret largely unknown outside the studio world - the fact that any such instrument can, with appropriate strings, be set up in some variation of guitar tuning (FYI the late Tommy Tedesco - first-call guitarist for the legendary L.A. Wrecking Crew - and his lesser-known NYC "Key Club" counterpart Vinnie Bell built highly-lucrative careers as studio multi-instrumentalists this way); a few serviceable flea-market/thrift-shop or Coupon Day instruments of this type can not only ignite a new-found interest in some of your less-proficient students, but give them something to call "their own." Here's a jump-start guide:

• Soprano/concert/tenor uke: tuned gCEA (re-entrant) or GCEA (low-G or drop-G) like a guitar capoed at the fifth fret, and uses the "baby" chord formations you've already been using with your students; be aware, however, that the chords have different names (a "baby G" is actually a C chord on uke) so you might have to arrange for them as transposing instruments)
• Baritone uke: although there are several newer experimental tunings (octave mandolin GDAE, octave-soprano uke low GCEA, sopranino-bass EADG) the most popular traditional tuning is DGBE, like the top four strings of a guitar; works well as a "texture" instrument to add flavor to a larger arrangement, or in multiples for a lighter feel on some songs
• Tenor/plectrum banjo: the four-string members of the "legit" banjo family, and while the smaller/short-scale (20-23") tenor has seen a revival in Irish/Celtic circles when tuned to GDAE octave mandolin (the plectrum - at 26-27" - is essentially a 5-string banjo minus the high G), in their 1920's heyday they were often tuned to DGBE "Chicago" tuning to allow guitarists to play with jazz bands without learning new fingerings; with the right strings the tenor can also be tuned to the now virtually-unknown GCEA drop-G tenor uke tuning (see above) - and if you have a good flatpicker and need a lead instrument this one'll be heard all the way to the rear balcony
• Guitar-banjo: AKA guit-jo and banjitar, a 6-string guitar neck tuned EADGBE on a banjo body and zero learning curve since the fingerings are the same; this one goes to your best fingerpicker, and if you set it up in Nashville tuning (the lowest two or three strings are tuned an octave higher - dedicated sets are commercially available) you can get very close to a traditional country/bluegrass feel and tone
• Archtop guitar: the archetypical compers' guitar of the Big Band era and the immediate predecessor of the modern electric guitar, they have a forward, punchy, midrange-focused tone (known to experienced players as "cutting power") that'll let your chord specialist really drive your rhythm section; while the best vintage examples boast prices well into the high five-figure bracket, inexpensive used late-model instruments from Godin, Loar, Gretsch, and Harmony can be had for around $300-350 - and unless you have a very experienced player (preferably a jazz guy/gal) to assist you I'd avoid the often-cheaper student archtops from the '40s-60s, as the neck geometry is often way out of whack
• Greek bouzouki: traditionally tuned CFAD, a whole step below a guitar; just capo at the second fret and add some exotic flavor to an "international" repertoire
• Mandolin: traditionally tuned GDAE in fifths like a violin, this one will need a dedicated custom-gauge string set for DGBE octave-guitar, dDgGBBEE octave 12-string, or GCEA soprano-uke tuning; another good one for one of your hot flatpickers, can be used for both American country and "international" music
• Mandola: the viola member of the mando family tuned CGDA, this one's easy to adapt to DGBE baritone uke, dDgGBBEE modified bouzouki, or GCEA drop-G tenor uke; this one's kinda hard to find, and not particularly cheap when/if you do

Good luck, and welcome to the AGF...

[Parlorman]

I no longer teach, but with my younger private students, who sometimes have difficulty fretting, I used to tune the guitar to an open tuning (DADF#AD works well). They could make pleasant sounding music and play tunes with minimal fretting. Some kids never move beyond this. The ones who did advance never had problems transitioning to standard or other alternate tunings.

[Skarsaune]

You have my attention. Following this post to see what I can pick up.

I'm in my first full term of teaching introductory guitar in our local Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program, after being a substitute teacher last year.

I only get an hour a week with our students, so that's a bit of a handicap; but we teach bluegrass / old time music, so I only need 3 chords!

I'm also dealing with 9-10 year old kids instead of high school students. Attention spans are short. So I try to keep it fun. It's called playing music for a reason.

We do have a recital/concert at the end of the school year as a goal for the kids. Plus the more advanced kids will play out at local functions.

I teach in a group setting. One of my biggest challenges is keeping the engaged students engaged while not totally leaving the others behind.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Skarsaune

...I'm in my first full term of teaching introductory guitar in our local Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program...I only get an hour a week with our students, so that's a bit of a handicap; but we teach bluegrass/old time music, so I only need 3 chords!

I'm also dealing with 9-10 year old kids instead of high school students. Attention spans are short. So I try to keep it fun...

We do have a recital/concert at the end of the school year as a goal for the kids. Plus the more advanced kids will play out at local functions.

I teach in a group setting. One of my biggest challenges is keeping the engaged students engaged while not totally leaving the others behind.

Pretty much what we did in a different geographic/musical context; for your kids you need a couple of these:

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/folk...6-string-banjo
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/folk...ng-tenor-banjo

- one or two of these:

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/folk...style-mandolin

- and if you have any special-needs kids, this is an easy way to bring them into the mix (Hint: if you put colored stickers on the buttons, matching colored dots on the lyric sheet where the chord changes fall, and have them play it lap-style - a natural for a lefty, BTW - they can usually do a good job of keeping up):

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/folk...s-21c-autoharp

Best of luck...

[jeaniesing]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Good luck, and welcome to the AGF...

Thanks! I'm comfortable that all of my kids are achieving within the curriculum - with the exception of 1 kid (who hasn't turned her videos in), we've all passed test 2 (3 strings, and C Am G Em D D7). It's just my hope to empower kids so that all are learning ~the same~ material (within reason) and not being set aside as being different. I'll think on the ensemble instruments. I run a ukulele club in addition to guitar classes and club, but generally recommend that kids in the first semester of guitar NOT join uke club - - even I confuse the two on occasion. This makes me worry that going with anything other than traditional tuning and 6 strings may exacerbate rather than solve the problem.

Originally Posted by Skarsaune

I only get an hour a week with our students, so that's a bit of a handicap; but we teach bluegrass / old time music, so I only need 3 chords!

I'm also dealing with 9-10 year old kids instead of high school students. Attention spans are short. So I try to keep it fun. It's called playing music for a reason.

WHile my exposure to youngers on guitar is limited, I have done our local "First Friday" on perfect summer evenings. I take a handful of guitars, spread out my carpet and sit, then offer a "first lesson." I generally teach "three string" chords G, C, D7 - 9-10 year olds usually do a better job that adults at them! My go-to song is "In the Jungle" (The mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight). Single strums for the verse lines, then we strum on the "a weem a way" part - up on "a" downstroke on "weem" or "way." 10 minutes gets them functional and parents asking for lessons. (Alas... I have an active 14 yr old and swore off lessons until he can drive himself to all his stuff!) I imagine your knowledge of Bluegrass could find a similar song.

Many kids are good at fingerpicking, intuitively. Especially so if I can keep them from looking and just feel the strings. 1/3--2-1-3-2-2-1 is a variation on travis picking for 3 strings chords.