Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hello friends, I decided to utilize my free time to take on some guitar students. The ad's first run was today and already people are calling.

As strange as it may seem, I'm hoping for rank beginners -but I'm getting calls from experienced players who want to expand their skills.

So I'm about to embark on a big improvisation. Any advice for a new teacher?

I have a fairly vast chord vocabulary and cover a broad range of styles. So I can accomodate most taste ranges. Obviously I'm not the right guy for a student wanting immersion in jazzland or classical guitar. But barring blues or evil metal, I can handle most students.

One thing I don't want to do is have students bring me a CD of this song or that to learn note-for-note. Despite my dislike for the word, I want to empower players to eschew ruts and find their own voice.

So...

Cool, Noel! I don't have any advice, but I wish you luck in your new teaching endeavor.... Have fun!

Thanks Melissa.

Lesson 1:

*C A G E D
*Throw away YOUR guitar and buy a Rickenbacker
*Tune the first string to E -not D

I took some "refresher course" guitar lessons after getting my first Rickenbacker, and I think I made my guitar teacher jealous when I brought it to my lessons!

...But then he made me jealous when he played all kinds of bits of cool 60's songs on it in one long medley....

I still don't play 60's music very well, but my life was changed forever for the better when he taught me some songwriting basics.

Noel..just my take....I think most beginners really want to learn songs note for note...many more advanced students do also. Many teachers will write out tab for them for a given song and then they work it out together over the next few sessions. That along with teaching basic chords/scales and modes will keep their interest. If you don't want to go that route than you're likely better off teaching students who have a good grasp of the guitar but want to learn things they don't know that you can show them..good luck!!

Hmm. No classical, jazz, metal, or blues? I think you're going to find (as I have in my teaching experience) that most players with at least some experience on the instrument are going to want to head in one of these four directions once they get past the basics.

Noel, my advice is to stick to what you know and teach it with enthusiasm. Since these lessons really are your business, you can do it on your own terms.

Wow John, I suppose it sounds awfully narrow when phrased that way. Certainly I can show my students a bit of classical, jazz, blue (ack),or metal (double ack) -but I cannot take them too deeply in those waters.

Fortunately my first student wants to expand into songwriting and improvisation as well making a foray into fingerstyle and chord melody. He cut his teeth on Randy Rhoads tabs, so I'm guessing he can probably find his way around the fretboard.

Fingers are crossed for some success.

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

I think you'll do fine, Noel - if you can teach some chord theory and songwriting basics (which it sounds like you can), that's a valuable thing for anybody studying guitar (or music for that matter), regardless of genre.

I'm sorry I can't assist much. I never took lessons, or gave 'em, for that matter. If I did, though, I think I'd like to be one of those snooty instructors you have to audition for, and I'd make up some nice posters that say "J Dog Studio" or something.

Remember, you only have to stay one lesson ahead of the student.

Jason, I'm 100% self-taught also.

Sight-reading and ear training are very important.

I taught myself from chord books. I have an ear and always knew when it was correct or not. After a year or so, I took four lessons that went nowhere...the last lesson was spent teaching my instructor how to play "Hang Onto Yourself" from Ziggy Stardust.

Being self-taught, however, has been a detriment to my teaching skills...I end up demonstrating what I do, but not really helping them understand WHY certain approaches or chordings sound better. Currently I'm teaching some basics to my daughters and wife. I found that starting with chords was better than doing all the one note/one string stuff first. Seems easier to learn rhythm first then lead later...and more satisfying to the beginner.

I second that Mark. Start with single notes and people can play Mary Had A Little Lamb. Start with chords and people can play REAL songs!

Warning: Possible Thread Drift

*C-A-G-E-D is a very good way to go teaching guitar to what I'd call intermediate level students.

But why on earth a person needs guitar lessons to write songs is a little puzzling. It seems to me most budding songwriters have more problems in crafting lyrics. All you really need there is a yellow legal pad and a pencil or pen.

Returning to topic: It seems to me that in order to understand any sort of American guitar genre, from folk to country, from rock to bluegrass, some understanding of the blues is a must. Or am I hopelessly locked in the '50s and '60s?

All the above aside, best of luck, Noel. I thoroughly enjoy teaching. And it seems that my students teach me as much about teaching, as I teach them about banjo playing.

JimK