Im teaching some guys how to play guitar and I dont want them to become like me when I was just a riffmaster but knew little else. All ive taught them so far (they are absolute beginners) is some riffs. Just to develop calluses and reach. I want them to get to love the guitar enough that they will stick with it and then ill move on to harder stuff. They are ready for chords so i think ill do that next and just throw some theory into there although i know they wont get it. Any advice on what to teach? Id really appreciate it. Im also teaching a bassist which is hard because i only dabble in bass. I basically gave him a fretboard to memorize and a few riffs that work on timing and rhythm. Hes sounding notes clearly and forming calluses which is great. I need some help with him because i dont want him to end up playing bass like a big guitar. It needs to be different so im focusing more on rhythm and such than riffing. Hes gonna be in my band for now so he gets used to playing with a guitarist and drummer. Thatll help him with his timing. Any help would be great. Thanks.
aka Izabella
Our teacher has my son and I working on an actual song we want to play and then basics like chords and progressions. I'm on barr chords and scales and my son is still working on open chords. A little theory is in there as well. It is working for us and we are having fun. I couldn't say we are progressing that fast but that is our fault.
Denis
I put up something of a checklist on another thread a while back:
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Among the important things I'd teach your pals:
1. Rhythm. What's a quarter note, eighth note, etc. Then get a page from a sight singing or drum book that has a bunch of those rhythms and make up chord progressions with them.
2. Major scale. Everything else ties into it.
3. Songs? Can't go wrong with some Beatles, 12 bar blues and standard rock riffs like Smoke on the Water.
http://www.keith-moore.net
Jam tracks, stories and
giant, killer teddy bears.
