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complete beginner - age 9

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 lars
(@lars)
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Topic starter  

So - my daugther wants to learn the guitar :D
And - I turn out to be the worst teacher - ever :(

Busy and impatient, with extremely underdeveloped pedagogical skill + I've never had a teacher myself, so how would I know how to be one :?

But OK - she has this 1/2 size accoustic and we've started working on some open chords - she's been playing violin for some years so she's somewaht into fretting strings, but what should we work on? - D and A7 comes out OK, em is simple, G is difficult - what were the absolute beginners songs again.
I remeber when I started Tom Dooley was the first song - with D and A7 only. But what else? Looked briefely at Horse with no name, but I don't know the song, and I'm sure she doesn't either. The chords are easy enough tho' so maybe we should look at it after all.

I've always played a lot for her - Dylan, Tom Waits, Beatles etc, and I'm sure she would be happy to reconstruct something she knows, but my brain went totally blank when I started thinking about songs to try with her.

Therefore:
More suggestions for songs with few and easy chords - anyone?
What are the important things to work with? Am I rushing it starting out with chords, should we start with one-string finger exrecises? What about left hand - would tumb strumming suffice for the time being?
etc, etc.

I know I'm a bit lazy now - suppose there is more stuff in the beginners section, I will look for more there too

Just felt like sharing the good (and the bad) news - "I can hardly wait - to see her come of age"
Yes, Growing a band - there is a 6 years old kicking the stable door too :D

LaRS

...only thing I know how to do is to keep on keepin' on...

LARS kolberg http://www.facebook.com/sangerersomfolk


   
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(@pearlthekat)
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there's eleanor rigby. that's pretty easy.

if she can play e minor then she can probably play a C chord and an E major chord. you should probably teach her those chords. then if she can play an E chord she can probably play an A chord and an A minor. i'd start there. then you can show her a D chord and switching from A to D.


   
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(@uno-pulgar)
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I found this book ~"101 Three-Chord Songs for Guitar, Banjo, and Uke" by Larry McCabe~ at my local library when I first started. The three chords are G,C, and D7. I know you said she has problems with G but if I remember correctly, the author shows "easy" ways to make the chords using only one or two fingers on the bottom three or four strings. The songs are old country/blues/campfire song, and other than a quick intro no instruction is given but it got me strumming.

Avatar- Correy Harris 8/12/2006 Heritage Music Blues fest, Wheeling WVa


   
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(@margaret)
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Larsko wrote: D and A7 comes out OK, em is simple, G is difficult

When my son first started out, his teacher simplified the G chord down to fretting only the high E string (3rd fret for a G note) and had him play only the three highest strings.

Similarly, she had him play a simplified C chord by fretting only the B string at the first fret (C note) and playing only the highest three strings.

Eventually, as he developed more skill, he switched to the full chords.

Margaret

P.S. Although I gave piano lessons to other people's kids, it never worked for me to teach my own kids piano. :? Had to pay someone else to do it.

When my mind is free, you know a melody can move me
And when I'm feelin' blue, the guitar's comin' through to soothe me ~


   
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(@rparker)
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P.S. Although I gave piano lessons to other people's kids, it never worked for me to teach my own kids piano. :? Had to pay someone else to do it.

Ain't that the way it goes. I hear ya!!!

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
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(@margaret)
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margaret wrote:

P.S. Although I gave piano lessons to other people's kids, it never worked for me to teach my own kids piano. Had to pay someone else to do it.
RParker wrote: Ain't that the way it goes. I hear ya!!!

I was smart enough to not persist too long in the endeavor, either. As soon as I saw things were going awry, I enlisted an outside teacher. I surely did NOT want to be the cause of them abandoning music or developing a distaste for lessons! (Psssst, Larsko, are you listening?? :D )

Margaret

When my mind is free, you know a melody can move me
And when I'm feelin' blue, the guitar's comin' through to soothe me ~


   
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(@barnabus-rox)
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Being a beginner myself can I just say try to find fun songs for her ..

I know its' always better if what I am learning is fun rather then work ..

As for songs ... sorry I can't play any songs that good to give advise on..

Here is to you as good as you are
And here is to me as bad as I am
As good as you are and as bad as I am
I'm as good as you are as bad as I am


   
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 lars
(@lars)
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Topic starter  

there's eleanor rigby.

good idea - thanks!

...only thing I know how to do is to keep on keepin' on...

LARS kolberg http://www.facebook.com/sangerersomfolk


   
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 lars
(@lars)
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Topic starter  

margaret wrote:

P.S. Although I gave piano lessons to other people's kids, it never worked for me to teach my own kids piano. Had to pay someone else to do it.
RParker wrote: Ain't that the way it goes. I hear ya!!!

I was smart enough to not persist too long in the endeavor, either. As soon as I saw things were going awry, I enlisted an outside teacher. I surely did NOT want to be the cause of them abandoning music or developing a distaste for lessons! (Psssst, Larsko, are you listening?? :D )

:roll: ... who ...?

Yes I hear - and I take notes. Actually on violin, she has a teacher - but occationally we have problems just practicing together, but them she won't practice with anybody else or on her own either. Really glad to hear that others have problems teaching own kids - maybe I'm not monstrous after all...

...only thing I know how to do is to keep on keepin' on...

LARS kolberg http://www.facebook.com/sangerersomfolk


   
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(@rparker)
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Yes I hear - and I take notes. Actually on violin, she has a teacher - but occationally we have problems just practicing together, but them she won't practice with anybody else or on her own either. Really glad to hear that others have problems teaching own kids - maybe I'm not monstrous after all...

No way are you alone on that one. I tried to help my son with a new position in baseball. That was a disaster.

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
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 lars
(@lars)
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No way are you alone on that one. I tried to help my son with a new position in baseball. That was a disaster.

lol! Wonder what is wrong with us - I mean, we're supposed to learn them how to behave in complex social situation, we shall teach them the difference between lies and "white lies", learn them to make their own choices and critically asess all information they get, and.. well you see my point.

... and then we're not even able to transfer the knowledge of how a C chord is produced ... gloomy prospects for the future huh? ;)

And Margaret - that G fingering is a good idea. - whatever happened to Hobbes BTW?
And Hilch - fun yes. BTW - as good as you're playing, remember you have to stop referring to yourself as beginner someday ;)

...only thing I know how to do is to keep on keepin' on...

LARS kolberg http://www.facebook.com/sangerersomfolk


   
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(@frank2121)
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" And Hilch - fun yes. BTW - as good as you're playing, remember you have to stop referring to yourself as beginner someday"

Poor hich :cry:
lasko when does the official transformation from beginner to intermediate begin by time or by ability :lol:


   
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 lars
(@lars)
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Poor hich :cry:
lasko when does the official transformation from beginner to intermediate begin by time or by ability :lol:

Haven't you received the diploma yet?
No, fortunately there is a formula for just that:

Just fill in and you'll know

:shock:

...only thing I know how to do is to keep on keepin' on...

LARS kolberg http://www.facebook.com/sangerersomfolk


   
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(@frank2121)
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It is guitar were talking about here i think :? :wink:


   
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(@musenfreund)
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Personally, I'd recommend getting her a teacher. I find my own children learn better from strangers because the parent-child dynamic doesn't get in the way. They're often more eager to please the teacher and less obstreperous when frustrated or distracted. My daughter does so much more on her own with her piano lessons when her mother's not around to comment or help. She works more independently and patiently and tries harder to figure things out on her own. Put Mom in the room, and suddenly she's more apt to whine and cajole and get irritated. I think I'm sometimes more patient myself with other people's children than with my own when it comes to teaching them something. Hmm, maybe we're just a cranky family!!!

Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon


   
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