OK, this is the answer I've been looking for. The truth of the matter is I write the lessons for myself (that you figured out). But I share them because I wouldn't mind to find somebody that is interested enough to ask questions. I like answering questions. And a little praise wouldn't hurt. (sad, I know). I've never found a single book, teacher, website that showed me everything. What they do show me I usually take apart and figure out how they got there. That's how I learn. So you're telling me that I can't expect that from others? Most people just follow the book and that's it? People are different, I suppose. Thanks, for the thorough reply.
No, it's not that I don't think that you can't expect that from others. It's just that it's going to take some people a while (and other quite a while) to get to the point where they can follow in your footsteps enough to be able to question.
I don't think that anyone has ever found a single teacher, book or website to teach him or her everything (and, personally, I'd be very worried about anyone who did!). When it comes to theory, most people learn it after getting quite a dose of music. It provides them more with "aha! that's why that works!" answers than anything else. Few people who play have any formal studies in theory at all. And usually the theory that interests them most is what will apply to them directly during their day-to-day dealings with music. For the casual player, that's usually little more than knowing how to create chords and how to transpose and possibly studying basic progressions.
What you've got on your site is very specific to the guitarist. And while there are players who are always looking for new ways to think about the fretboard (which yours certainly is), most casual guitarists will go through their playing days not really thinking all that much about it. Maybe it can help them become better players, but until they decide what you have can help them, you can't expect them to take the same amount of time to decipher it as you spent puting it together.
It's a funny thing sometimes - a teacher's reputation comes from his or her students but the truth is that without a student putting his or her effort and time into studying the teacher's reputation is nonexistent. As I said earlier, if you really want to find someone interested enough to ask questions, you're going to have to go to them. At least as far as their starting level of knowledge, experience and skills. Or you're going to have to wait until they reach a point where they can come to you. You've got a great skillset and being able to take something apart to figure out how someone else got there is invaluable. Maybe an idea would be to walk someone else down that same path, but start that person out just where you were. Don't start them out where you were able to be later on after you'd already mostly figured things out.
It's not so much that most people follow the book as it is they follow the path they are on until someone points out a different path that they might like to follow for a while before persuing their own musical goals once more. It's good to have a different guide for different parts of your journey of learning. Someone will be interested enough to ask questions - you just might have to meet them closer to where they are than where you are currently.
Peace
The truth of the matter is I write the lessons for myself
I think we all do, to a certain extent, because if we as teachers can't enthuse about a lesson then we'll never inspire our students to learn. Who wants a guitar lesson (or vioin, percussion or Mongolian nose flute) where they repeat mechanically what their teacher shows them and know he's just doing that lesson because it's next in the syllabus?
Most people just follow the book and that's it?
No, that's not it. Most people will only follow the book until they learn to question things - how do I play sharps/ flats/ Johnny Sniper/ that hammer on- tap-bend-release-bend down thing that Zakk Wylde does? - then their lessons start to get really interesting for you as a teacher because you start to learn along with them.
And if you don't learn something from delivering a lesson, what's going to keep you motivated as a teacher?
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
I have over 200 readers/students. Nicccccceeeeeee - well it's the best guitar related accomplishment I got. If I didn't have to study Microbiology and Psychology.....I would definitely work on a new lesson. They can probably wait two months, right? Or I could merge them together. Come to think about it - Psych is already there. Math is there. hmmmmmmmm Microbiology? :D
