what would you teach first to a beginner?
Seasonal greetings to all
I've got a mate who wants me to try to get him started playing guitar. He's 40-ish, and owns a guitar, but has never had a lesson, and from what I can tell has never made a real effort to learn to play it.
I've been playing (this time) for about three years, am far from brilliant, but can play bits and pieces not particularly well - both strumming, some picking, and can also do a bit of fingerstyle. I know a bit of theory - chromatic scale, major scales, pentatonics, chords, triads - so hopefully I can at least get him started, and it might give me a bit of a push to improve too.
I'm wondering how I should approach things with him. The most crucial thing it seems to me, is that we find a way to play something together - if we can do that fairly quickly, however simple, then we'll start having fun, and in due course we'll both improve.
I do have some ideas - but I just wondered what the rest of you thought? What do you reckon?
Say you've got 2 x 2 hour sessions per week, with an absolute beginner, where you're going to get pished and hopefully just have a laugh - how would you approach it?
Firstly, a really simple change that is recognisable (eg, depending on taste, "Not Fade Away" or "Breathe") - something that he can do and know what it is will spur him on further, I think.
Originally Posted by jalapeno
Yep, I would say that rather than learn chords for the sake of it, it makes sense to learn some chords that we can use to play a recognisable song.
He's heavily into the Rolling Stones, so perhaps I try to find a couple of easy-ish ones, with just open chords, then maybe practice the chord changes together, until he can do it along with a metronome. I suppose there'll need to be some kind of strumming pattern he can play too, maybe starting with just some downstrokes, and moving on to something more interesting from there.
Because I've had a few false starts with the guitar, its tricky for me to remember what its like to be an absolute beginner. But I suppose I need to come up with a steady progression - small steps and all that.
Does anyone know some easy Stones tracks that you can play with open chords? Even better if there's an achievable lead part to go along with it.
probably a pentatonic scale Aminor 5th position over you playing chords...that way he will see how easy it is for the correct notes to sound right over a chord prog, then start working on phrasing and stuff straight away, showing him its not just the notes you play,its the way you play them...
Yep, definitely there should be a scales/improvising element to our practice. I'm doing CAGED myself at the moment, so I'll try to tie that in, and get some 12 Bar Blues going for starters.
NFA, as mentioned, and "Sympathy" (contains a B, but otherwise - and the best lead part in the world)
Whoops - I've just betrayed my Stones ignorance thereNFA, as mentioned, and "Sympathy" (contains a B, but otherwise - and the best lead part in the world)
Oooh, he wont get the B in Sympathy for a while I wouldnt have thought, but I'll take a look at the lead part, and see what we could do.
Simple.
Follow the Beginners Course on justinguitar.com and use the accompanying Beginners Songbook to learn songs relevant to each stage.
http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-00...nersCourse.php
http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BS-00...rsSongbook.php
Do you want proof that this works?
Watch my grandson's videos here.
This is him after age 13 I had been teaching him for about ten months.
I think posture is the most important thing.
So - legs apart as far as they will go. Strap extended so that the guitar is almost on the floor. Strumming hand reaching for the sky.
Once you've got that sorted, set the metronome going.
Then launch into "Honky Tonk Women". Four open chords (err? G C G A D, G C G D G then chorus G D G, G D G that's it, isn't it?) and a few licks that are learnable for a beginner.
Have fun
Last edited by Ben_Sir_Amos; 27th December 2011 at 05:42 PM. Reason: I've only been playing this song 40 years and I can still screw up the chorus
Very good indeed, you must be pleasedSimple.
Follow the Beginners Course on justinguitar.com and use the accompanying Beginners Songbook to learn songs relevant to each stage.
http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-00...nersCourse.php
http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BS-00...rsSongbook.php
Do you want proof that this works?
Watch my grandson's videos here.
This is him after age 13 I had been teaching him for about ten months.
I had decided that I would give him some of Justins technical exercises to do from day one.
From memory the 'spider' one, and the hammer-on pull-off one are excellent. I'll also get him barre-ing from day one, just as an exercise to strengthen, in prep for doing barre chords a bit later.
Will definitely do some of his song lessons too - its an excellent site.
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