Music teachers and guitarists

[mikeandronda]

Hey everyone, Since there are 70,000+ members here I am hoping there may be a few people who can help me with some ideas. I have played guitar for over 19 yrs and have taught part time for 12 of them until about a year ago when I went full time...... I would love to hear some of your teaching techniques and ways you teach your students or even ways a teacher that you have had has taught you. Over the last year I have developed a program that I teach technique and theory. I have found it to be very successful so far. With in 1-2 months I have most of my students playing chords and some scales and even some arrpeggios. I try to keep everything relative for the first couple of months so most of the lessons are interchangable with what Keys I teach them in....in other words when I teach the basic scales I teach them in the Key of A....same with arppeggios. I teach a few rythems in the key of A and after they get good at these things they are able to jam a often even write their own stuff.<br /><br />Another thing I do is create CDs of there lessons for them.....If we are working on a song I record drums,(drum machine)Rythem guitar, lead and sometimes bass. Then the second song on CD would be drums,rythem and Bass, then the next one would only be drums or maybe bass too. This way they can practice the part they want to with what ever part playing in the back ground. I charge an extra 5 bucks for the CDs ( in truth not really worth my time but they love it and happy students are students who stick around)<br /><br />I am getting close to makeing a real living at this,I now make as much as I did as a construction manager, and my back never hurts So I am looking at expanding into maybe putting up a web site with lessons and my students could also maybe have their lessons posted. ( they would get password to access)<br /><br />I would love to hear any comments or ideas any of you may have.

 

[QC]

Re: Music teachers and guitarists

Congratulations!! I have had a few lessons and have handed out tips to kids etc. for years. Let me noodle on the best little tips coming or going. I'll think of sumpin'. I am envious. Awesome

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: Music teachers and guitarists

Thanx QC......Its pretty cool, I do it out of my home studio/basement so I dont even have to pay for gas to get to work Im in the process of buying equipment and learning how to produce decent recordings so that is also a way I would like to expand in the future. My mother always told me guitar was waste of time and I would never make a living at it.......So I call once a week to tell her "guess what mom, I get payed to play my guitar."

 

[ZooMbr]

Re: Music teachers and guitarists

Way to go M&R!! Have no ideas; but, your sucess is great to hear!

 

[tommays]

Re: Music teachers and guitarists

A teacher like your self did a lot of great thinks with my 21 year old <br /><br />

<br /><br /><br />He plays out a lot at collage and has learned so much about guitars over the years he makes a good liveing selling them.<br /><br />Its nice because they let him work at the buffalo store during the school year and the long island store when schools out<br /><br />tommays

 

[QC]

Re: Music teachers and guitarists

My 17 year old has already played more gigs than I ever did. It is amazing.<br /><br />Mike, I noticed your comment about teaching in A, and it made me think. I started playing when I was 14 and had no other music training except banging on the family piano, nobody at home really played at all except we all knew Heart and Soul Anyway, to me a guitar neck was as intimidating as the 88 keys. I didn't realize that the basic patterns (whatever scale minor/major, whatever) across all six strings was the same in every key until you run out of neck either direction. The opposite is true for Piano, every key is a different pattern.<br /><br />Edit: I meant to say that G Major and B Major are the same pattern as A Major. They are just one whole step up or down, but the pattern is the same. I know that seems extremely basic, but it wasn't clear in my head at 14.

 

[snapperbait]

Re: Music teachers and guitarists

Mike.. I got nuttin for ya, Bud... I'm self taught, and my profound lack of musical knowledge is absolutely pitiful.. It's all greek to me... <br /><br />All I say is, keep it fun...

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: Music teachers and guitarists

Snapper, I think that making it fun is the most importiant thing.....I tell my students if your not having fun you should prolly put it down.......well at least the ones that are not students that mom is mking come. They are the ones that tend to not have fun no matter what.