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Sweet Student of Mine

Teaching Guitar Blog

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Read More about Sweet Student of Mine about Sweet Student of Mine
Sweet Student of Mine
Have you been in this situation? A new student shows up for the first day of guitar class and he can play the riff from, Sweet Child of Mine flawlessly! He impresses all the other students…and you. You might even wonder if this kid ought to be teaching your guitar class. Later on, you find out that the little Slash (guitarist from Guns n Roses) picked everything up from YouTube and countless hours memorizing where to put his fingers. Still he’s excited about learning guitar your class, but thinks that he’s above the beginning stages – especially reading music. How […]

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September 5, 2016
Read More about School Is In Session – Better Get In Shape about School Is In Session – Better Get In Shape
School Is In Session – Better Get In Shape
It’s been a long summer – thank goodness – but now you’ve got to teach guitar again. If you need a little refresher, you’re not alone. No worries! We’ll get you in shape for your new crop of eager guitar players. Let’s get down to some fundamentals. Strings Let me guess: You haven’t touched your guitar since the school year ended. OK, you’re forgiven. The instrument has 6 strings (see Bryan Adams below) that may need tuning. The notes are: E, A, D, G, B, E and numbered: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Can’t remember that? OK, your students […]

Read More about School Is In Session – Better Get In Shape

August 28, 2016
Read More about 10 Takeaways on TAB about 10 Takeaways on TAB
10 Takeaways on TAB
The debate continues! TAB is a touchy subject – some people love it, others despise it. When we use TAB are we doing players – especially newbies – a disservice or helping them learn the instrument more quickly? Can TAB and musical notation ever be reconciled? Here’s Bill’s* advice about the good and the bad of TAB: 1. Teach both standard notation AND tablature – as you can see from this example: teaching TAB and notation side by side could give a beginning player a leg up! Your students won’t have to find the frets for the notes; TAB takes care […]

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August 21, 2016
Read More about 5 Classroom Guitar Hacks about 5 Classroom Guitar Hacks
5 Classroom Guitar Hacks
If you’re starting a guitar program on a budget, you’re not alone. How do you buy guitars, store them, give your kids picks every 5 minutes when they lose them? Where does it end? It ends when you decide to do some or all of it yourself (or with the help of your handy friend). We always tell teachers that starting a guitar class is inexpensive, but with these guitar hacks your costs can fall precipitously. Music Stand Accessory Holder TGW Clinician, Traci Bolton shared this classroom hack. She needed a way to store her classroom accessories – a pencil, […]

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August 7, 2016
Read More about 9 Weeks of Classroom Guitar Diaries Compiled about 9 Weeks of Classroom Guitar Diaries Compiled
9 Weeks of Classroom Guitar Diaries Compiled
School is about to start – if it hasn’t already started. Your kids’ hands are itching to start playing guitar. You have so much to prep! What to do? We’ve got you covered. If you didn’t read Shelley’s Classroom Guitar Diaries as they were being published a couple months ago, here they all are under one roof…umm, article. This post is complete with lessons, videos, exams…it even has a sub-plan! Kick off your school year the right way and take a bunch of lessons from Shelley Brobst. Week 1 My name is Shelley Brobst and I teach guitar… to elementary […]

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July 31, 2016
Read More about 5 Ideas for the 1st Hour of Guitar Class about 5 Ideas for the 1st Hour of Guitar Class
5 Ideas for the 1st Hour of Guitar Class
What to teach? So many choices! I want to teach my kids something substantive, but I don’t want to scare them. I hope they walk away inspired. The first hour of your guitar class can be intimidating; fortunately, you can cover a lot in just a little time. Here’s a list of 5 openers for your class. 1. Listen to Different Guitar Music – 8 minutes Guitar has appealed to people and increased in popularity because of its versatility. It can be used as a lead instrument and guitar players can accompany singers, other guitarists, or themselves! Additionally, the instrument […]

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July 17, 2016
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