ATOT Guitarists Help me!

[plastick]

Okay, someone help me out please. I got a short job teaching some kids how to play guitar. From what info I have obtained, I am going to be teaching about 25 kids (all at once) for about 2 hours a day, on Saturday and Sunday evenings for 5 weeks. Now, these kids are going to be about 12 to 15 years old. Plus they are little buttholes that are most likely going to be trying to control me. That makes for 10 2-hour long sessions of hell. I have never taught anyting before, ever.

So, my plea for help is this: What and How should I go about teaching these kids how to play guitar? Where should I start? What order of guitar teaching points should I go in? I need help.

Any advice would be very appreciated!

 

[silverpig]

Start off by playing something cool for them. Then say that if they work hard that they'll be able to play that as well. Teach the scale the song uses, the chords, and other stuff like that. Then slowly piece it together over the 5 weeks so that they can see they're working towards playing something they like.

 

[aircooled]

Spend 1 1/2 hours with real chords and simple theory, then spend 30 minutes just jamming and having fun.

 

[silverpig]

aircooled: Has anyone ever told you that your sig seems to suggest that the video is of your cat's death?

 

[Mucman]

I just kept on bringing Rush tapes to my guitar teacher and he taught me how to play the songs. Ask the kids to do the same

 

[aircooled]

Originally posted by: silverpig
aircooled: Has anyone ever told you that your sig seems to suggest that the video is of your cat's death?

No, but I can see how the "RIP" would suggest that.... I'll have to re-think the sig

 

[Amorphus]

Originally posted by: silverpig
aircooled: Has anyone ever told you that your sig seems to suggest that the video is of your cat's death?

we could only hope...

 

[nakedfrog]

Sounds like too many students for that amount of time if none of them have ever played before.
Aircooled's suggestion sounds about right though.

 

[Chebago]

my guitar teacher used the Aaron Shearer classical guitar method books. These were good because they gave me something to practice with that was in my skill level...I would suggest using some kind of books, I think there are 4 or 5 of the Aaron Shearer books but I'm sure there are a ton of others as well, you can teach them and then have them practice using the excercises in the book. It worked for me, but I was really into classical guitar.

 

[TheShiz]

yep, this isn't going to be easy with that many kids. what you will be hard is showing how fingers go, with that many kids you will probably spend the whole time trying to get them to play a chord correctly, you can pretty much forget about chord changes. you will lose most of their attention after 15 minutes probably, but good luck.

 

[aircooled]

Elephants
Always
Do
Grow
Big
Ears

 

[nakedfrog]

The Mel Bay books are supposed to be pretty good. That's part of what I started with.

 

Originally posted by: aircooled
Elephants
Always
Do
Grow
Big
Ears

crikey, i would have killed for that about 10 years ago!

 

[Bleep]

Plus they are little buttholes that are most likely going to be trying to control me.

The first thing is to drop the attitude!!!! Your attitude stinks big time, you will never be able to teach anyhthing with a attitude like you have. Get out while the getting out is available.

Bleep

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

I learned drum set in middle school and I can say a huge factor is initial interest, after that first sign of interest, it takes time, but seperates the serious players from the "my friend was doing it too" person

Teach something simple and easy to learn at first. When they first come, impress them with something fun and easy to play

 

[slickcat]

Easter
Bunnies
Get
Drunk
After
Easter

 

[SETiCruncherXy]

well.. i teach guitar to kids for a living..
one on one.. and god i couldnt imagine doing 25 all at once...
they way i do it with new kids is..
at first i just start by ripping a few kick ass licks and tell them this is the way they can play if they really want to learn..
ive found that the best way to teach kids guitar is to teach them a song that "they" want to learn..
i just figure out the chords and teach them just those chords on the chart.. i just give them the basic break down of the strumming tempo relative to the beat and not the actual strum by strum...
in a few short minutes they are jamming with the song instead of learning how to play it note for note..
once they get comfortable with you and the guitar then you can start slipping in the real lessons here and there.. in a month of 2 hour lessons they should all know at least 12 major chords and how to use power chords... scales dont really mean anything to kids unless they really really really wanna learn how to play the guitar right...

keep it to what kind of music they want to learn..
even hiphop can have a kick ass guitar line in it..
and dont forget to make them laugh...

 

[Mutilator]

This can be their homework:
Guitar.about.com

 

[plastick]

Originally posted by: slickcat
Easter
Bunnies
Get
Drunk
After
Easter

HAHAHAHaaa

 

[plastick]

Thanks everyone for your posts!!! especially you....seti..umm..cruncher xy guy. Very good points.

I suppose then that I shall be "cool" ...very flexible, but not enough to break...and just try to have fun with them rather than make school out of it. But essentially, I will have to use my judgement when I get there and actually see what I have to work with.

I like the idea of cranking out a tasty jam to get them interested... and then teaching them stuff they like for a while and then slipping in some good lessons...

I cant wait to start!

Thanks again!

 

[ThaPerculator]

Rip some Iron Maiden and have the kids dress up like Eddie.... :evil:

Basically you have to find out what kind of music the majority wants to learn and run with it, throwing in some fun stuff along the way so its not all like homework. Pick a 3-chord song and have them go home and learn the fingerings so that they have something that they can attempt to play on the 2nd day so you can actually give them/show them pointers on technique.

not like your gonna teach them this, but hey....

Circle of fifths

Call
Girls
Do
Anal
Every
Bloody
Friday (#)

and repeat with sharps but the last F is normal....

 

[plastick]

Call
Girls
Do
Anal
Every
Bloody
Friday (#)

and repeat with sharps but the last F is normal....

what in the world is that?

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: plastick

Call
Girls
Do
Anal
Every
Bloody
Friday (#)

and repeat with sharps but the last F is normal....

what in the world is that?

something that no beginning guitarist needs to know.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: plastick

Call
Girls
Do
Anal
Every
Bloody
Friday (#)

and repeat with sharps but the last F is normal....

what in the world is that?

Theory stuff (yech!)

Tablature for life baby!!!

Heh, j/k. Tab is alright I guess, but you can only go so far with it. Eventually you'll need to know some scales and what not.

 

[Fritzo]

I've taught a couple of kids before...but 25???? That'll be tough. You'll have to hold their interest. Get a survey of what kind of music they like, see if you can divide them into groups, then gear your material towards each type of music. That might hold their interest for a while.