Is there a guitar teacher handbook?

[Shreddy Mercury]

I've given lessons a time or two here and there, but really to just friends who wanted to learn to play. Is there some sort of book, like a teacher's edition that tells you what to teach first, what should be in a class, how long it should be, when to progress, etc?

I know all kinds of stuff, but I haven't the slightest clue in what order to teach it in, how to construct a class, what to expect, etc...

 

[MadAsAHatter]

Best method is to give vague instructions then beat students until they get it right.

 

[Shreddy Mercury]

Best method is to give vague instructions then beat students until they get it right.

Well, I also teach martial arts, so I guess I could combine the two

 

[MadAsAHatter]

Seriously, thinking back to when I was starting out learning lesson 1 was how to hold the guitar and how to hold a pick. My teacher started out with basic chords and E, E-minor, A, A-minor bar chord shapes. From there is was few songs with simple chord change progressions. Once I got those down we moved on to basic scales. At some point after I got the core stuff down I asked to move on to learning metal rhythms, playing techniques, and song composure so we worked on that.

I'm sure there's better methods, but that's what got me going.

 

[VonBonfire]

Best method is to give vague instructions then beat students until they get it right.

 

[Floyd Eye]

I listened to the radio and rewound cassette tapes over and over until I figured out how to play shit. I had a buddy who showed me some shit. Smoke on the water, sweet home Alabama. Eventually The hellion, Electric Eye, bloodstone, buncha shit off Rocka Rolla. The rest I figured out on my own.

 

[DanTravis62]

@Matt300ZXT at least with me, i like picking a lane.

i don't teach beginners, only intermediate students, and I have a process I go through where we diagnose why the student isn't reaching their goals, and then put an action plan to try to fix it - whether that's playing certain techniques, or other problems guitar players have in bands like recording etc

If someone wants to learn "smoke on the water" they have a smartphone, I teach skills and coping mechanisms musicians use lol

 

[Floyd Eye]

@Matt300ZXT at least with me, i like picking a lane.

i don't teach beginners, only intermediate students, and I have a process I go through where we diagnose why the student isn't reaching their goals, and then put an action plan to try to fix it - whether that's playing certain techniques, or other problems guitar players have in bands like recording etc

If someone wants to learn "smoke on the water" they have a smartphone, I teach skills and coping mechanisms musicians use lol

Dude, I was 9. And I also learned The Sentinel. When I was 9.

 

[DanTravis62]

Dude, I was 9. And I also learned The Sentinel. When I was 9.

I mean, sweet? I'm just telling Matt if he wants to teach people pick a lane instead of trying to be everything to everyone

 

[Floyd Eye]

I mean, sweet? I'm just telling Matt if he wants to teach people pick a lane instead of trying to be everything to everyone

Never mind I lied. I was 13. And I was really a bass player. I still thought I was the shit though.

 

[DanTravis62]

Never mind I lied. I was 13. And I was really a bass player. I still thought I was the shit though.

My mom wouldn't let me get a guitar until I turned 12, unfortunately. I had to take piano lessons for 6 years to convince her.

It was probably for the best though, because i started improving really quickly at the beginning

 

[Floyd Eye]

My point is I never had a teacher. Back then we did shit the hard way. I learned the first 4 kiss albums by lifting the needle to back up until I got it right.

 

[Floyd Eye]

My mom wouldn't let me get a guitar until I turned 12, unfortunately. I had to take piano lessons for 6 years to convince her.

It was probably for the best though, because i started improving really quickly at the beginning

My dad was a bass player and bought me a bass when I was about 8. After a year or so I got bored not having anyone to play with and he gave me access to his SG. So from about 10 to 13 I learned a lot of stuff on guitar. When I got in my first band I went back to bass. Back then no one blinked an eye when we were playing in bars when I was 15.

Lessons probably would have helped but….

I have a good ear as a result though. If I can hear it, I can pick it out. You know, when all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail.

 

[Findthetone1]

My point is I never had a teacher. Back then we did shit the hard way. I learned the first 4 kiss albums by lifting the needle to back up until I got it right.

Yep. Other than less than a year of lessons from a local teacher and a few lessons from David Chastain in high school, I was all self taught. I'm sure I'm a myriad of bad playing habits now and do wish I had done things a little differently. I've been asked a few times over the years to give some lessons but I just don't feel like I'd put a new player on the right track.

OP, good luck with your dive into teaching. I hope you inspire many new players.

 

[NowYou'rePlayingWithPower]

You could start them off washing your car.
They'll be ready to defeat Kai and Vai in a few short months.

 

[rsm]

Use this. This will put an end to their nonsense about learning guitar. It stopped me for a few years thanks to the sheer boredom; learning saxophone in grade school was more interesting than this book:

 

[Thumbpicker]

 

[Thumbpicker]

My point is I never had a teacher. Back then we did shit the hard way. I learned the first 4 kiss albums by lifting the needle to back up until I got it right.

I learned kiss by sucking a lemon ;-)

 

[Floyd Eye]

I learned kiss by sucking a lemon ;-)

I learned that kiss when I was 11 and my 16 year old babysitter fucked me for the first time.

 

[thegame]

I learned that kiss when I was 11 and my 16 year old babysitter fucked me for the first time.

Has the last time happened yet?