Need advise on teaching guitar to a 12 year old.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Digital Jams
  • Start date Start date
Stratboy151":e7907 said:
Megadeth7684":e7907 said:
Alternate picking for his first lesson? :confused:
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doesnt have to be alternate picking, but he should definetely get his fingers moving doing the basic "1234" exercise. the alternate picking should be introduced shortly afterwards though..
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Exactly, it was not explaind to me correctly and I have suffered big time for that. It was Harry that got me to play more accurate through proper practice and I just want to start this kid in the right direction.

I was also thinking a 1234 exercise and yes Steve is right, wish this kid could start with you.
 
j666":b226c said:
what's wrong with the chugga chugga??? :thumbsdown: :gethim:
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It is not where I what to start him, he is not learning teh root - 5th- octave crap right away :thumbsup:
 
I've taught many, for a few years.

I mainly had the same starting point. Single note passages.

Chromatic passages on the E string(high) ie. 0-1-2-3-(4)-3-2-1-0
(depends on the kid if i ask them to use their pinky)

depending on how that goes i normally do the chromatic thing on 2 strings then Ode to joy is normally home work. the theory and music reading with tabs are normally included in a lesson.

It someone is a little older I would add easy chords G, D, Em, C and would substitute ode to joy for Time of your life by green day.

let them decide how they would like to play it.. picked or strummed. most strum but some pick.

For someone a little more advanced I'd have them practice bannana pancakes by some guy can't think of his name. single note runs that include slides and string changes as well as full barred chords thrown into the mix.

My main idea was to get them to play something that might challenge them during the lesson and then give them some theory based playing for a little bit as well as something they wanna play.

hope this helps and makes sense.

Brae
 
Keep in mind that the kid is going to have to WANT TO PRACTICE. Easiest way to do that is to teach him songs, and simple songs at first with just a few chords. Single notes are easier to play than chords, but kids aren't going to want to practice 1 2 3 4 3 2 1 on each string for 15-30 minutes a day. Hey kids, want to learn a song called "chromatic scales?"

Another thing I used to do was to teach them a song, then find another one that used the same chords or one extra... show him that extra chord, then let THEM work out the song. Also cover how to tune to a recording, etc (which is less trouble now with mp3s and CDs... tape decks and turntables could vary quite a bit back in the day) - this way you're teaching him to 'fish for himself'. I taught my nephew this way, and he can pick stuff up by ear pretty well.

Pete
 
I did not know this but the kid plays trumpet so yeah I guess that he will have some drive to practice which is cool.

Another thing I forgot to explain was his size, the kid is in 7th grade and is around 5'11" and 175 pounds....he has some mits on him.
 
Digital Jams":ea3ef said:
I did not know this but the kid plays trumpet so yeah I guess that he will have some drive to practice which is cool.

Another thing I forgot to explain was his size, the kid is in 7th grade and is around 5'11" and 175 pounds....he has some mits on him.
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Bah, just teach him Trower tunes. That and Hendrix are all he needs to get by these days. Not this meedley meedley meedley AND THE DRAGON FLY'S ON THRU THE NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! bullshit.
 
Start with very basic open chords. Teach him to move from one chord to another. Then you can explain some very basic theoretical cocepts from these two chords. Also I do not think an electric or for that a steel stringed guitar is a good beginer insturment, see if you can find a cheap nylon stringed acoustic to start him up on. Also teaching him to use his fingers instead of a pick can be very important my first teacher did not let me touch a pick for a year in order that I understand classical and folk before going into rock and jazz.
 
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