[HANASHIR:14856] Re: guitar class and song leading

[Jacqueline Guttman <jguttman...>]

I agree with what Beth wrote regarding your not needing to be an expert to
get kids started.  Although I am a musician, my guitar-playing was
self-taught (so I would not have to push a piano around a school) and pretty
primitive. I had a few kids who wanted to take lessons after school so,
after warning them and their parents that I was not a guitarist and that
this would be strictly introductory, I gave group lessons. One boy, who was
a low achiever in other areas, did really well and sang and played at a
concert. 

I myself had learned 3 chords in camp one summer when I was 15 and could do
a fair amount with that. (Don't worry, I added to my chord repertoire!) NFTY
songs are not complex, and kids could have a lot of success quickly.

Great idea. Go for it!

Jackie Guttman


From: Batiya5723 (at) cs(dot)com
Reply-To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2003 12:42:22 -0400 (EDT)
To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
Subject: [HANASHIR:14836] Re: guitar class and song leading


In a message dated 7/10/2003 6:26:10 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
Scott (at) Sloter(dot)net writes:
I've been trying to come up with a way to bring more music, preferably
on the guitar, to the kids.  My thought is to start a guitar class.


You don't mention whether or not YOU play guitar. Even if you are less
experienced, you can still teach what you know. With permission from my
Educator, I offered a guitar course in the religious high school a couple of
years ago. The four kids who signed up for the class were complete beginners
and three of them couldn't read music. I used songs from our teen service
that the kids already knew, and a great book called Mel Bay's Guitar Chords
(which has actual photos of a hand forming each chord). We focused on
counting, tuning and a couple of basic strumming patterns (I am a flatpicker
and do not play or teach fingerstyle). I also encouraged the kids to sing
while playing, to learn what it felt like to accompany a voice.

By the end of the semester they could all play through the songs we'd
studied, and a couple showed interst in continuing independently through the
summer. So far, no future songleaders have emerged from this, but seeds were
definitely planted; and three years later at least one girl is still playing
her father's old guitar. I may offer the course again this year if there's
time in the schedule.

Good luck.
Beth Hamon -- Portland, OR
www.beth-hamon.com