Guitar QuickStart teaching guide

Guitar QuickStart™
by Mary Jo Disler

ISBN 0-9642229-0-6

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Last update: 3/22/08

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CLASS #2:

All students will bring guitars, so a discussion of posture for holding the guitar, and of the basic finger and plectrum techniques are important.

1. Demonstrate basic playing techniques: classic and plectrum. I limit the classic technique to alternating “i” and “m” fingers at first, with occasional use of the thumb on lower strings. Encourage students to develop an efficient and correct technique. You may or may not be able to follow up with individuals throughout the semester. Many have the habit of using the thumb for everything. Help them to realize that this limits what they can do on guitar. The best players don’t play that way, as they can observe for themselves at concerts or on TV. Respond to those who express concern for playing with correct technique. They will be some of your most conscientious and rewarding students.

2 . Review and complete the construction of the music alphabet on the fretboard.
Play the alphabet on all strings horizontally to fret 12. Playing each letter twice (E E - F F - G G - etc.)

gives new players thinking time, and experienced players a little more activity. I show students the basic fretting hand position with thumb opposite the second finger, and ask them to slide the second finger from letter-to-letter along the string. This helps them to stabilize the fretting hand relative to the neck, and also encourages a sense of the active role of the arm.

3 . Discuss the fifth-fret tuning process. Ask students to locate the fret matching the open string “by ear.” After completely constructing the alphabet on the fretboard, the relationship between the open-string letters and fifth-fret letters can be pointed out. Some students may have electronic tuners, which I encourage them to use. However it is important for the development of the ear for them to learn to tune the guitar to itself as well.

4 . First position mapping of the natural letters opens the door to position-oriented fingering. Use an exercise to practice finger alignment on frets 1-4.

========================

CLASS #3:

Begin each class consistently with a warmup exercise. During the first half of the
course, which deals with note-reading, the various scales serve this purpose well:

1. Letters on each string to fret 12 and back

2. First position scale of natural letters

3 The major scales of C, G and F (introduced in Class #4). Be sure to explain measures and time signatures when introducing the “First Position Reading Charts and Exercises,” pp.18-24 of Guitar QuickStart. Frequently some students are already quite adept at tablature and are taking the course to learn reading. Other students are more comfortable reading directly from the music staff. Help them understand that tablature is used as a temporary teaching device to aid visual association between music staff and fretboard, and is incorporated into written tests.

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All students will bring guitars, so a discussion of posture for holding the guitar, and of the basic finger and plectrum techniques are important.

1. Demonstrate basic playing techniques: classic and plectrum. I limit the classic technique to alternating “i” and “m” fingers at first, with occasional use of the thumb on lower strings. Encourage students to develop an efficient and correct technique. You may or may not be able to follow up with individuals throughout the semester. Many have the habit of using the thumb for everything. Help them to realize that this limits what they can do on guitar. The best players don’t play that way, as they can observe for themselves at concerts or on TV. Respond to those who express concern for playing with correct technique. They will be some of your most conscientious and rewarding students.

2 . Review and complete the construction of the music alphabet on the fretboard.
Play the alphabet on all strings horizontally to fret 12. Playing each letter twice (E E - F F - G G - etc.)

gives new players thinking time, and experienced players a little more activity. I show students the basic fretting hand position with thumb opposite the second finger, and ask them to slide the second finger from letter-to-letter along the string. This helps them to stabilize the fretting hand relative to the neck, and also encourages a sense of the active role of the arm.

3 . Discuss the fifth-fret tuning process. Ask students to locate the fret matching the open string “by ear.” After completely constructing the alphabet on the fretboard, the relationship between the open-string letters and fifth-fret letters can be pointed out. Some students may have electronic tuners, which I encourage them to use. However it is important for the development of the ear for them to learn to tune the guitar to itself as well.

4 . First position mapping of the natural letters opens the door to position-oriented fingering. Use an exercise to practice finger alignment on frets 1-4.

========================

CLASS #3:

Begin each class consistently with a warmup exercise. During the first half of the
course, which deals with note-reading, the various scales serve this purpose well:

1. Letters on each string to fret 12 and back

2. First position scale of natural letters

3 The major scales of C, G and F (introduced in Class #4). Be sure to explain measures and time signatures when introducing the “First Position Reading Charts and Exercises,” pp.18-24 of Guitar QuickStart. Frequently some students are already quite adept at tablature and are taking the course to learn reading. Other students are more comfortable reading directly from the music staff. Help them understand that tablature is used as a temporary teaching device to aid visual association between music staff and fretboard, and is incorporated into written tests.