What Is The Best Method To Teach Beginners?

[leow_john]

This message goes out to all who have had experience teaching beginners how to play guitar...

I've been teaching for about 3 months now, and one thing i realise is that my students all have different learning curves. Of course, some go the extra mile by taking up music school lessons, in addition to private lessons, and so they improve faster.

The greatest challenge I face is to meet all their different needs. What I try to do with all my students is that though the pace goes with their learning ability, I try to give them 3 areas of component training: chord change/strumming rhythm/ and co-ordinating all these two together.

It has worked 50/50 for them, and i'm starting to run out of ideas!!?!Sometimes, I feel like pulling the hair off my scalp no matter how many times I sit there and watch them practise. So i would love to hear your views and ideas (if you have taught before or are teaching currently) what are the methods you use to teach your beginner students. Thanks!

 

[Likui]

u know what if only we could have some guitar teaching sessions that would be cool like teaching how to teach

 

[leow_john]

u know what if only we could have some guitar teaching sessions that would be cool like teaching how to teach

Yea haha..that's a cool idea...I hope there are such workshops around..

 

[futures]

Always be patient. If you can't do that, maybe teaching ain't for you.

Put yourself in your student's place and think back to when you were struggling with certain techniques, and recall how you overcame those barriers. Otherwise, watch their movements carefully and try to diagnose what the problem exactly is. Alternatively, ask him/her what exactly the difficulty they're facing is, and try to provide a solution, be it slowing down the strumming pattern, changing chords finger by finger etc. If you can't provide a solution immediately at that point in time, get back to them the week after.

I guess the key is basically catering to specific needs and not assuming that just because it might have been a smooth learning journey for youl, it should be a smooth journey for them as well.

I don't know if you agree with everything i've mentioned but i hope my input is helpful !

 

[Likui]

Always be patient. If you can't do that, maybe teaching ain't for you.

Put yourself in your student's place and think back to when you were struggling with certain techniques, and recall how you overcame those barriers. Otherwise, watch their movements carefully and try to diagnose what the problem exactly is. Alternatively, ask him/her what exactly the difficulty they're facing is, and try to provide a solution, be it slowing down the strumming pattern, changing chords finger by finger etc. If you can't provide a solution immediately at that point in time, get back to them the week after.

I guess the key is basically catering to specific needs and not assuming that just because it might have been a smooth learning journey for youl, it should be a smooth journey for them as well.

I don't know if you agree with everything i've mentioned but i hope my input is helpful !

thinking about the solution that's the hard part