by Ian Loft

Created on: December 31, 2009

Learning guitar is a lifetime experience best summarised by an understanding that the more you learn, the more you realise there is so much still to learn.  As a tutor of many years experience working with adults and children teaching guitar styles ranging from classical through to lead and bass guitar I find I learn a great deal more through the process of explaining and demonstrating to new players.

 Before offering a selection of different methods and tips for guitar players developed through a process of trial and error it is important to know that no fixed or constant teaching methodology works for every learner/player.  Each player will experience music in different ways; it is a personal interpretation as unique as the individual.  What can be gained from this is an understanding that music is relative.  What I would consider discordant noise may be the most incredible musical experience to others – say for example someone who is into some of the more confronting and aggressive styles of heavy metal.  (A style I make clear to students as one they work out for themselves – I will not teach it)

Tip One:            A new learner will take up guitar with some expectation of being able to play something in a relatively short time.  The fastest way to loose a new learner is failure to address this expectation.  For this reason the first few lessons need to concentrate on three basic chords: A major, D major and E major.  These three chords require a minimal of finger movements and more interestingly centre on the first finger remaining on the third string, second fret when changing from A to D, and then simply sliding down to the first fret when changing to E.  The youngest of students seem to pick this up easily and discover they can play literally dozens of songs within a few weeks using these three chords.

Tip Two:            Work with familiar songs.  I ask each of my learners to provide a list of songs they like, and would like to learn.  It is not that difficult to transpose a simple song into the key of A Major – it can easily be transposed back into the original key once the learner is capable of more complex chords and changes.  Obviously there will be songs requested that will not easily transpose, or that require more advanced training. 

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