Reply To: Notes or Chords?

[nafmeadmin]

In an ideal world, I would teach notes only at first. If the student is patient, they will inadvertently be playing chords after mastering the first position. In a song like “Greensleves”, students begin to play an A minor by following the melody, at which time it can be pointed out that they are playing a chord. This approach works well with younger students who are far more likely to let you guide their instruction, but can be a challenge to sell to older students.

In a survey type class, many students have a strong desire to play their favorite tune and will want to learn chords as quickly as possible. (And if they don’t get it from us, they will inevitably do it on their own after spending some time on Youtube.)