Reply To: Starting Guitar Class

[nafmeadmin]

The Teaching Guitar Workshops are a life saver for someone starting a guitar class. If you can fit that in your summer schedule, you won’t regret it. You will get an intensive week on training on how to play guitar and how to approach guitar instruction in a classroom setting.

There are other resources you can look at as well to help you get started.
This website is a great place to get ideas from teachers who are currently teaching guitar classes. Every month a member of the NAfME Council for Guitar Education is on this site to help teachers make the most of their guitar classes.
The Teaching Guitar Workshops website (www.guitaredunet.org) also has articles and lesson plans that you can help you with ideas.

The guitar method books have also become very excellent tools for approaching a guitar class. Class Guitar Resources, Hal Leonard, Mel Bay, Jerry Snyder and others all have very good methods. In picking those methods, you will want to determine the length of your class and the age level you are approaching. Each method book will work. Some work better for a semester class versus a year-long class. There are also books that focus on elementary students or middle school/high school classes.

Your biggest asset will be asking questions. There are plenty of guitar teachers who want to help others start successful programs. Many of them look at this site. I know that I am happy to share anything I have that will help you!

Traci Bolton
Lafayette High School
Wildwood, Missouri
http://staff.rockwood.k12.mo.us/boltontraci
Twitter @LafayetteGuitar