Guitar Method Book

[nafmeadmin]

I’m looking for a good suggestion for a good guitar method book to use with my 8th grade General Music students. We will be doing alot more guitar in this class next year, but I will still only see them for 18 block periods, and only a portion of each class will be spent on guitar. I’d like them to have some basic knowledge of notes and simple chords.

I’ve considered a few books (below). Pros and Cons? Other suggestions?

Hal Leonard Guitar Method Vol. 1- SCHMID/ KOCH
Alfred’s Basic Guitar Method #1 – Morty Manus & Ron Manus
Jerry Snyder’s Guitar School (Volume 1) – Jerry Snyder

[nafmeadmin]

Essential Elements (Hal Leonard)
Everybody’s Guitar Method (FJH Music)
First Year Guitar Method (Class Guitar Resources)
Mastering the Guitar Class Method (Mel Bay)

You will receive a number of different methods if you take an NAfME cosponsored Teaching Guitar Workshop http://www.guitaredunet.org/apply/

[nafmeadmin]

I use Hal Leonard Guitar Method, Vol. 1 for note reading and melodies on guitar. I like that they use lots of diagrams and pictures and introduce notes in the first position one string at a time, and use familiar melodies that progressively add the new notes in. But, I don’t like the book for chords at all.

I absolutely love, love, love First Year Guitar Method from Class Guitar Resources. Great comprehensive method presented in units and includes a lot of fun lessons on power chords, blues progressions, fingerpicking, barre chords, and I love they way they introduce chords – always in I-IV-V7 progressions. I use it for my 7th and 8th graders and it’s amazing!

[nafmeadmin]

Guitar pedagogy question. What string do you start with note reading?

[nafmeadmin]

I really like the Hal Leonard Essential Elements. It does an excellent job of taking the Hal Leonard Guitar Method and infusing it with great chord lessons as well. You need to stress both the necessity of reading notes and the use of chords. Within a few days you can start playing split class ensembles by having some play melody and some play chords.

Essential Elements does not work on fingerstyle right away. If you are looking for a fingerstyle book then you will want to try a different method.

[nafmeadmin]

@ Glen I like to start with the “first” high e string. Keeps palms off the neck and we can get to a “g” scale relatively quickly.

[nafmeadmin]

I use the hal leonard guitar method book. I use all three levels. However, this is in private lessons not guitar class. I only have three 6th grade guitar classes and I don’t use a method book at all with them.

[nafmeadmin]

@ orndorffm308, If you don’t use a method in your 6th grade guitar class what do you use?

[nafmeadmin]

I teach 2 partial chords (C and G7) after I have taught them how to tune (built in tuners on the guitar). Then I go into Em and A2. After that I do G, Full C, and D. Then we put strumming patterns to the chords. Eventually getting to down down up up down. The chord progression is for the song Stand By Me but other songs use this chord progression so we play those as well. Then depending on the class and how well they progress I go into tablature and reading music on individual strings. I only get my kids once a week for 30 minutes. They do not have class guitar in any other grade level. Each kid is paired up with another student on a guitar.

[nafmeadmin]

@ orndorffm308 do you use the “2 1 3” G or the “3 2 4” G or both depending on the kid?

[nafmeadmin]

@ orndorffm308 other progressions I use to develop motor skills: Am – C and D7 – Fmaj7

[nafmeadmin]

I give them all three options when learning the full G chord – 1). 210003 2). 320004 3). 210034 Usually most kids use #1 but some will like #2. I explain how depending on the chord progression will depend on which G I use. If I am going between G and C a lot then I use #2 more. If I am going between G and Cadd9 then I will use #3. I will have to try that chord progression you suggested. I can see already the common fingers 🙂

[nafmeadmin]

Other thoughts with progressions: C – Fmaj7, Am – D7, D7 – Amaj7, Amaj7 – B7, @ orndorffm308 I also use the “4 finger G” from Cadd9 go to Fadd6add9 XX2134. You can play the intro to “Paradise City” with G, Cadd9, F9, Cad9, G

[nafmeadmin]

Another exercise I do with my kids is what I call the four finger exercise. I start them up in the 9th-12th frets on the first string-1st finger on 9, 2nd on 10, 3rd on 11th, and 4th on 12th. All fingers down at first the pluck string and say 4, then lift so that only 3 fingers are down and say 3. Continue until only first finger is down. Then go down one fret and repeat all the way till the first four frets. Then I have them go 4-3-2-1-2-3-4 then go down one fret. This exercise makes them use their pinky. Most students do not like using their pinky’s.

[nafmeadmin]

Let’s hear it for pinky power!

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