Teaching Guitar 1

 If you would like to make a living from teaching/tutoring guitar and music it is important to gain a good understanding of the best methods to teach or tutors others. Of course it is important to know how to play your instrument and have at least a basic understanding of music. If you cannot impart your knowledge and skills to others you can forget developing a business as your students just won't stay.

It is also important to give your student a plan. Have your student set goals.

 

Write yourself clear and concise outcomes so that you can pass these onto your student. In other words give them something to aim for.

Don't " wing it" Over the many years I have taught teachers and trainers, this was one of the biggest issues . Too many teachers and trainers don't plan and usually end up "winging it " through each lesson. This is not fair on your student.

Also, consider using checklists and assessment sheets. You don’t need to tell the student you are using these. I find using a consultative, encouraging non threatening environment is the best way to go.

David Barker www.guitartime.com.au

Teaching Guitar

Coaching and learning 2

Coaching is a vehicle on a platform for learning and involves a relatively persistent change in an individual's behaviour due to the experiences that you will hopefully be able to give them. Coaching on hands your students ability to learn and take responsibility for their actions.

This encouragement in learning will present both opportunities and challenges. Be careful not to create and encourage fear and anxiety about learning their new instrument. Coaching will promote learning in a way that can alleviate any potential barriers. Unlike traditional standard educational methods coaching is personalised and self-directed. This means that you need to be consultative in your approach with each student without over controlling.

Certainly there needs to be planning in what is to be learned in respect of content but remember each student is different on how they learn.

David Barker   www.guitartime.com.au

Guitarist Stanley Clark

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Stanley Clarke

Clark was born in Philadelphia in 1951. Clarke's mother was his first musical influence as she was a professional operatic singer and as a child he often heard as singing around the house.

Violin lessons start around the age of 12 but because of his height and having long fingers is causing problems trying to play violin. He tried the shallow and had the same difficulties with a double bass one day convinced him that this is the right sized instrument for him.

By a tiny 16 he had started playing the bass guitar and his interests read music such as Wagner, Bach, James Brown, Hendrix, Beatles, and Sly.

Luckily continued his classical studies it was also playing in popular music groups in his local area. After high school he went to the Philadelphia musical Academy took a course covering symphonic  double bass playing. After the Academy he moved to New York and successfully auditioned for the jazz pianist in Horace Silver's group staying over a year.

At the beginning of the 70s he met Chick Corea and led the first line up of Return to you For Ever and recorded an album with the same name.

At this time Rick Turner showed Clarke his early two octave ALEMBIC bass guitars. This instrument with its long sky or active electronics and long sustain gave a rich sound and convince Clarke to make him a custom instrument thus initiating a combination that resulted in this distinctive sound. Return to forEver enjoy considerable success and by 1976 Clarke had become something of a legion. His Stanley Clarke solo album is accepted as an all time masterpiece he went on to perform his own group as well is work with Jeff Beck, George Duke and the Barbarians and with each Keith Richards.

Frank Zappa

Zappa has said himself that what makes him different from other guitar “hero types” is that he sees himself as a composer “ who can operate an instrument called a guitar”

He also said “ from the very beginning when I used to hear those solos on those old records I used to say ........now here is an instrument that is capable of spewing forth true obscentity, you know? If  ever there’s an obscene noise to be made on an instrument, it’s going to come out of a guitar”

Is Zappa out of touch with the world or are we out of touch with him?

He brings together influences from American dark music to Europen classical composers. Born Francis Vincent Zappa 21  December 1940 in Baltimore he started making music playing drums in 1956. He changed to guitar in Senior High.

What is a guitar  solo in his opinion?

“Three Hours Past Midnight “ by “ Johnny Guitar Watson

 Listen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdqOpDOe5Tc

Cheers David www.guitartime.com.au