Accompaniment

Chords, Right-Hand Technique, Fingerpicking

Simple strumming, fingerpicking, reggae skanking, or James Brown grooving. These articles address the issue of how to introduce students to the idea of "comping" in the broadest sense of the term. For beginning students, this means getting their fingers to the fingerboard, and getting their right hand rhythm in gear. What chords are the easiest/most appropriate for beginning guitarists? How soon should you bring in barre chords? For more advanced students, future articles will address everything from chart-reading and extended chord voicings to bluegrass fingerpicking and playing with drummers and bassplayers.

Improvisation

Scales, Arpeggios, Lead sheets

How soon should a teacher bring in improvisation? Can spontaneity be taught? Practiced? Articles on improvisation focus on teaching improvisation techniques that emphasize musicality over "chops." Topics might include approaches to more "musical" scale practice, understanding harmony, listening while improvising, among others.

Notation

Rhythms, Note-Names, Sightreading

Everyone knows a joke or two about how guitarists can't read music. What could be the origin of such a stereotype? Guitar Pedagogy's official position is that lazy teachers, not lazy students, are to blame. Notation articles address ways to bring notation into the mix as a useful tool to expand a student's musical abilities, without frustrating either the teacher or the student.

Repertoire

Songs, Riffs, Etudes

You want them to be able to play something. So do their parents, friends, and relatives. No student can live off of riffs and scales alone. But what should they play? What can they play? If they only know chords, and don't want to sing, are they doomed to eternal noodling? Guitar Pedagogy offers some answers, and explores ways in which teachers can use even songs suggested by the student for their own hidden agenda (see: Notation).

Technique

Picking, strumming, fretting...

...and muting, bending, and hammering-on. We here at Guitar Pedagogy always look for ways to improve technique through real musical experiences, rather than piling on arbitrary exercises. When exercises are recommended, a ready "real life" application is always close at hand. Articles will range from such fundamental questions as "To Pick...Or Not?" to discussions of finger position, high-octave playing, and much more.

Theory

Scale Structure, Chord Progressions, Harmony

Teaching chord structure, scale applications, extended harmony, and all that other stuff. How much does a student have to know? How much do they want to know? Articles will address these issues, suggest possible learning trajectories, and, as always, seek to teach theoretical concepts with "real-life" examples.

Advanced Students

Making the transition, improvising, incorporating theory

OK, all your students are plowing their way through "Paint It, Black," but what do you do for the genius who's already learning Coltrane solos? As students progress, their needs become more and more specific. A good teacher will look for ways to challenge even advanced players with goals made for the student, not the teacher. Don't get caught up in competing with your student, even if they can play "Stairway" better than you!

Web Reviews

Issue No.1

It's important to keep an eye on the competition...and of course we also can learn a lot from the way other people do things. Each week Guitar Pedagogy reviews another guitar-related website, so you can pick and choose from the best after we've raked them over the coals.

Website Reviews

Zen Guitar

www.zenguitar.com

Don't worry about the notes, just get into the sound. Zen Guitar takes the pressure off and offers students a way into music that's based on (surprise) the principles of Zen Bhuddism.

Coming Up Next:

Guitar Noise

www.guitarnoise.com

Whether you want to just grab some licks, or you want to get deeper into music, Guitar Noise will have an article for you. But what kind of guitar player will they make you?