Valentine's Day has just passed, and that has made me mindful of a constant love in my life:
Teaching!
I still enjoy an enthusiasm for teaching after more than 30 years, and on reflection, it's because I enjoy developing the relationships. A strong relationship can open many doors to learning, and teaching, particularly in the studio, is by nature an intimate relationship that must be nurtured if there is any hope of progress. Make a trustworthy space for your student and they will be receptive to your instruction; keep a smile on their face and the technique has a place to land.
In short, be a loving cheerleader!
We have a great number of resources on our site to support teaching:
Our video series "I Love Teaching" offers insights to help you stay energized and engaged with your teaching...
We also have many scores for the beginning guitarist:
For Solo Guitar:
Songs of Childhood, Bk. 1, Vol. 1 - Progressive Variations for Guitar
As a teacher, I have found that students thrive on the familiar. Here is a way to capitalize on that enthusiasm by using well-known tunes to gradually introduce typical guitar techniques and textures in a progressive way.
I composed these pieces as 'bridging' material to move from single note melodies to simple arpeggios; with one exception, only a single finger is used in either hand at any given time; preparation exercises for each hand greatly facilitate learning.
For Guitar Duo:
Chopin said "Nothing is more beautiful than a guitar, save perhaps two." This 'Beginner's Bundle' contains 4 scores with a total of 22 pieces to assist beginning guitarists in musical partnership: Over 20 pages of Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann, Murcia and many familiar folk songs, these scores bought separately would cost over 19.00; at 13.50 you save 30 per cent!
Serenade - Easy
A jaunty piece from Papa Haydn.
For Guitar Trio:
Ten Trios for Beginning Guitarists
This collection by RG Rhoades represents a fresh, interesting and exciting addition to beginner-level guitar ensemble repertoire. The use of simple rhythms, repetitive fingering patterns, short musical phrases, and a limited note range make the individual parts of each trio playable by the most novice guitarist, and yet have a synergistic effect when played together, resulting in a captivating, unique and contemporary soundscape that offers a pedagogical benefit, too. "Ten Trios for Beginning Guitarists" are certain to provide the instructor, performer, and listener with a rewarding musical experience!
For Guitar Quartet:
This is a transcription for four guitars of instrumental dance music from Susato's collection "Danserye". The pieces are quite lively and offer lots of opportunities for colour and dynamic contrast.
Originally for solo guitar, this piece also works well for guitar quartet. Although it is a waltz, it has a march - like feel to it; the dynamics and repeat scheme can be enhanced by the liberal use of colour changes.