Teaching songs

Instructor · Post by **Instructor** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 2:39 pm

Many times a student wants to get started learning chords and playing songs. Assuming that we all agree that songs like Mary had a Little Lamb and Nursery Rhymes aren't gonna float for people, what songs do you like to expose, or start the student out, that wants to learn to strum their acoustic and start playing?

Another thing, is how do you "sell" those songs. These days people tend to have a very limited exposure to other genres, so if you get kids that have never heard Pink Floyd, how do you expose them to Floyd if you want to teach them, or even get them motivated to learn Wish You Were Here, for example.

I'd like to hear other's thoughts on this. Many times I have a kid thats never heard the song they are now learning. It can be tough.

What are some of your songs, and how do you go about teaching them?

Instructor

Post by **olly** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:41 pm

I can imagine it is tough to teach someone a song they do not even know.

For an absolute beginner I found it better to teach something that was simple that they were familiar with. Popular choices are songs like Wonderwall by Oasis for the easy chord changes and getting to grips with Strumming. Everybody Hurts by REM for larger moves in chord changes at an easy tempo and also the introduction of picking picking individual notes.

I have a Beatles fake book which has the chords and melodies to loads of songs varying from really simple to more complex and most people will know a few songs by the Beatles!

Instructor · Post by **Instructor** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 4:34 pm

When you teach Wonderwall, how do you go about it? I perform this as a cover live, but...I do it the way its done, with a capo at the 2nd and using inversions. Also, since these rhythms are 16th note and syncopated, how do you do this without them understanding the basics of strum and rhythmic notation...or do you just have them copy you as in up-down-up-down etc? In as early as the 3rd week, I'm teaching notation for strumming, but its a ways before we get to tied note 16ths.

I'd be interested in how you do this? Is the song more stripped down?

Just for kicks (dont laugh haha) here's an old clip of me doing the song, when I first started teaching myself to sing a few years ago. Playing and singing at the same time are very difficult for me

[youtube]/watch?v=Ft-_aOeu0jk[/youtube]

Instructor

Post by **olly** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 4:46 pm

Well I no longer teach and when I did I only had a couple of students.

Certainly no capo was used and rhythm was kept really simple - 2 strums per chord until they advanced. Then build up from there.

I like your video by the way!

don p · Post by **don p** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 5:55 am

One of the things I do is give each student a questionnaire when they first start. Things like what are their long and short term goals, styles they would like to learn, what they think their weaknesses are etc... I also have a page where I have them write me a list of as many songs as they can think of that they would like to learn. I'll then look at the list and most likely their will be something that I already know will be a good thing to start on. Things like Ironman, Holiday by Green day, Smells like teen spirit etc...

If I don't see anything on the list that they can handle I will either make some suggestions or I will simplify the song and tell them we will come back to it a little later on and do the complete version. The trick is to put it in a way that they understand why you are doing this and not make them feel like they are getting the kiddie version of the song. After I explain that once we get such and such technique down we will be in a better place to do the full version most everyone understands and is ready to go for the simplified version. I always try to get the song as close sounding to the real version as possible though.

Instructor · Post by **Instructor** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 3:55 pm

Good points Don. Do you have a list of songs that you feel are "winners" for most players starting out? I like the questionnaire idea a lot, and it sounds like we do similar things in the pre-interview process.

Instructor

don p · Post by **don p** » Sun Dec 05, 2010 4:35 pm

I don't have a real list written out or anything but in the beginning things like of course smoke on the water, back in black, Ironman, Sunshine of your love, Smells like teen spirit, Holiday, if they can bar the first three strings then the first part of Wanted dead or alive by Bon Jovi. I haven't taught it in awhile but Rock you like a Hurrricane. Those are some beginner songs I can think off of the top of my head.

NicolaePaul · Post by **NicolaePaul** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 10:07 am

Hmm i usually like to sing something first aned see how they react to it.

I then i ask them do you like it, do you want to learn how to play it ? And they go like yeah shure

).

Then they see that it is not that easy but they struggle with it

I like to teach the outro part of Floods from Pantera.

It is very good for finger streches

57Deluxe · Post by **57Deluxe** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 2:15 pm

I find is about 'go with the flow'. Is no point enforcing a song on someone who has no 'feel' for it or its genre.

Taking the basic student scenario: They have a few chord books, piss about on YTube and have songs of yore on their iPhone etc. BUT they can't fret and always always - have ZERO rhythm! So I take a song they fancy and I show them it in sections - always 3 for structure and maybe a 4th for the diddly diddly bit (abridged!).

This way what often happens is that within the simpler 'section' often isolated, it sounds a bit like something else and this leads me onto discussing structure and the myth-busting of playing guitar/songwriting. This gets them V V excited(!). Sometimes, I will take a song and get them to learn the progression in a Reggae Rythm - this works brilliantly for whizzing through repeatedly... otherwise they need a fag due to burn-out!

If they have bad rhythm - get them to STAND UP and play! You play better standing anyway! and TAP your bloody feet I shout to them -! And "SMILE...!" (jeez... is not corrective treatment...)

For the diddly diddly - is no point learning something to show them (yes I have to study too to present it!) when all they will be able to muster is the first 12 notes in sequence. So I get the hook notes and link them so that it sounds like they are playing the part. I emphasis that just get this off to pat then we will add-in the other elements... As too later, the best FX/amp settings etc to get the sound.

http://rockriffs.jimdo.com