|
|
Hello everyone
Published on 27-Oct-2011
First of all a big hug and a much bigger sorry for all this delay for me just to assure you I’m alive…hehe!!
|
|
|
Why I teach individual basis only!
Imagine a situation like this...six different people coming from six different musical backgrounds wanting to play six different styles having all six different characters playing in the same room together!The result will be...short and sweet..CHAOS!!
Published on 25-Oct-2011
That is the result of teaching guitar to classes of 6/7 and sometimes even up to a dozen people as opposed to one to one attention.In this article I will try my best to explain very clearly why I never taught classes but always individually as in regard to guitar teaching.I will give examples and facts why in the long run one method fails and the other leaves great results.
I believe there is an important question one needs to ask when looking for guitar lessons hence a guitar teacher.This question is 'will I be repaid back by becoming a great guitar player by attending this teacher's lessons? After you ask that you need to look in the method this teacher uses.The first important aspect to ponder upon would be..will I be given a full hr of attention by this teacher?Or it's just a bunch of people with complete different musical priorities and dreams just put together?The bottom line is if the manner used is not one to one attention then I'll be paying a fee for an hr but in reality divided by the number of people in the class!So if for example you'll be six in a class that means the teacher can give you maybe ten minutes and not more of individual attention!It's a simple math thing that many people overlook.But this isn't even the worst thing because technique and sound in guitar are everything.Without them you cannot play and sound like you should.Now the one to one involves entering in the student's realm by teaching him/her the exact movements he/she need to learn with both hands.If one of them is not right then everything else will suffer.This is what I call 'perfect practice' i.e. one knows the right way how to handle and play a technique and then he/she will practice it over and over again until the mastery of it becomes clear.How can I teach you the perfect detail if I have another 6 people to handle at the same time?It's even silly just writing about it because it doesn't make sense at all.And here it's good to remember that every individual is different in the learning rate plus he/she maybe a little shy or on the other side full of him/herself.Guitar teaching/learning involves different aspects than for example learning/teaching maths or english language.In guitar many people fail to become good because of poor playing habits and technique that their teacher never pointed out when they started.This never happens in individual attention.I for example create exercises and practice schedules that will fit the person I have in front of me.If he/she can practice 1hr everyday I will differ it from someone else that can practice 4 hrs daily.That even changes with the style one choses to focus upon.For example if a student is into metal I will emphasize the techniques and sounds that make one a great metal player.That will obviously differ from someone interested mainly in jazz.Needless to say all the basic chords will be taught,all the scales etc etc.Yes those everyone needs to learn.But that's just the basic start.But even to do those you need first of all to have both hands well exercised!That's why from the very beginning I start with the 'vital' exercises that puts the student's hand right and how it should on the fretboard.Another thing overlooked in classes is 'why this exercise' which means a good nember of exercises given to build (a) co ordination (b) streching (c) endurance (d) stamina (e) dexterity.For chordal stuff there are appropriate exercises which will not build your trill technique for example.Remember that technique needs to be built through a daily routine of the 'right' exercises.That's what I mean when I say practice schedule.
Many other topics I can enter upon that fail to be done in classes like harmony,scales,chord extensions,modes of all the Major,Melodic Minor,Harmonic Minor,Diminished harmonies.Techniques like bending,vibrato,legato,sweeping,fast picking,finger and pick tapping,whammy bar...never ending list.How can you study that in a class and without the appropriate sound?One of the most important aspects to really making it as a guitar player is the control over unwanted sound.You can achieve that by someone showing you in real time and with the real sound were to mute and how.And what about pinched harmonics!!Never ending what you can learn and achieve in an individual attention with the right set up studio/sound format.So don't be fooled thinking that classes are going to help you.If you need evidence go and read some of my student's references that are really making it big with their guitar playing.Then you decide what's best but at least you have all the evidence there before you!
Jean
|
|