Help: Guitar Instruction for Blind

Subject: Guitar Instruction for Blind
From: GUEST,TomK
Date: 18 Oct 00 - 12:31 PM

Hi folks, I work in the blindness field and I was recently introduced to a young man who is totally blind who wants to learn to play acoustic guitar. I made a tape of tuning and some simple chords but I was wondering if anyone knew of some instructional material that could be accessed by him; no print and no Braille. I really don't have the time or knowledge to present material in as clear and efficient a manner as I'm sure a more experenced teacher would be able. Thank you for any help you can offer. Tom

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar Instruction for Blind
From: Tony in Sweden
Date: 18 Oct 00 - 01:29 PM

Hi Tom,
Hope that I can help you with this! I work for the handicap administration in the south of Sweden and I have various contacts with teachers who work with children who suffer from Spielmeyer-Vogts, or Batten´s disease which I think it is known as outside Scandinavia.
You can try e-mailing one of them asking exactly what you require, and please don't hesitate to use my name.

mailto:[e-mail]

Tony Cassidy, på HMC Borås.

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar Instruction for Blind
From: Knappo
Date: 18 Oct 00 - 07:19 PM

Thanks Tony. I'll give it a try. Tom

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar Instruction for Blind
From: Sorcha
Date: 18 Oct 00 - 07:44 PM

This, from a not blind lady, who has never worked with the blind, but it might be a start. First, get him a guitar,(Tuned!) and let him fool around with it until he has a tactile memory of exactly where each string and fret is, and how to keep a strum pattern.

Then, find someone who plays guitar who can actually mold his hand to the chord shapes. Start with just 2 simple chords, like C and C7 until he can go back and forth between them easily, while maintaining the correct strum pattern. Then, gradually add chords. Throw in a lot of listening, too! Until he can HEAR the differences between keys, chords, etc.

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar Instruction for Blind
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 18 Oct 00 - 07:53 PM

TomK, I haven't had to learn braille yet but my vision is now marginal due to retinascheissis. On the basis that your client is braille proficient I'll check out some guitar tablature software that is compatible. It may take me a couple of days to twig where I first found it on the Web. Regards, John

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar Instruction for Blind
From: GUEST,Tomk
Date: 19 Oct 00 - 10:56 AM

John, Unfortunatly this guy can not read Braille yet. I am thinking maybe some kind of full audio tape of instruction. Thanks for whatever you can come up with. I think he is learning to use the computer so some type of software might work.

Sorcha, He does have a guitar and I have shone him and put on tape fingerings for a D C and G. I also recorded correct tuning of strings and how to finger the above chords. This is at least getting him started. I think I should look at my Homespun catalog for something, anything. Thanks, Tom