Guitar Workshops - guidelines

Subject: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: Hamish
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 07:43 AM

Just supposing someone you knew had volunteered to run a beginners' guitar workshop, and just supposing that person can play a bit but had never done much in that line before, what hints and tips would you give? You know, subject matter, approach, what works (and what doesn't!)

This could be a purely hypothetical question, of course (but isn't! i.e. HELP!!!)

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 08:17 AM

Is it a one off session or a course?

Is it for total beginners?

What ages are the participants?

How many of them?

Are they 'folkies' or interested in a specific musical style?

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: Bobert
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 09:35 AM

Well, "workshop" sounds to me like a short venture and if so, I'd stick with a few 1st position basic chords and two or three real learnable songs to go with them. There are hundreds of songs that can be played with just one chord change and thousands with two.

I've gotten a few folks started with guitar and like Dylan's "Ballad of Hollis Brown" which can be played in Am frfont to rear, as well as in other chords with out any changes.

Now, I'm assuming here that these students are not participating in this workshop as a sprigboard to a career as a classical guitarist but just casual folk who'd like to be able to take a guitar on a camoing trips to sing a few folks songs around the camp fire.

Bobert

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: Hamish
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 09:40 AM

a) two one hour sessions on consecutive days b) beginners, but not just starting out c) don't know ages d) don't know numbers e) yes - folkies (it's a fringe event at a festival)

I'm thinking along the lines of: i) listen to what you're sounding like ii) think about the song, and how it's best supported by the accompaniment iii) swing and groove iv) maybe some technical stuff about chord shapes v) right hand technique

...but asking the workshopees what their issues are, and making sure they get a chance to play, too

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: GUEST,Foe
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 10:01 AM

Basic Folk Guitar

The first thing is not to frustrate or bore the student. I think students want to come away from each session with a new set of chords that go with a familiar song they've always known, like "Clementine" Make a list of what you want to cover in 10 sessions, ie. How to tune, what is a chord, types of strums, timing 4/4, 3/4, etc., Major/minor keys. Each one of these things is introduced in a session in relationship to a few songs.

For instance; in one lession teach the I,IV and V chords in D. Teach a basic scratch picking and use it for "The Banks of the Ohio" Give out a lession sheet each time with the Strum described, the chord diagrams and the words to 2-3 songs with the chords over the words.

Each session do a quick review of the previous lesson (everyone plays and sings).

At the end of 10 sessions, most will know the fingering for the chords in 5/6 keys (D, C, G, E, Em, Am) and they'll also be able to play 15 - 20 songs

That's the way it was done by a guy I knew back in the 60s

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 01:05 PM

BTW, we have had some good threads on two chord songs (use Filter to find them), and for our group here I just got done going through Rise Up Singing to mark all of them in there. (A LOT.) If I can get a text scan from the index, to make a list the easy way, would that be helpful?

~S~

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: Amos
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 01:10 PM

First rule I start with after learning the first three chords is that 90% of the songs they want can be worked on those three.

Choose a few simple but different ones and demonstrate how G, C and D can play a rolling chanty, a loping cowhand tune, a blues and a Childs ballad just by modulating timing and phrasing.

For beginners, this is usually an eye-opener because they come in thinking that every song is different, and you've shown them the patterns of similarity hidden within.

A

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 02:02 PM

I did make that index of 2-chorders, and I will post it. Not sure which thread-- Joe may cross-index or combine them.

~S~

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: Hamish
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 02:34 AM

Thanks, wysiwyg, that'd be great. I guess the secret will be to prepare for any enevtuality. I may ask everyone - supposing there're not too many - to play a verse of their best party piece, and take it from there.

Actually, before that, I'll need to establish who can play a couple of basic chords, who has sung/played in public, where they hope to go with it.

I sort of think about taking a simple "two-chord" song, and seeing how to make it sound good at that level, and then looking at how to take it a step beyond by putting in some simple inversions and/or substitutions.

Hey - why am I panicking? I've got at least three weeks to prepare. AAAARRRGGHHH!!!! ;^)

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: Ned Ludd
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 04:04 AM

I've not run a guitar workshop, but the instrument making ones always involve assessing your attendees and finding out what they are after. If one turns out to know as much as you, USE them.

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 10:11 AM

The RUS list is here:

thread.cfm?threadid=14431&messages=44#754501

Since it may move, here it is again.

~S~

=============================================================

I made a quick pass through Rise Up Singing for some beginners we are starting here, looking for two-chord songs. The following are the ones I found-- probably not complete, maybe a few errors crept in, but a starting point anyway if you are using RUS.

The index I made does not include songs from the posts above that do appear in RUS, but appear there as needing more than two chords.

I have not played through all these myself, yet-- no guarantees the RUS arrangements are correct.

==============================================================

INDEX OF TWO CHORD SONGS IN RISE UP SINGING

Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around
Alouette
Aunt Rhody

Beans In My Ears
Bheir Me O
Buffalo Boy
Buffalo Gals

Carry It On
Clementine

Down In The Valley
Drunken Sailor

Factory Girl
Farewell To Tarwathie

Gallo Song
Go To Work On Monday
Good News, Chariot's A-Comin
Green, Green Rocky Road"

He's Got The Whole World
Hey Ho Nobody Home
Hold On
Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight
Hush Little Baby

I Know The Lord's Laid His Hands On Me
I Ride An Old Paint
I've Got The Joy
Itsy Bitsy Spider

Jig Along Home
Joshua

Light Is Returning

Mercedes-Benz
More We Get Together
My Dreydl
My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains

Old Joe Clark

Paddy On The Railway
Pastures Of Plenty
Pick A Bale O'cotton
Prairie In The Sky
Puttin' On The Style

Roll The Union On

Seven Joys Of Mary
Shady Grove
Shortnin' Bread
Sinner Man
Skip To My Lou
Sodeo
Standin' In The Need Of Prayer
Sur Le Pont D'avignon
Sweet Potatoes

There's A Hole In The Bottom Of The Sea
Throw It Out The Window

Wade In The Water
Waltz Across Texas
Wheels On The Bus

Zum Gali Gali

=============================================

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: Hamish
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 10:53 AM

Excellent! Thanks, Wys (I hope you don't think I'm being over-familiar!). I don't think I'll ask for a list of three chord songs, though ;^)

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 12:17 PM

There are SO many three-chord songs in there, all you need to do is flop it open to any page! *G*

~iwyg

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: paul0
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 01:24 PM

Well, I guess I come pretty close to fitting the description of your students (only been playing about six months) so if you want that point of view, this is what I'd want if I was enrolled.

1. Just like everybody is saying, some songs that are learnable in an afternoon's practice between sessions and that are familiar and fun.

2. A good chunk of time on posture and positions. Both right and left hand positioning, and body posture while playing. That would have saved me a fair amount of frustration and pain over the past few months.

3. Basic arpeggios and rolls along with easy songs (Parsley Rosemary Sage and Thyme is an easy arpeggio, and Goodnight Irene sounds pretty OK with a basic inside roll)

4. A little boom-chick and boom-chicka stuff. Sounds cool and makes me feel like I know how to play (oh how easily simple minds are decieved....).

Anyhow, I don't know if that is at all useful, since I am a novice and don't know what the heck I'm talking about, but I'd think that'd be fun.

Paul

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 02:00 PM

"Two chords" - Here's a quote from an article about Christy Moore:

Guthrie famously remarked that any one song with more than three chords was showing off, and Moore tends to favour an equally economical style of accompaniment.

"In my early days, I learned two chords", he told an interviewer in 1993, "and I only learned songs that could only be played to those two chords, C and G7 - and I would have to admit that 35 years later not a lot has changed."

(Actually I think what Woody Guthrie actually said was that two chords were enough mostly, and you only needed to put in the third chord when you wanted to show off and impress some girl in the audience.)

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: Kaleea
Date: 27 Jul 02 - 02:54 AM

I usually give handouts with chord diagrams and start in the key of G, and do the chords: G, C, D or D7. I (briefly explain the concept of I, IV, and V7. I make sure the attendees are fingering the G chord correctly with the middle, ring & pinkie fingers only! I show them a few basic strums, to include the alternating bass note strum in 4/4 --where you pluck the bass note with your thumb on 1 & 3 and pluck some of the other strings (or strum!) on 2 & 4 as well as 3/4 bass-strum-strum (this "no pick" style is very good for playing Irish music! If they are not into fingerpicking, just let them strum with picks) and how to use a pick to do all that, too--with diagrams of which bass note of the chord to pluck & when to pluck & strum. If they are catching on quickly, then I show them the Carter Scratch, and possibly a couple of other strums, depending on how well they are catching on. Fingerpicking & Hammer ons, and pull offs only if they are advanced enough, but you never know who will show up, & knowing what. Some of the info will be above the heads of some & not of others. Then I like to have them experience the feel of strumming a couple of different kinds of music such as basic 4/4 country or 3/4 waltz & maybe a 6/8 jig. I like to take extra materials with me just in case. Tell them it's OK if they don't get it all that day, cause some things take a while to learn! Leave them with something they must work on to accomplish, but let them have fun. If they don't have fun, they won't like it. You might consider going to a music store & taking a look at at the "Mel Bay CLASS METHOD" Volume 1. It is the best comprehensive book I have found, and very easy to understand. I have used it about 30 years for private guitar lessons.

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jul 02 - 04:55 AM

Watch out for the guy who knows quite a bit more than the complete beginner and wants to show off how quick he is at picking it up. If you don't remind him its a beginners workshop he'll hog the entire show. The true beginners want you to show them how simple it is to make music so let them down gently.

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: Hamish
Date: 03 Aug 02 - 05:03 PM

Thanks to everybody who contributed - I'm feeling sorta confident about it now. (And sorry for starting a thread and then going on holiday for a week and being away from the PC!)

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 04 Aug 02 - 07:24 AM

The 2 chord list (and thankyoumanymuch for it) did manage to miss "Jambalaya" and (I truly apologize for knowing this, and even more for sharing) "Achey Breaky Heart" (but I only do the "Weird Al" version ("You can torture me with Donny and Marie . . .")

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: Hamish
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 09:01 AM

Just thought I'd update you on how it went.

First observation: Saturday morning workshops when there are no concerts on elsewhere are better attended than Sunday afternoon ones when there are loads of concerts, ceilidhs, street events and sessions on!

Second: lots of people of varying abilities can be difficult to give very much individual attention to.

Third: a total of two hours is too short a time to teach very much - but loads of time to show some tricks, talk about basics and an approach, and play a few tunes together.

I think my workshopees all gained something from their time. I started very basic and went quite fast through to slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs; and we talked about performance and building confidence gradually.

What would I do differently next time? Maybe some more hand-outs on picking patterns and chord theory. Otherwise the developing a two chord song seemed to work quite well: it allowed a breadth of abilities to be covered.

Thanks again to those who helped me prepare for this.

Will I do it again? I dunno. Probably.

Subject: RE: Guitar Workshops - guidelines
From: GUEST,uncookied WYS
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 10:16 AM

Good show!

JmC-- that's only a list of the 2-chorders in RUS. There are several previous threads with zillions more of them, and Jambalaya is mentioned often there. But I think you won a prize with Achey Breakey Heart, and thanks for confessing it! *G*

~Susan