Beginning Guitar Lessons for Elementary Music Teachers
Lesson #1: How to Tune, Finding the Notes, and More (October 14, 2017)
Lesson #2: I-IV-V7 in the Key of D and a Strumming Pattern (October 21, 2017)
Lesson #3: This Land is Your Land, a new chord and some homework (October 28, 2017)
Lesson #4: Review, a few new songs, using a capo, and a new chord (November 11, 2017)
Lesson #5: Review C chord + three new songs (November 18, 2017)
Questions or comments? Just leave them below!
Hi Dave,
I wanted to say thank you for posting these videos! It took all summer, but have finally gotten through them all. Extremely helpful for a beginner guitar player. I can’t wait to play with my students this school year!
Do you think you’d be willing/able to do more videos this fall?
Thanks again!!
Hey Melissa, that’s great news! Send us a video! Not sure if I’ll have time this fall for more lessons, but I’ll let you know if I do. You might also be interested in the online event for K-4 schools, happening Friday September 14, 2018
Dave-
I hope you are receiving this message from me. My name is Bill and I live in Southern California. I took some classical guitar classes in college, but for some reason after I graduated in 1990, I didn’t continue with guitar! Now, 28 years later, I’m picking up the guitar again! I’m not wanting to continue with classical, but want to develop guitar skills so I can play in my fourth and fifth grade music classes. I signed up for your classes in October – November 2017, but I am finally watching them and getting lessons from you here in August 2018. I actually started playing at the beginning of July. I just want to thank you very much!
I’m so glad to hear that Bill! Kudos to you for your persistence. Keep us posted on how it’s going.
Hi Dave! I signed up for these video lessons back when you did them live, but it was marching band competition season and I was a chaperone for my kids’ high school band, so I just didn’t have time to join the classes or work on this on my own. School’s out for summer finally, and I’m watching and learning now! I’m so excited!! I can play the G and A7 chords fairly easily and even switch between them, but the D chord just feels super awkward and hard for me – I’m sticking with it, though! I can’t wait to show off my newfound skill for my kids at school in August!!!!
Stick with it Sydney! There are a few more ways to finger the D chord if you’re really stuck. For instance, some people reverse their first and second fingers, keeping the ring finger where it is – you could try that, but most likely you just need a little more time and it will come together.
Dave, thanks so much for this! I am home on FMLA and this is the perfect project for me while out.
Perfect timing Kristi!
I signed up, but life got crazy!! I can’t wait to access the videos and have a jam session!
Let us know how you’re making out Lisa. And yes, life DOES get crazy.
I’ve been watching your lessons on line as my Saturday’s get crazy! I use guitar in my teaching with special needs students, non verbal & physically limited. Guitar is so healing, they love to strum, feel the vibrations and just listen. Thinking you may help me finally master B minor!! Huge gratitude to you for taking the time, enjoy your gigging and see you in a few weeks!!
Awesome, Margey! Thanks for checking in here. You are doing such important work.
I am enjoying strumming the D, G, and A7 chords! It is getting easier to play and change between the chords. I still hesitate a couple of seconds when changing chords, but it is definitely better than it was.
What do you suggest for posture when holding the guitar and playing? I have a crick in my neck and didn’t realize I was straining my neck over to look at fingering. I know eventually I will not have to look as much, but this guitar playing is a real pain in the neck (literally!). (but worth is 🙂
Glad to hear it, Beth. The time it takes to switch from one chord to another will continue to decrease as you play more. We can talk about posture a bit at the next lesson if you remind me. A straight back is best, with relaxed shoulders and arms, and thumb behind the neck. Looking at your fingering is kind of hard to avoid in the beginning, and as you say, the need to do that decreases over time.
Thanks for these lessons. I was sad that I missed the first lesson but Im excited that you decided to post them online so I can watch at my own pace, and pause if I am struggling. Catch up, and then hopefully be around with the rest of the class!
I did not think to tune the guitar the way you did, but I think it would be a good skill for my kids to have assuming I met with them more than I currently do.
I use Eddie Ate Dynamite Good Bye Eddie also. My elementary school kids think its fun lol
When holding a pick, I think Little Kids Rock recommend that when you hold it, the part sticking out looks like a chicken beak. They have a diagram that kids are able to quickly catch on. Resources for LKR can be found on their website — lesson plans, music and free 🙂
Thanks Betty, glad to have you along.
I use Eat At Don Gionanni’s Before Eleven for the the strings!!
Thank you for these lessons! This was a great way to spend a quiet parent/teacher conference afternoon. Looking forward to the next one!
Great Nina!
Thanks so much for these lessons. I am a very beginner, self-taught guitar player so I know the chords but strumming has been a mystery to me. The strumming pattern you taught today is very helpful! I’d love to learn more. Thanks again for taking the time to record these lessons. I’m on the west coast so I may not make it for the live version, but I have found the videos very helpful!
Hey, that’s great Amy – thanks for checking in here! Keep us posted on your progress.