A Typical Lesson

While no lesson fits an exact formula, I usually stick to a general outline to make sure lesson time is used
efficiently and to ensure that important bases are covered.  A Typical Lesson might look like the following:

 TUNE UP

Guitars need regular tuning. The more they are played, the more the strings slip out of tune.

 KNOWLEDGE REVIEW

 Review of notes, strings, chords, technique, and other recently covered material.  To a beginner, I might say, "Show me all the notes you know, and tell me their names."  To a more advance student, I might say, "Show me the I, IV, and V chords in the key of D" (if that material was recently covered.)

 SKILL and DRILL

Drills focus on developing fine motor skills for either the right hand or the left hand, or both.

 PERFORMANCE GOAL CHECK

Each week, students try to get better and acheive short term goals and complete assignments. Goals can be related to repertoire (songs), theory, fretboard, technique, etc. After a skill and drill warm up, the student is asked to show mastery of the goal.

 CHECK OFF

If the student shows mastery of the new skill, song or knowledge, I ask the student to feel good about the accomplishment.  We add a level of refinement to the goal (e.g.  expressiveness, quality, nuance, soloing, strumming, etc) or move on to new material. If there are problems, we move to....

 PROBLEM CORRECTION

If the student has diffuculty reaching the goal, we address them during the lesson. Is it a problem related to skill, ability, knowledge, understanding, etc.  OR is it that they just...

 DIDN'T PRACTICE!!!

If the student didn't practice during the week, it is really a downer, and the lesson time becomes practice time.  Little or no new material, skills, or techniques will or can be introduced; I promise.  Click here for a few thoughts on how to practice on your own at home.

 NEW GOAL

New weekly goals are related to new songs, new chords, new techniques, new concepts, etc.  I try to run through new material a couple times to be sure it is understood before the student leaves.  New goals are often more implicit than explicit, especially with older students.  Generally speaking, the "assignment" is to take whatever is practiced or discussed at lessons and make it better through repetition.  New handouts and songs are usually marked with colorful page tabs.

 

Lessons often include the following as well:

  • Student Questions: Students often ask questions about guitar strings, kinds of guitars, reading music notation, special guitar techniques like note bending. These questions are usually prompted by experiences or problems encountered during the previous week.
  • Discussion of a Music Theory concept like scales, modes, different kinds of chords, keys, modulation, turn-arounds, etc.
  • Discussion of Guitar Techniques: using a pick, playing fingerstyle, note bending, sliding, slurring, hammer-on's, pull-offs, arpeggios, special rhythms like samba or blues shuffle, etc.

Lessons Don't Include:

  • Guitar Maintenance:  Guitars need technical TLC from time to time.  Neck adjustments, action adjustments, new strings, etc. etc.  I shy away from these types of things for several reasons.  First and foremost, I don't want to damage your guitar while attempting to fix it.  Secondly, most repair work or adjustments require patience and time, more time than a typical lesson offers.  See my links page for my favorite guitar repair shops.