Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

At The Back => Time Out => Topic started by: Frank666 on January 27, 2011, 07:20:59 PM

Title: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: Frank666 on January 27, 2011, 07:20:59 PM
Hi all, I've started to teach a few people gutar (mostly kids from 12 and up) and was looking for some basic songs to teach them. It'll be played on an acoustic and would like some open chord, modern stuff. I'm getting to the end of the usual kinks and stones type things and want to keep them coming back so they can keep paying me  :D
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: Matt77 on January 27, 2011, 09:05:19 PM
Indiana Jones - theme is a winner for the absolute beginner
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: psy on January 28, 2011, 09:36:08 AM
Easy acoustic stuff I'd go with are...

Zombie by Cranberries
Time of Your Life by Green Day
Everybody Hurts - REM
Hurt - Johnny Cash's arrangement of the Nine Inch Nails song works well
With or Without You - U2 (that can be arranged quite nicey for acoustic.  D, A Bm, G if I remember corectly)
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: gwEm on January 28, 2011, 10:50:42 AM
Oasis, the kids love it. Not a big fan myself but some of the most fun modern stuff you can do on an acoustic.
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: Roobubba on January 28, 2011, 11:06:45 AM
Oasis, the kids love it. Not a big fan myself but some of the most fun modern stuff you can do on an acoustic.

Christ no. As a teacher you have the responsibility not to breed another generation of beatles-loving cretins who think oasis is good.

Roots bloody roots is nice and easy. For fun you can get them to try the vocals too. haha
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: gwEm on January 28, 2011, 11:15:50 AM
Oasis, the kids love it. Not a big fan myself but some of the most fun modern stuff you can do on an acoustic.

Christ no. As a teacher you have the responsibility not to breed another generation of beatles-loving cretins who think oasis is good.

I sympathise with your view point Roo.
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: Ratrod on January 28, 2011, 12:00:16 PM
Creedence.

If they don't like it or get it, they might as well trade their guitar for a turntable and become a DJ.
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: Shag101 on January 28, 2011, 01:44:50 PM
http://www.justinguitar.com/en/ST-000-SongsTAB.php

scroll down the page for song list, there is a good mix of stuff here and each has a video if you are unsure how to play..saves time...
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: _tom_ on January 28, 2011, 01:47:19 PM
I think it'd be better to find out what songs they like, then teach them their favourites.
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: dave_mc on January 28, 2011, 01:50:19 PM
I think it'd be better to find out what songs they like, then teach them their favourites.

+1

find someone who wants to learn and that's half the battle won, if you ask me.

obviously if they want to learn malmsteen they might need to rethink that, but yeah. Presumably somewhere they have some songs they like which aren't too hard.
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: lulusg on January 28, 2011, 05:57:57 PM
Here in Mississippi my wife gets the most request from her students songs by Elvis, Johnny Cash and Aerosmith for beginners!
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: Afghan Dave on January 28, 2011, 06:14:26 PM
I think it'd be better to find out what songs they like, then teach them their favourites.

+1

find someone who wants to learn and that's half the battle won, if you ask me.

obviously if they want to learn malmsteen they might need to rethink that, but yeah. Presumably somewhere they have some songs they like which aren't too hard.

I wholeheartedly second these comments!

I wish I could have had at least a 60/40 split in favour of songs I wanted to learn when I was taking lessons... Sure most would have been way beyond my skill level but it would have inspired me to practice the other 40% so much more.

Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: Frank666 on January 28, 2011, 06:43:42 PM
http://www.justinguitar.com/en/ST-000-SongsTAB.php

scroll down the page for song list, there is a good mix of stuff here and each has a video if you are unsure how to play..saves time...

That's very handy, must not let students find it  :lol:

I think it'd be better to find out what songs they like, then teach them their favourites.

+1

find someone who wants to learn and that's half the battle won, if you ask me.

obviously if they want to learn malmsteen they might need to rethink that, but yeah. Presumably somewhere they have some songs they like which aren't too hard.

I wholeheartedly second these comments!

I wish I could have had at least a 60/40 split in favour of songs I wanted to learn when I was taking lessons... Sure most would have been way beyond my skill level but it would have inspired me to practice the other 40% so much more.


Most of the time it's the parents who send the kids without ever asking them if they want to learn, not sure why they want guitar playing to be an extension of schoolwork
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: JacksonRR on January 29, 2011, 07:09:20 AM
Carol of the Bells. It's an easy intro to scales and pinky use as they already know the melody and can follow.
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: 38thBeatle on January 29, 2011, 08:21:33 AM
As has already been said, find out what they are into and show them how to play the songs they love. I have taught many of my neighbours and friends kids. I get them to a standard where they can then go see a real teacher. Doesn't always work- some kids don't realise that it takes work and application and go back to their playstations but those who stick with it get a lot of fun out of it.
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: MDV on January 29, 2011, 05:54:47 PM
I think it'd be better to find out what songs they like, then teach them their favourites.

This is what I do. To an extent.

I devote half a lesson to what I think they need to know. Basic stuff, theory, good technique, some songs that use the lessons.

The rest is going through a song of their choice.

I think a good teacher (of something creative like guitar at least) needs to help their pupils become the guitarist that they want to be, not what you think they should be (save whatever lessons you have on good technique, making them not do things that might, y'know, give them tendonitis one day or if they're making it really hard on themselves, picking from the shoulded or something, and basic theory, chrods,  cycle of keys, entry level scales and the like), and that it should be fun, and the best way to do that is give them the satisfaction of being able to play their favourite songs.

This applies many, many times over if the pupil is a child.
Title: Re: Good songs to teach beginners
Post by: dave_mc on January 29, 2011, 07:28:44 PM
^ yep, sure, agreed 100%. Obviously the teacher needs to give some guidance etc., but I really can't stand the type of teacher who refuses to teach the pupil what he/she wants to learn. :)

I wholeheartedly second these comments!

I wish I could have had at least a 60/40 split in favour of songs I wanted to learn when I was taking lessons... Sure most would have been way beyond my skill level but it would have inspired me to practice the other 40% so much more.



:)

Most of the time it's the parents who send the kids without ever asking them if they want to learn, not sure why they want guitar playing to be an extension of schoolwork

Yeah, I can't stand parents like that. My parents sent me to piano lessons when I was young, but the difference was they asked me if I wanted to go. Any time I misbehaved they threatened to stop my piano lessons, so clearly I enjoyed them :D