Is there a guitar teacher handbook?

No reason for this to be in OTC Brother Matt.

Moved to main sub-forum. Better exposure.
 
I would suggest learning the Troy Grady verbiage (it's become common parlance) to describe different right hand techniques - it's gonna make it a lot easier to explain to students why certain riffs and licks feel weird or uncomfortable if you can show them exactly why and how.
 
I remember this used to be popular back in the day.

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https://mikesimm.djlemonk.com/bblog/Scales-and-Modes.pdf
 
Floyd Eye said:
My dad was a bass player and bought me a bass when I was about 8. After a year or so I got bored not having anyone to play with and he gave me access to his SG. So from about 10 to 13 I learned a lot of stuff on guitar. When I got in my first band I went back to bass. Back then no one blinked an eye when we were playing in bars when I was 15.

Lessons probably would have helped but….

I have a good ear as a result though. If I can hear it, I can pick it out. You know, when all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail.
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yep. I started learning guitar around 8 years old, lessons for about a year or so, with that Mel Bay volume 1 book. For the first few months my parents rented an acoustic which was bad, then since I was practicing, bought me a starter electric guitar and amp (Norma). That guitar was worse, high action and old strings, and my "pro" teacher never noticed or cared.

I started back up again at around 12, got a better guitar, took lessons with a better teacher, and learned songs by ear.

Fast forward to 14, I had a new 1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom, and played my first paying gig and eventually my last at 32, with many in between. When I was 14 -18, the drinking age was 18, so the smaller clubs didn't care about our ages in the band, only the cost and if we brought in a drinking crowd,...so it was mostly school dances the first few years IIRC, until around 16 when we had friends that were old enough to drink...much of this is lost in the mists of time and other mists.
 
rsm said:
yep. I started learning guitar around 8 years old, lessons for about a year or so, with that Mel Bay volume 1 book. For the first few months my parents rented an acoustic which was bad, then since I was practicing, bought me a starter electric guitar and amp (Norma). That guitar was worse, high action and old strings, and my "pro" teacher never noticed or cared.

I started back up again at around 12, got a better guitar, took lessons with a better teacher, and learned songs by ear.

Fast forward to 14, I had a new 1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom, and played my first paying gig and eventually my last at 32, with many in between. When I was 14 -18, the drinking age was 18, so the smaller clubs didn't care about our ages in the band, only the cost and if we brought in a drinking crowd,...so it was mostly school dances the first few years IIRC, until around 16 when we had friends that were old enough to drink...much of this is lost in the mists of time and other mists.
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Kids today have it easy. The guitars most of us had to learn on were horrible. Not me, I had the SG I still have and play to this day, but most kids had shitty Les Paul copy Bentleys and horrible shit. We all played those old heavy Peavey amps cuz it’s all we could afford. And we had to learn shit the hard way. Nowadays there’s tab, YouTube videos and even the shittiest guitar commercially available is way more playable than those old Bentleys.
 
@Floyd Eye
Let’s talk more about the baby sitter event. As an 11 year old it was a bit taboo to like girls. Dick is the size of a spam dog. Maybe a curly hair or two, small balls; tight. Weird age; hold hands, maybe a little smooch. How did this event go down?
“Ok Ricky pull your fucking pants down and get your tongue ready. And you better not say anything to your mommy and daddy, or you will get no pussy for about 6 years”

Mom and dad come home later;
“Ricky have you guys been eating salmon cakes?”

My buddy used to do shit like this when we were goonies age; we would make fun of him but in reality we would all go jerk off wishing it was us- fucker!

“JOEL, this is the police! GET OFF OF THE BABYSITTER!”
 
I used to teach a LOT from 1990 - 1993. I had just returned from G.I.T., the 3-Note per string / Racer-X / Shrapnel Shredders wave was at its peak and there was no internet. I put together kind of a simple approach to modes, pentatonics, and arpeggios. In hindsight, I realized that I hade basically (shamelessly) stolen the curriculum from Bruce Bouillet's instructional video: 'Improvisation for Progressive Hard Rock Guitar'

That was a low budg production (why he did not score a deal with R.E.H. I do not know) but it was definitely one of the more valuable instructional videos out there at the time, as opposed to just being your favorite guy's favorite licks.

 
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Floyd Eye said:
Kids today have it easy. The guitars most of us had to learn on were horrible. Not me, I had the SG I still have and play to this day, but most kids had shitty Les Paul copy Bentleys and horrible shit. We all played those old heavy Peavey amps cuz it’s all we could afford. And we had to learn shit the hard way. Nowadays there’s tab, YouTube videos and even the shittiest guitar commercially available is way more playable than those old Bentleys.
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the student guitars were bad, I know mine was.

my first real amp was a pre-CBS Fender Bandmaster, and this large Fender 2x12 vertical cabinet. I knew nothing about new tubes, impedance, etc.; the amp worked and sounded good, and didn't blow up. Then I got a two-tone, blue Univox amp and matching 2x12 that I painted black.
 
Matt300ZXT said:
I've given lessons a time or two here and there, but really to just friends who wanted to learn to play. Is there some sort of book, like a teacher's edition that tells you what to teach first, what should be in a class, how long it should be, when to progress, etc?

I know all kinds of stuff, but I haven't the slightest clue in what order to teach it in, how to construct a class, what to expect, etc...
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I was a guitar teacher for about 20 years and when I first started I didn't know where to begin with people so i put a small set of guidelines to follow for myself, most of my students were beginners and I preferred that, but every student just like every teacher is different. Not every person who comes in to your class is gonna wanna be the next shred guy or give two shits about knowing crazy theory and most people are just looking to strum chords and have a little fun. The biggest turn off to students is when teachers set a curriculum and expect every person to follow that same path and don't listen to what the student wants. Learning how to listen to their needs/wants and in my case, which was mostly 11-16 year old kids, making sure they make progress at every lesson and not just screwing around can make the whole relationship between you and your students go alot better. I've seen a lot of great players who thought they could teach that just couldn't keep students because they wouldn't get out of their own way and listen to what the student wants rather then some predetermined curriculum that is based on what "they" want and not necessarily is best for the student.

I would just personally jump in thinking about what the basics for playing is: a few chords, finger exercises and think up a couple basic strumming and picking songs to teach them and then progress from there. Once you do it a few times it gets easier, I used to teach upwards of 45-55 kids a week so it became a routine after a while, just gotta jump in and learn what works best for you.
 
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alund said:
@Floyd Eye
Let’s talk more about the baby sitter event. As an 11 year old it was a bit taboo to like girls. Dick is the size of a spam dog. Maybe a curly hair or two, small balls; tight. Weird age; hold hands, maybe a little smooch. How did this event go down?
“Ok Ricky pull your fucking pants down and get your tongue ready. And you better not say anything to your mommy and daddy, or you will get no pussy for about 6 years”

Mom and dad come home later;
“Ricky have you guys been eating salmon cakes?”

My buddy used to do shit like this when we were goonies age; we would make fun of him but in reality we would all go jerk off wishing it was us- fucker!

“JOEL, this is the police! GET OFF OF THE BABYSITTER!”
Click to expand...

Well in the neighborhood I grew up in all my friends were 3-5 years older than me. I was smoking cigarettes at 10 years old. First time I smoked weed I was 10 or 11. The older kids didn’t mind me hanging out with them. They took me along wherever they went. This was the late 70s. When I was 12 I had hair down to the middle of my back, wore bell bottoms and hiking boots and a chain wallet. K-SHE 95 shirt with the pig smoking a joint. What was referred to then as a “ Freak”.
I mention this so you understand the circumstances. My parents really didn’t know that my babysitter was in the crowd of kids that I was hanging out with already. Her name was Laura Dunker. As to how it happened, I don’t want to get real graphic or anything, but it’s not like I wasn’t already aware of sex and all that. Basically she started blowing me and then guided me through the process. 💁‍♂️
 
rsm said:
the student guitars were bad, I know mine was.

my first real amp was a pre-CBS Fender Bandmaster, and this large Fender 2x12 vertical cabinet. I knew nothing about new tubes, impedance, etc.; the amp worked and sounded good, and didn't blow up. Then I got a two-tone, blue Univox amp and matching 2x12 that I painted black.
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My first amp was some little Marlboro combo. No tubes. I had an MXR Distortion plus. Which was a cheap pedal then but is worth a few bucks today since it was probably a 77’ Bud Box version.

I spent hours in the bedroom trying to learn Kiss, Priest and Maiden songs of the day. I started storing my guitar and amp at my buddy’s house because his parents were divorced and he lived with his mom who left for work before we left for school and didn’t get home until about 6 PM. So we would skip school, smoke weed and play guitar all day.
 
Her name was Laura Dunker
Do you ever see her now and knowing what you know would you have done it again? I guess any punannie was better than no punannie!!
So this happens today and everyone freaks out. Yesteryear we wished it would happen to us.. I was 120lbs wet and looked like farmer Ted. My back pocket was tiny so no one wanted me. 🫤.
 
alund said:
Her name was Laura Dunker
Do you ever see her now and knowing what you know would you have done it again? I guess any punannie was better than no punannie!!
So this happens today and everyone freaks out. Yesteryear we wished it would happen to us.. I was 120lbs wet and looked like farmer Ted. My back pocket was tiny so no one wanted me. 🫤.
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She ended up marrying another guy from the hood Steve Taylor. Haven’t seen her in years although her older sister Lisa is married to a friend of mine, Carl.

And fuck yeah I’d have done it again. My first piece of ass being a gal who knew what she was doing was the best way to do it I think. I never forgot that lesson. When I was a teenager I banged two different guys I knew’s moms. It was fucking awesome.
 
The one dude was one of my best friends. And his mom was a teacher. The other dude I couldn’t stand. There’s another story about his mom I shouldn’t go into I suppose. Let’s just say she and her 30-ish year old friends were all horny and not above rewarding services rendered, punitively.
 
Floyd Eye said:
The one dude was one of my best friends. And his mom was a teacher. The other dude I couldn’t stand. There’s another story about his mom I shouldn’t go into I suppose. Let’s just say she and her 30-ish year old friends were all horny and not above rewarding services rendered, punitively.
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Fuck. He couldn’t that be me. Btw you were wise to only fuck married chicks.😏
 
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