Getting the Music Started - Simplified Rock Riffs, pt. II

Last month I introduced the topic of teaching beginning students ‘simplified’ rock riffs as way to have them play music they may be familiar with, poses particular challenges, yet can be mastered on a basic level. The first simplified riff that I spoke of was “Smoke on the Water” because the riff is easily recognizable, one finger is all that is required to play it, it can be played on a single string, the melody is easily memorized and students can begin to navigate the length of the guitar neck as well as begin to read guitar tab. Keep in mind that this riff can take a student several weeks to master (depending on their natural ability, time devoted to practice, etc.) and do not feel the need to introduce a new riff until the first is under their fingers.

The next simplified riff I like to introduce is “Sunshine of Your Love” as it will challenge the student by employing multiple fingers and strings, introduce chromatic movement and teach reading tab on multiple lines. I have indicated the appropriate fingering below the tab to facilitate ease of playing.  

 As a teacher you should be making a list of simple riffs or melodies that can be simplified to serve a particular purpose. Students do not need to learn full songs when they first start playing guitar; they need to be developing skills that will make learning full songs easier. Each riff/melody will have a particular skill that is required to play it and you as the teacher should be putting those skills in the proper order so students can develop.

Getting the Music Started - Simplified Rock Riffs, pt. I

When a student begins to play the guitar they are generally chomping at the bit to play music and have fun. However, you can bet their enthusiasm is usually greater than their ability. After establishing a foundation of knowledge and the basics have been covered (see posts February 2013 forward) I like to have students start playing actual music. Keep in mind all the basics and exercises I posted about in 2013 should only take a couple of lessons – discussing the material in depth requires more time than actually teach it.

 The music I choose to start guitar newbies with are ‘simplified’ classic rock riffs to meet the needs of the beginning student. It may be cliché, but the first riff I like to teach new students is “Smoke on the Water.” My reasoning is simple: the riff is easily recognizable (surprisingly even young students have heard it), one finger is all that is required to play it, the riff can be played on a single string , the melody is easily memorized and students can begin to navigate the length of the guitar neck as well as begin to read guitar tab.

I hope this short post has not only gotten you thinking about other simple melodies to use with students, but how they fit into their development. Next month I’ll continue on the topic of simplified classic riffs and discuss one that uses multiple fingers.

  

Tab vs. Notation, Part IV - Summing it Up

In last month’s post I discussed the pitfalls guitar teachers may encounter when they have a “tab only” approach. But, on the opposite side there are teachers who have a “notation only” policy – whereas some instructors refuse to use tab at all. Such a policy may prevent a student from progressing or worse - discourage a student from playing at all. I have heard many students lament about note reading and how it is the part of playing they liked the least. Some teachers keep their students playing ability limited to what they can read and this approach may prevent a student from experimenting on their own, searching out tabs on the Internet or using song books by their favorite artist.  

 

Most guitarists play better than they can read music – meaning their playing skills are far stronger than their reading ability. I have met only a handful of players who read music so fluidly that it is like reading words on a page. Reading music notation is a skill, and like any skill it can be developed through practice. However, reading music even on a basic level is not a skill most players will require. 

 

 I realize some readers may take issue with this statement, but most students are not trying to become professional musicians and do not require the skill of reading music. Although I know the majority of my students will not require note reading skills, I do like students to read at least on a very basic level. Why? Because even on a basic level reading notation can help students:navigate the fretboard,understand chord structure and

visually understand rhythm parts which otherwise might be difficult to master by ear only

 

My approach is to use a combination of tab and standard notation to help students reach their goals. As I have outlined over the last few posts both systems have their pro’s and con’s, and what you are trying to achieve should guide the system employed. A good example of this is playing major scales – should a student wait to learn this major scale pattern until they can sight-read on the four strings it employs? Of course not, but by using tab students can begin to learn to play scales and develop skills such as picking technique and finger independence.