Giving lessons

[Mete]

Hey everybody, i'm planing to give bass guitar lessons to earn some money, i can find a student but i'm not sure what to do about teaching, even when explaining stuff about anatomy to my friends before the exams i suck .I don't want to make a person hate the bass because of the way of teaching so i need some tips and help about what to do, i'm planning to go with the same way my teacher did. Like first start to teach the theory in first 1-2 lessons, the notes, cleff's... while doing this giving some finger practice on left hand and right hand, after start from the easy pieces & some easy bass lines then teaching the other techniques...etc.

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by Mete

Hey everybody, i'm planing to give bass guitar lessons to earn some money, i can find a student but i'm not sure what to do about teaching, even when explaining stuff about anatomy to my friends before the exams i suck .I don't want to make a person hate the bass because of the way of teaching so i need some tips and help about what to do, i'm planning to go with the same way my teacher did. Like first start to teach the theory in first 1-2 lessons, the notes, cleff's... while doing this giving some finger practice on left hand and right hand, after start from the easy pieces & some easy bass lines then teaching the other techniques...etc.

Understand I have never taught music, however, I fed the family teaching adults how to learn - "things". So first .... you gotta have a lesson plan....

Get a "how to" book and follow that. Bass Guitar for Dummies comes to mind, no really, the layout and visual aids in this book are great.

If you have never taught before develop your lesson plan from a "how to" book. Why a lesson play? At least one of you should know what he is doing and where the lesson is headed..... Take the book and break it into what you think the student can absorb in a week. Homework assignments written out in advance and put into their guitar case, so they do not loose them.

Best music teacher I ever had fed me theory with each homework assignment. The things I was to go over that week and the theory involved with just those things. Theory burgers. Just enough theory to satisfy the hunger, but, not enough to make me sick.

Have fun.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by Mete

Hey everybody, i'm planing to give bass guitar lessons to earn some money, i can find a student but i'm not sure what to do about teaching, even when explaining stuff about anatomy to my friends before the exams i suck .I don't want to make a person hate the bass because of the way of teaching so i need some tips and help about what to do, i'm planning to go with the same way my teacher did. Like first start to teach the theory in first 1-2 lessons, the notes, cleff's... while doing this giving some finger practice on left hand and right hand, after start from the easy pieces & some easy bass lines then teaching the other techniques...etc.

I think you have some good ideas from an academic point of view.

If I keep my students' noses in a book for the full lesson, and expect them to be that academic at home, I find many of them will lose interest.

Try to get out of the book and use your ear sometimes. You and the student listen to a piece and try to develop a more intuitive approach toward relative pitch and rhythms. Remember: The quicker you get your student playing something relevant in the real world (like a real song they know), the quicker they feel success, and the more motivated they are to keep playing and learning (and coming back for lessons). To that end, I'm not afraid to TAB out a simple piece for my students once in awhile. Also, encourage your students to memorize pieces. Reading skills are an awesome tool, but I don't know a musician who would rather read a piece every time instead of playing it from memory.

The combination of academic and intuitive teaching has kept my roster full with at least 20 students for the past 7 years, my students average around 3 years with me before moving on, nearly all of my students try their hand at public performance (recitals are another great idea), and several of my students have gone on to play in some very succesful combos.

[Mete]

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

Understand I have never taught music, however, I fed the family teaching adults how to learn - "things". So first .... you gotta have a lesson plan....

Get a "how to" book and follow that. Bass Guitar for Dummies comes to mind, no really, the layout and visual aids in this book are great.

If you have never taught before develop your lesson plan from a "how to" book. Why a lesson play? At least one of you should know what he is doing and where the lesson is headed..... Take the book and break it into what you think the student can absorb in a week. Homework assignments written out in advance and put into their guitar case, so they do not loose them.

Best music teacher I ever had fed me theory with each homework assignment. The things I was to go over that week and the theory involved with just those things. Theory burgers. Just enough theory to satisfy the hunger, but, not enough to make me sick.

Have fun.

&

Originally Posted by electracoyote

I think you have some good ideas from an academic point of view.

If I keep my students' noses in a book for the full lesson, and expect them to be that academic at home, I find many of them will lose interest.

Try to get out of the book and use your ear sometimes. You and the student listen to a piece and try to develop a more intuitive approach toward relative pitch and rhythms. Remember: The quicker you get your student playing something relevant in the real world (like a real song they know), the quicker they feel success, and the more motivated they are to keep playing and learning (and coming back for lessons). To that end, I'm not afraid to TAB out a simple piece for my students once in awhile. Also, encourage your students to memorize pieces. Reading skills are an awesome tool, but I don't know a musician who would rather read a piece every time instead of playing it from memory.

The combination of academic and intuitive teaching has kept my roster full with at least 20 students for the past 7 years, my students average around 3 years with me before moving on, nearly all of my students try their hand at public performance (recitals are another great idea), and several of my students have gone on to play in some very succesful combos.

Thank you guys, seriously ! after i check the bass guitar for dummies, i'll hang some papers to the school and hopefully find some students.

[hrodbert696]

Also from someone with no experience teaching music (but lots teaching other things...)

Use a book to give them basic technique exercises and theory. But give them real songs to practice with as early as possible, to build confidence and make it fun. I mean, "Louie Louie" or something right at the beginning and work up from there.

[Mete]

hrodbert, i'll try my best, thank you


Thank you people, now i'm gonna hang some papers to the campus, i think i'll find a student till second semester