Instructors - What Popular Music do you use to help Beginners with Fundamentals

[Porksicle]

I assume there are still instructors out there who are using popular music alongside their textbook material while teaching beginners (if not, shame on you!)

I've been using this method to "home school" my stepkids, ages 12 and 17, with mixed results. With the eldest, it's easy enough because he listens to a lot of 60's and 70's rock - music I can relate to. When he's having trouble with a particular subject, we can just hit my CD collection and usualy find a good example to go along with his book studies, whether it's old AC/DC, Stones, etc.

With the 12 year old, it's a little different. Outside of our common "Guitar Hero" favorites, I struggle to find good examples for her, because she's not a fan of the "classics", and I'm not really hip on the current pop-music scene.

Are there any groups or artists in particular today that people are using to help build the fundamentals - mainly listening, timing, and groove?

[nsmar4211]

If you want groove, maybe some of the latin stuff like Shakira?
Paramore has some intricate rhythmic timings (Misery Business comes to mind)..... what is she actually into?

[Porksicle]

Well, she's 12 - so, you know, anything on Disney Channel or American Idol, hehe.

I'm not looking for something overly intracate - she is a beginner. Just more or less something with good fundamental timing that will help get her in touch with the groove, with feeling music. She's also in cheer, pom, and ballet, so she does have a fairly well developed sense of rhythm, but this is her first go-round with a musical instrument.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by Porksicle

With the 12 year old, it's a little different. Outside of our common "Guitar Hero" favorites...

Isn't Santana's "Black Magic Woman" in there? There's a 12-bar form that can then be played in varying styles.
From there, maybe...you could attempt "Oye Como Va" for a Latin-style groove?

[Deacon_Blues]

What about:

U2
Robbie Williams
Maroon 5
Joss Stone
Duffy

[Enden]

Fiona Apple - Criminal

...not so relevant anymore.

[ZonGuy]

1-4-5 Blues. Its easy , its essential and it gets them doing something useful in the shortest time. I show them so easy patterns then ask them to go listen and try to copy the bass line. Whatever they bring back to the second lesson is what we go with and work on.

For the few beginning jazz students I have taught, "Autumn Leaves" is an excellent vehicle to introduce the modes, fingerboard knowledge and walking lines