How to teach Guitar?

Question:I am getting ready to teach my cousin Guitar. Where to I start. he is a beginner. How do I start, any websites? Any ideas?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I am getting ready to teach my cousin Guitar. Where to I start. he is a beginner. How do I start, any websites? Any ideas?

1. Get your cousin a Hal Leonard Beginning Guitar Method book.

2. Start by showing him how to tune and care for the instrument. Teach him the names of the strings.

3. Show him three basic chords--G, C, and D7.

4. The book shows a gradual progression in easy music theory. Don't overlook it. Simply go page by page and you'll do all right with your cousin.

5. Insure that you show him how properly to form the chords so he can eventually change fast from one chord to the next.

6. Have you cousin practice each exercise once you show him the notation for each string.

That's a good start.

Teach him something he can learn quickly, and easily so he can feel like he has accomplished something.
Let him have some early gratification.

Teach him a few chords and strum patterns, and a couple of simple songs to sing along to....that will teach him a sense of rhythm and pitch.

Teach him some simple single note songs like the Boogie Woogie, and Ghost Riders in the Sky.

Don't bog him done with music theory, note reading, or complicated things to start. He will tackle that stuff when he is ready, and when the need arises.

My first teacher started me out with a simple pattern of what he called "Stroke and Kill". Which is strumming with the left had while holding with the left, then strumming with the right hand and quickly lifting slightly the left hand. A "Ring -Stop, Ring-Stop pattern. This helped me to learn to lift and change chords smoothly in rhythm.

Good Luck