How can I teach new students to play chords well?


shred-zombie
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Joined: 05/07/10
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shred-zombie
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Joined: 05/07/10
Posts: 14
06/09/2010 3:26 pm
Hey to all,

I'm fairly new to teaching guitar, although I've been playing for awhile and I'm a good player (I'm mostly self taught myself). One problem that I have is teaching new students how to get better at moving between chords.
What I try to get them to do from the early lessons is usually to play the open G chord on just 3 strings by fretting the G on the 3rd fret of the E string and strum the 3 strings. Then do the same for the C chord and only using one finger (for the 1st fret of the 2nd string). Then after a few weeks of doing that and switching between these 2 simple chords, I move to doing fuller chord shapes. This seems to work somewhat but not all the time.

Some of my students seem to get it fairly well but others have a much harder time. Of course I know that not everyone simply practices what I tell them but I was wondering if other teachers here used a different approach that works good for them?

Thanks for any help.
# 1
guitarium
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guitarium
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06/09/2010 5:49 pm
Make sure to remind them to relax. A lot of beginners are way too tense in their fingers while first learnig to change chords. Focusing on that with my students seems to help them get over that hump faster.
# 2
Joe Pinnavaia
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Joe Pinnavaia
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06/10/2010 2:01 am
Also making sure that they are developing good hand position will help them when it comes time for chords. Keeping the thumb behind the second finger keeps the hand square. Also positioning the guitar in a better place and angle helps as well. I work with beginner students a lot in regards to the best positioning in the very beginning so that they don't develop bad habits that will hold them back in the long run.

All the best,
Joe Pinnavaia
http://www.youtube.com/user/rhinoguitar
http://www.digital-nations.com/artists/testtuberhino
# 3
Mike_Philippov
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Mike_Philippov
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06/10/2010 3:37 am
Yes, getting students to relax is important, and also being totally clear on where their fingers must move from chord to chord is critical. There should be no adjusting of fingers after they land on the frets to form a chord.

Also check this out: http://www.cyberfret.com/teachers-teaching/tom-hess/teaching-chords-to-beginning-guitar-students/index.php

This lesson talks about the exact topic you are asking about pretty well.
# 4
ttilic
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ttilic
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06/28/2010 6:12 pm
That's a cool article!
# 5
KFS1972
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KFS1972
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06/28/2010 11:51 pm
http://www.successories.com/product/perseverance+motivational+poster.do?keyword=perseverence&sortby=bestMatches

I remember seeing this years ago in a skymall magazine. I never REALLY got it until I started practicing chords.

In case it is not obvious to you, the caption reads, "In the confrontation between the river and the rock, the river always wins...not through strength but by perseverance."

Be the water!
# 6

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