Originally Posted by: manXcatNoted. I'd have thought it remedial methodology, -ref: paraphrased, 'struggling beginners' rather than "traditional".[/quote]

Good observation! Let me back up a step. :)[br][br]It was & continues to be a fascinating challenge to build a curriculum for any & every distance learner: a learning path for someone that is not taking an in-person lesson with me. I try to strike the right balance between including everything, anyone at any skill level might need to know & being as concise & to the point as possible.

For example, when I'm teaching in-person I can adjust the curriculum on the fly. If someone is struggling with simple chords, then I can spend more time with it. I can even add a whole layer of more simple chords & then work at that level until they are physically capable of doing so-called full chords.

Conversely, if an in-person student has no trouble with simple chords & can work with open full chords faster or right away, then I don't spend any more time than necessary on it in order to instead give them gradually more advanced material.

At one point when I was building GF1 I even considered a chapter on all 7 musical alphabet letter simple chords! But I realized that was too much. So I just included the ones that start with a variety of one finger, then add a finger, then add switching strings for added complexity to build dexerity. So, I tried to include that basic step, but concisely & in a way that added value without being too overburdened.

One potential model I had to work from was the classic, traditional series of Mel Bay & Hal Leonard guitar method books! And those also include some basic, simple triad chords as an intermediate step to full chords. The obvious parallel here is that a book has to written as a distance curriculum! It has to assume a wide variety of potential student skill levels.

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Originally Posted by: manXcatI saw the same thing instructing ab-initio studs in aviation all the time over the years I was doign that.[/quote][p]Interesting parallels! Thanks for the insight.

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Originally Posted by: manXcatAlthough the theory of the above sounds good hypothetically, in pragmatic terms [u]IMV[/u], I don't think it what you're referring to really resonates let alone sinks in [u]at that stage[/u] when all a newbie student really wants to do is play a few open chords as quickly as possible so they can put together a three chord song using traditionally fingered and sounding -vs easy or simple, resembling something song wise with which they are familiar.[/quote][p]Sure, but the seed is planted & I can refer to it later as necessary.

[quote=manXcat]Once I realised what was going on and categorised it pointless + infantile as applicable to me...

Sure, the online instruction model works best with a self-starter that can self-criticize & self-assess effectively.

[quote=manXcat][br]Without apology for my view, noting neither group hugs style diplomacy nor superficiality are strong suites of mine. Just calling it as I experienced and perceive it.

Haha! Roger that. :)

[quote=manXcat]I comprehend your explanation of why it's included in the GT syllabus as it is. I also get totally that it's not [u]about me[/u] but a public of whom Fender's survey stats revealing 90% of new guitar buying beginners give up trying to learn guitar within the first 12 months.

That's right on the money. Cheers back at you!