Beginner acoustic guitars

matty_boy

matty_boy

New member
I am a teacher, and my school division has some money to put towards some music education. I am in the process of creating a program for almost my whole school (grade 2-9) which I will be teaching. Any recommendations on models of acoustic guitars that are good buys for their playability would be really appreciated. If I want this to happen I have to do all af the pricing (and probably buying) myself.

Thanks in advance fellas.

Matty
 
for kid beginners, 3/4 nylon strings are something to look at. Easier on the fingers than steel strings.
 
matty,

This is how I started playing guitar! In grade eight, I had a class of thirty where we all played no name nylon string guitars (I think they had twenty five so ten people shared).

I'm so excited to hear about your project because I wouldn't be the person I am today and certainly not the musician I am had it not been for this class. After failing to learn several instruments through the first seven grades I had given up on learning an instrument until I took this class because my friends were taking it. Lo and behold, twelve years later, I play weekly shows and studied performance in college! I often think about how I would make my first teacher proud....

a couple of rules that I had or aspects of my exp. that I liked:
1. no picks for the first year. learning fingerpicking rapidly accelerated my right hand reliability. (especially for a lefty playing right handed.)
2. common music but not too common. My teacher would transcribe songs for the students who went above and beyond the regular curriculum (which was mostly beatles, eagles, simon and garfunkel, Joni Mitchell). It was a proud day when a fellow student completed her booklet and we got to play G'N'R's Patience and Warrant's Heaven.
3. Mel Bay is the devil! Yes, students of the most popular guitar instruction series learn to sightread faster but only those who actually can get through the monotony of playing baah, baah black sheep fifty times. Do yourself and your students a favor and give them songs they won't be ashamed to play. Chording through classic rock and singer songwriter stuff remains my favorite option.
4. we all had to sing as we played. the songs we played would have been a little boring otherwise. My teacher was a stickler for everybody singing. Helps develop the ear.

alright. enough outta me. I hope you consider some of these ideas as they were passed along to me. You are about to do something great for a great many people. Who knows whose life you'll change.

Miles Maxwell
www.milesmaxwell.com
 
Thanks for the posts guys.

Stonepiono: I will definately take some of those suggestions. I am hoping to give the students something that they may just decide to continue and enjoy after the class is done.

JR: These kids are in grade 6,7,8 and 9. A full size would be too big for some but not others. I think the 3/4 size would be a good idea though.

Thanks again

Matty
 
you might check out EBAY. I am always seeing some cheap nylon string guitars on there. $20-40 range and it is usually some warehouse music store selling them. I dont know if they are any good or not but the price is right and if they are decent then you might be able to afford a few more of them. You know kids are not the most gentle creatures on the planet to say the least.
I had a music class around the 6th or 7th grade and we only got the guitars out once or twice but those were always my favorite days. Glad to see that your going that direction. Good luck!
 
I might suggest against getting a nylon strung guitar. 3/4 size is a good idea but Nylon string guitars usually have wider necks which make it hard to play as well as flat fingerboards which also make it harder to play. Unless you are trying to teach them classical style music I say find a 3/4 size steel string guitar. Make sure it plays good beacause if it does not they may give up pretty easy. Good luck!

John Mayes
www.mayesguitars.com
 
Whatever you do MattyB I hope it goes well!
I remember the "School" guitar class I went to.
28 kids strumming "Hang Down your Head Tom Dooley"

Man..........Stay away from that!
I gave lessons for a while in my younger days and if someone(anyone) who is starting can learn something they like it makes all the difference in their ability to stick too it!

Best of luck to you and your students and keep us posted!
 
Matty-

Contact someone at Taylor Guitars.

And, I believe you might want to check out this resource...

http://www.guitarsintheclassroom.com/

The first pilot program, funded by a generous donation from the publisher of the Journal of Guitar Acoustics, is currently beginning its second year at Baldwin Elementary School in the Oak Grove School District in San Jose, California. Newer programs co-sponsored by D'Addario Strings, D'Andrea Manufacturing, George Gruhn, Hohner Inc., Korg, Ovation Guitars, The Martin Guitar Company, Midco International, Santa Cruz Guitars, Tacoma Guitars, Taylor Guitars, Washburn International, and generous individuals are being developed for schools across the United States. For more information, please contact Guitars in the Classroom.
Click to expand...
 
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