Joseph G  
Instruments: Guitar
Styles: Classical

I took guitar lessons for five years. I took all four music theory classes and all three music history classes (ancient to baroque, classical and romantic, and contemporary) in college. In college a gave two recitals with a variety of music from different periods including a couple of pieces of my own. After college I played at a local restaurant several times and did a few open mikes at Towson University. I write a lot of my own music but still play pieces by other composers from my guitar books. I've been busking at some nearby parks lately. I've been practicing most days ever since I first took up the guitar twenty years ago. I have a very good ear as well. I enjoy playing music for other people which is what I think it's really all about.

I think the student should begin by playing the exercise or piece very slowly with the metronome(a time keeping device). If they have to they can practice the right and left hand fingerings separately. They should start with the metronome at the slowest speed. When they feel like they can play with the right and left hands together they should gradually speed up the metronome. It may help to "prepare" each fingering before striking the string with the metronome at a manageable speed. I think it is important to learn to read standard notation as well as tablature. The student should clap the rhythms out when learning to read music. The student will start with easy exercises and gradually progress to harder ones. At a certain point the student should be able to stop playing exercises and learn by playing real pieces. The student will have to play some exercises at first but if they stick with it they will be able to play real music at a certain point and the guitar will become fun. I will try to incorporate some very easy pieces in the beginning to make the learning process more fun.