|
Discussion Board >
writing a course
writing a course
Ask Questions, Get Answers, Make Friends
Page:
1
Progrock
12 posts
Oct 29, 2008
7:42 AM
|
I've collected a bit a material that I have made up as far as lesson plans for my students. I've been thinking of creating a course from it all. I have actually started on it a few times. The thing is I start and realize what a huge project this will be. I need to rewrite some of the stuff to fit the format right, write more new stuff to make it more complete, create musical examples of alot of the stuff and finally actually record all the examples.
Now I have enough books and as I said my own material that I really don't need a course to teach my students but I keep thinking of how cool it would be to have my own course.
On the flip side of this and what keeps stopping me is I start thinking of how I could be using all this time to work on improving and expanding my own playing which in return would help my students. I could also actually get my butt going on some of my own original material which I havn't done in a long time.
I keep going back and forth and not sure which way to go. Anybody have any thoughts or comments here?
|
Al
19 posts
Oct 30, 2008
4:59 PM
|
I wish I knew what I know now when I began. The beautiful thing about the teaching of harmony is that you don't have to invent the wheel, it's already been done for you. If you compare 10 harmony books from 10 different authors, the system of teaching by-in-large will be similar.
The challenge for me at times is not only how it relates to the guitar, it's how it relates to the guitar on the way creating your music. I find that guitar education is so readily available now, that efficient minded consumers want results from their curriculum, whether they know it or not.
Unfortunately for us teachers, the puts an awful lot of pressure to be cutting edge and impressive on a weekly basis. Here's an example
Recently I became aware that there really isn't a book on analyzing bebop on guitar with modern conventions like tab. The issues wasn't reading notation, the issue was creating exercises that would specifically facilitate playing that kind of hybrid-picking guitar technique. My student isn't always the music major who's held to a higher standard, most are the recreational players who still deserve the same standard of good service.
In this case for resources, bebop isn't metal, I can You Tube great metal technique all day long, but bebop is really intimidating to many because no one has really taken the time to give beginners some footing. Jazz needs all the footing it can get in America, if more guitarists were excited about jazz, maybe jazz would receive a European reception in this country.
That's where the challenge has been for me. It's not that I don't understand what I'm doing, but effort like this drains your playing time without question. Yet there is some fulfillment when you can teach someone, they value your efforts I suppose. Esteem aside, here's a few simple rules that I live by:
1. Don't write a harmony book (people have done that for you already), make you students buy one that you like or make them buy "Theory for the Road" or whatever. Just augment what is out there.
I've basically already have written one, is just isn't published. It's basically all primers and no methodology, string groups, diatonic triads on string groups in voice leading fashion across the fingerboard. etc.
2. Be prepared to deviate from your curriculum. Go on some calculated tangents, you won't get bored with your own voice that way. Not everyone learns at the same speed, it's okay and it's good for you. Sometimes I go into "topical subjects" like string bending and vibrato, great to do when you teach the blues.
3. Budget practice time, you HAVE to play, you can't spend all of your time just writing materials (even though I went through a season of that, ha). You can really fool yourself into knowing theory equals playing music.
I recently spoke with Bill Mays who was up my neck of the woods. What a great guy! He has composed so much great music, but he said that he makes time for playing the instrument. That was inspirational.
You have to come to terms with the balance of what work you're willing to do versus what you're not willing to do. Choose and make peace with it.
Last Edited by on Oct 30, 2008 5:06 PM
|
Progrock
13 posts
Oct 30, 2008
7:39 PM
|
Thanks Al! I'm starting to lean against the writing a course idea. When I weigh everything out all the work is not really worth the "it would be cool to have my own course" reasons for making it.
I have seriously neglected my own playing. For the last three months I spent about 80-90% of my time working on the buisness side of things and like you said in front of my computer writing up lesson plans. The only real playing I have done was when someone needed a part in a song figured out and all I did was get tab, work on it for maybe a half hour and back to the computer.
I just recently finally sat down and improvised to a progression which I recorded and when I listened back I was not happy at all. Luckily it's sounding a bit better now but I realize now how badly I neglected my playing.
I started to force myself to get away from the computer and play more. It's weird because I'm really enjoying getting back to playing and working on improving but I almost feel guilty. I start feeling like I'm doing something wrong and I should be at the computer doing work. I of course know that this is silly and I'm doing exactly what I should be doing not only for myself but also my students. It's just going to take some adjusting.
I didn't even realize in the beginning that I was at the computer more then playing my instrument. The computer became my drug of choice. I think I'll start a computer anonymous group!
So yea, with all the material out there already it doesn't really make sense for me to waste all my time rewriting what is there already. Thanks!!
|
Al
20 posts
Oct 30, 2008
8:34 PM
|
You will invariably be at the computer at some point spending a good amount of time working on something.
One thing that makes being at a computer bearable for me is that I have all of my backing tracks on my media player. All of my Aebersold jazz and exercise tracks are there. My guitar and my little 1 X 12 sits next to my computer, when I work on a score or lessons, I will take a break by jamming along to some track.
That's a good way to reduce the dread of working at your computer. I highly recommend that for anyone, you're killing two birds with one stone.
|
ChrisDowning
26 posts
Nov 25, 2008
12:29 PM
|
I think most books have already been done! Ask Rich and he'll tell you how time consuming and sometimes how soul destroying creative writing van be. I just did a search as I've bee writing for how many bass and guitar tuition books there are at Musicroom.com - 1462! And 1213 DVD's!
So....deep breath....why don't you reasseble what's already out there. What I've been doing recently (OK I know I've been only teaching full time for 6 years now so there may be better ways - but I've played for 50 - so anyway)I've been taking all the pages of what I consider to be the best books on the main subjects. I think those for the electric guitar are - Scales, Chord work, Blues, Rock, Jazz basics, soloing. For the acoustic - fingerpicking, chords, soloing, flatpicking, travis picking and thumb-style. For the bass - pretty much standard playing with slap/pop added. That's a hell of a lot of teaching and breadth to cover anyway. So for me writing books is just not an option - I teach and I focus on that and I'm very busy with no spare sessions for new students at all. (so something must be right.)
Take the best books you can find on any of those subjects - between 3 and 5 is what I've found. Take one which has the best syllabus - I've found that the Alfred books are good at that and when students get up to intermediate Rich's courses kick in with good coverage of all the most important things. But what you will need is plenty of examples to play and plenty of real music to apply the lessons to. You'll end up with a master list of material you want to cover in chronological order with asides of all the additional material that a student can add to this master list of support material.
You need to ask yourself why you want to write a book. If it's to make money forget it - see Musicroom for those who preceed you. If you want to teach in your own way - rip the current material into the shape you will use it. I've never found a student who wasn't willing to buy materials - books don't cost much more than magazines nowadays. Once you are past the basics the guitar college materials can be used for all styles of playing - just add some additional exercises from other sources and add some appropriate tunes so that the student gets to apply what you teach.
|
Al
31 posts
Jun 05, 2009
2:56 PM
|
You know, I have found that every book has something (big or small) that can add to your teaching style. Whenever I find a used book store or someone is looking to get rid of music books (even if they're not guitar oriented), I look to pick them up if I don't own them.
I'm always trying to find better ways of explaining; it's professional development for me. Most teachers that I've had in the past can play just fine, explaining is the real gift of a good teacher but it comes with refinement.
Last year, I began video taping my lessons. I was shocked with how poorly I explained things at times. I cannot tell you what video taping my teaching has done for me. It has given me a reason to hear myself which has improved my teaching tremendously.
|
ChrisDowning
72 posts
Oct 18, 2009
3:52 AM
|
There's a new set of MP3 players that Sony has brought ot that would be perfect for this. They are the NWZ series of Walkmans. I got a 1GB version that records for 12, 24 or 48 hours depending on what quality setting you opt for. (And you can use them as a normal MP3 player as well as recording on it.)
I'm definately going to give that idea of yours a try, because I'm sure I don't explain everything as well as I could. I could really do with a cruel, objective listening to myself.
Lastly, I'm beginning to come round to the idea that my own 'book' would be a great way of keeping on track and teaching the way I want to teach. I've gone through the assembly of pages from all the books I think are good, to now wanting to do what Progrock said originally - have my own 'course' done in my own way. It's starnge - I really can't find a single book I think teaches the basic guitar well. I suppose they are all reflections on how that specific authors teaches their own students. And we all have different ways.
Last Edited by on Oct 18, 2009 3:54 AM
|
Post a Message
|
|
|
