When I first meet a student, I focus on helping them to understand the anatomy of the instrument itself and its related terminology. I think it is important to establish the language of music so that a foundation for communication and mutual understanding can be built. After that, I like to employ a parallel mixture of both theoretical and practical instruction, combining the how and the why of music so that the student can navigate himself or herself through the challenges that can disrupt motivation early on. Teaching is as much an issue of offering instruction as it is helping students “learn how to learn.”
From then on, I focus on finding out what genres and types of music the student enjoys playing, so that he, or she can employ their newly developed skills pursuing the kinds of music they enjoy. This helps to increase motivation and maintain the momentum of learning.
After that, I begin helping students put together entire chord progressions, employing their growing knowledge of music theory so that they understand what notes and chords are compatible and the reasons why they are or are not compatible Based on music theory
In subsequent lessons, I will begin helping students understand the concepts of pitch, key, and chord structure, helping them to discern the relationship between music theory and guitar playing