Teachng a total beginer.

A family friend bought their 11 yyr old son an electrric guitar and amp for xmas, for reasons we don't need to go into, lessons with a professionall teacher are not an option (at this moment), but I've encoureged him to learn the basic chords (E,,A,D.).

I couldd teach him no end of tues in A,E,D, (buddy holly springs to mind!!), but dont think he'd find it tooo interesting. Any ideas on how to keep him motivated untill he actually needs a professionall tutor???

Michael

I'm loooking for ways to keep him interested, witthout having to monotonously learn all the scalles /therory etc, he''s into sUM 41etc.

Well, getting him into power chords (if you haven't already) would be great re SUM41. A few tunes like that for a bit will be sure to keep him amused especially if you teach him hammer-ons and a few bends too. With his interests as they are you'd probably be better looking a full-on major and minor chords as and when the opportunity arises rather than as a focus of teaching - he wants to play like them! Squeeze in anything more sophisticated around what he likes - that's always the best way. Having dealt with a few SUM41 fans I'd recommend the song Fat Lip as a fairly straight-forward one to tackle once power chords and some competant fretting have been achieved.

Hope this helps!

Brian (veteran of many SUM41 worshipping beginner guitarists)

Well, there's your answer... although it's vital that he learns the basic open chords, he's going to get bored of them when he realises they don't sound like the stuff on his CDs (I haven't heard any Sum 41, but I think I know what they'd sound like). So teach him about root-5th power chords as well and show him some Sum 41 songs.

When I first started teaching, 'Nevermind' was a godsend - good songs with reasonably simple rhythm parts that gave beginners a realistic goal to aim for.

I second that. I started picking up the guitar when Nirvanas unplugged came out. But nearly everyone drifts frm that to Nevermind after a while. Easy songs, great melody and some hard rocking. Boy I miss Nirvana.

regards.

just ask him what he wants to learn, you learn, then show him. simple! no point teaching him unless he wants to learn.