John Williams: ‘I think what we need is a whole different way of teaching.’ Fingerstyle Guitar, May/June 2002.

The need for a new guitar method

Music education has developed greatly in recent years, with the trend being towards a broadening of approach. The general acceptance of this found expression in A Common Approach 2002 (relaunched in 2022: www.musicmark.org.uk/a-common-approach) a publication by the ‘Federation of Music Services’, with the declared aim of encouraging a more ‘holistic approach to teaching and learning’. In considering the best examples of common practice, it suggests templates and programmes of study where the teacher is urged to follow a multifaceted methodology, embracing not only technique, music reading and repertoire, but also ear training, ensemble and improvisation. The teacher is also encouraged to instil an appreciation of many styles – classical, popular, folk, ethnic, etc. This represents a formidable challenge to the teacher, not least because the various method books available have not kept pace with new educational thinking.

In my many years teaching guitar, I have become familiar with most of the methods on the market. Some have influenced my own teaching, but I have always been frustrated by how much is left out, despite several of them claiming to be ‘complete’. I have yet to find a tutor book that covers all the important areas, which I feel I can use confidently without the nagging thought that my students are somehow being short-changed.

Combining the best from both the classical and popular traditions

There seems to be a big divide between tutors for classical guitar, which concentrate on developing technique, music reading and repertoire; and pop, where the focus is on chords, song accompaniment and improvisation. I am not alone in believing that this divide should be broken down. The world’s foremost classical guitarist, John Williams, has said: ‘The first part of learning would have to include all the different techniques that other kinds of guitar playing incorporate … learning to play accompaniment, sort of chord bashing if you like.’ Fingerstyle Guitar, May/June 2002.

The value of ‘accompaniment … chord bashing’ is often overlooked by classically orientated guitar teachers. The simple act of strumming a rhythmic accompaniment helps develop a strong sense of pulse, something frequently lacking in classical players. Studying chords also reinforces an understanding of harmony. There are many other areas usually associated with learning pop/rock that the classical guitarist would benefit from, particularly in the area of improvisation. The ‘classical’ teaching fraternity is now showing more interest in this area, but there is still little available in the way of teaching materials.

On the other hand, the pop guitarist can learn much from the classical tradition. Guitar tablature is fine as far as it goes but no substitute for traditional notation. Quite apart from its own limitations, only a small portion of music in available in tablature form. The guitarist schooled only in tablature, as indeed many are, will struggle in the company of literate musicians and flounder hopelessly if studying music post GSCE. But most of the pop orientated books make little or no attempt to teach traditional notation.

The best music teachers achieve a good balance by introducing ensemble, improvisation, ear training etc. as a supplement to whatever tutor book being used, but achieving this balance takes time and effort. It is all too easy to devolve responsibility to the tutor book which, given the limitations of many such books, can be equivalent to depriving the student of essential ‘musical vitamins’. In assembling Guitar Academy, I have tried to guard against such musical malnutrition by providing a balanced diet: reading, repertoire, technique, theory, songs/chords, improvisation, ensemble, ear training – all designed to nurture the growing student and maintain them in the pink of good musical health!

What is different about Guitar Academy?

1. It is more complete/holistic than any other tutor: How to read music, theory, technique, chords/songs, ensemble, improvisation, ear training, online tracks – no other guitar method includes all of these in a single volume.
2. Teacher/pupil duets: While usual for other instrumental tutors, this is not the case for guitar tutors. Guitar Academy includes accompaniments for all the single-note melodies. Adding a harmony part helps bring the tunes to life, and the teaching process becomes more enjoyable for teacher and pupil alike. The duet approach also helps establish a good teacher/pupil relationship, with the pupil being given an extra incentive to play the tunes up to tempo with the correct rhythm.
3. Popular and accessible tunes: Great care has been taken in choosing the tunes. I have only included those that have elicited the best response from my students. Although there are many original compositions, most of the tunes consist of the greatest hits of the student repertoire.
4. Technique: Guitar Academy teaches conventional classical technique because it provides the best foundation. Once this foundation has been established it can, if required, be modified to suit specialist styles. It is important to instil the correct habits from the very beginning, and Guitar Academy reinforces this by providing clear, high-quality line drawings illustrating the different aspects of technique. Furthermore, a double-page spread entitled ‘Technique Revision’ reminds the student, in a fun way, of common mistakes to be avoided.
5. Songs/Chords: Most students take up the guitar to play their favourite pop songs. Nevertheless, many guitar tutors do not include chord study/song accompaniment, preferring to focus entirely on developing notational skills. This can be quite discouraging and limiting to many students. Guitar Academy includes a song supplement with well-known, accessible songs that have a wide appeal. Young children can find chords quite difficult, so I start at the ‘shallow end’, with songs requiring only one chord, advancing to two, three, etc. Each song includes an appropriate strumming rhythm, and most songs also including a suggested finger-picking pattern. Books 1 and 2 cover the 15 basic open chords. Chord theory is introduced in book 2 and explored in greater depth in book 3. Book 3 also introduces new chords (including the power chord and minor and major 7ths) with a variety of accessible pieces using a different chord styles and techniques.
6. Ensemble: Students love the musical and social interaction of ensemble playing. A lot of teaching in schools is done in small groups, where there is an obvious opportunity and need for ensemble playing. Whereas most guitar methods do not address ensemble, Guitar Academy includes an ensemble supplement of trios and quartets. Most of the pieces are written in trio form; this works well because a teacher can play two parts if teaching individuals or if there are absentees. Improvisation is also integrated into most of the ensemble pieces.
7. Improvisation: Most tutors that deal with improvisation are aimed at the intermediate/advanced adult student with an interest in rock or jazz. There is little available for the younger student in the early stages of learning. Guitar Academy is possibly the only guitar tutor aimed at school children that addresses this important subject.
8. Written Tests: These provide variety in the lessons, help assess understanding and reinforce the information taught.
9. Ear Training: This takes many forms. Perhaps the most basic is simply singing, which is encouraged by Guitar Academy’s supplementary song section. Lyrics are also added to the single-note melodies in the music-reading section to encourage students to sing along. Students enjoy playing the ‘copycat’ aural game, where they test each other’s aural awareness by playing short tunes using a limited number of specified notes. Another ear-training method is leaving out certain notes of well-known tunes for the pupil to fill in ‘by ear’. Intervals, chords, and time signatures are explained, with associated audio examples and tests provided on the Guitar Academy website, where I also recommend my favourite ear-training websites and apps.
10. Composition: The encouragement of composition is not usually incorporated into tutor books, although music educators consider it a vital part of musical development. In addition to leaving empty staves for students to notate their own ideas, I have included ‘Question and Answer’ exercises to help students consider how to structure a tune. Of course, the pieces incorporating improvisation encourage a more spontaneous compositional exercise. As Stravinsky rightly said; ‘Composition is only frozen improvisation’ – and imaginative teachers can easily create compositional exercises from this section.
11. Flash Cards: The pop-out flash cards that were included in the first edition of Guitar Academy are now included as a free printable PDF resource on the Guitar Academy website. I began to experiment with flash cards during the Pokémon card craze, hoping to tap into the inexplicable enthusiasm that children have for cards. My students love my flash cards! Once they are printed, students can challenge themselves with various note recognition games and collect all the cards to become a ‘Flash Card Master’! Flash cards are also an excellent way of involving the parents, an important aspect when teaching young children; parental involvement probably goes a long way to explaining the success of the Suzuki music method.
12. Homework Page: Most homework pages in music books ask the student to write down how long they’ve practised during the week. Sometimes the student gives an honest answer; at other times they’ll undermine the process by making rather dubious claims. An ensuing interrogation can lead to the teacher feeling like a policeman, while the student feels little better than a criminal! Guilt can easily come to the fore with practice being seen as a burden rather than a pleasure. Guitar Academy puts the focus of the homework page on specific targets rather than time: the teacher puts a tick beside the piece/s to be practised and then adds the date when the pieces have been learnt. This works better than I ever imagined: I can quickly remind myself what my students are studying, the parents can see what their children should be working on, while the students have a target and enjoy seeing the pieces ticked off (it feels like progress!). The process is quick, doesn’t cut into lesson time and everything is kept nicely focused.
13. Website: The Guitar Academy website includes many useful resources: supporting videos, supplementary repertoire, flash cards, a useful Links page and the audio tracks of all the pieces, exercises and backing tracks. The pupil and teacher parts are recorded on separate stereo channels, which means the balance control can isolate each part, thereby allowing the student to play duets with the teacher at home. Backing tracks for improvisation are also included. The audio tracks are especially useful for students learning without a teacher.
14. Self Tuition: While there are many guitar tutors on the market, only a few are suitable for self-tuition, and these tend to be heavy on text. I have avoided wordy explanations, while providing information in an accessible, easy-to-read style. The important subject of good technique is dealt with thoroughly and supported by high-quality illustrations. The Guitar Academy website also provides helpful supporting material, including the audio tracks associated with the music in the books.
15. A lively, humorous style: The presentation in most guitar tutors, certainly classical guitar tutors, is rather formal and dated. I have chosen an informal, somewhat jocular style, which I feel communicates better with the students of today. In my own teaching I find a little humour goes a long way and have written the tutor very much as I teach.
16. Presentation: This is a tutor book that looks good. The line drawings illustrating technique are of a superior quality to those in any equivalent book, and each tune is accompanied by a separate, full-colour illustration. It also has a very eye-catching cover!

Conclusion

 Guitar Academy has been written and developed over many years. I have also been fortunate in having the advice and encouragement of distinguished guitarists and professional guitar teachers, who have made many helpful suggestions. In bringing together a variety of subjects not usually found within a single volume, I believe I have written a tutor that reflects prevailing views on good instrumental teaching and one, hopefully, to which the word ‘holistic’ might be properly applied. My objective has always been to write a method that produces not only a good guitarist but also a well-rounded musician. In so doing I have found it best to combine teaching techniques from both the classical and pop/folk traditions. For these reasons I believe that Guitar Academy makes an important contribution to guitar education.