How would you teach someone blind to play the guitar?

heyjoe
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 3:22 pm

Hello All

Through a friend of my wifes, I've been asked if I'd like to teach two blind kids, aged about 8/9 years old how to play the basics on guitar. They really want to learn how to play, and the charity would like someone to teach them.

I have lots of questions and need to do a lot of research about this, but I'd like to know, what do you think would be the best way to teach them. The lady who has asked said that they just want to learn chords, but I'm wondering if thats the best thing to start with.

I've got no teaching experience, the last time I was around kids that old was when I was that old! but its something that is intruiging me, and its something I'd like to do, I'm just not sure how to go about it, so has anyone got any ideas....how do you teach blind kids to play guitar?

Thanks

Joe


TGMatt
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 3:28 pm

Wow/..

It never ceases to amaze me the serendipity of things..when you plug in that is..

So one of my friends is Blind...and is a world class guitar player.

I am interviewing him in the next 2 days here in DC for TG, and I will take this message to him


hasben
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 3:36 pm

Joe, I am completely sighted and can't teach myself :laugh: BUT I wanted to tell you how proud I am that you have taken on this nobel mission. Carry on, buddy! Fred


Chasplaya
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 3:45 pm

Teaching kids is all about practical, hands on, blind kids will be no different. Also kids want results fast. I'd start in open position (first four frets) and get them to feel the frets with the appropriate fingers. also using the PIMA method almost straight away so they know where their strumming picking fingers are meant to be. Simple chords in the open position. Also really important find music they like and if you can use that for your lessons thats part of the battle. They will rely entirely on sound and touch and you may be surprised at how acute these senses are for them. Your spoken demonstrations will need to be explicit and not ambiguous, practice what you are going to do before hand, I knew a guy who practiced blindfold before teaching kids piano so he could better understand what he had to do.

Good on ya mate


wrench
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:00 pm

Joe, I am no expert on this, but I wonder if vision isn't actually a handicap when it comes to guitar. As we progress as players, do we not eventually advance to playing by feel and developed intuition for geography of the guitar? Doesn't the vision phase therefore seem like an obstacle on the path to excellence? Chas makes many good points. I predict you will get these youngsters started, and they will take off like little rockets. Good on ya for taking on this project.

So the answer to your question is this: With your eyes closed.


takhak
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:05 pm

ican help a little on this one. the same way you wold teach asighted
person but with a little more patience.i am legally blind not totally blind.
i have 5 to 10 degrees left ofcentral vision.totals could present some challenges
but if you watch neil teach ohio heispointing, touching, talking,playingthe song
so it can be heard.8 and 9 year old kids want to have fun.let them make noise.
thats what most of my playing sounds like. my daughter took lessons when she was that age
i taught all her friends to play twinkle twinkle little star mostly to give my wife a break.her love for horses trumped the guitar but it lasted over a year. i guaruntee
you will get more out of that experience than you can imagine.best of luck


wammer
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:17 pm

Joe

For practrice I sit in the dark and run through all the chords I know and play songs. It keeps me honest.

You are about to brighten a couple of young lives. Cheers to you Sir.



Tammy


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neverfoundthetime
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 6:34 pm

Great news Joe! You will have a lot of fun with the kids and that's the secret: have fun together. Whatever you do to the get that will be good. You will invent this as you go along and you'll quickly realise it's you who's learning and they'll be teaching you how to teach them. You have a joy of playing and if you put that over, you cannot go wrong. You won't be teaching them anything wrong and you have Neil's beginner lessons to draw on. How can you loose? There can only be winners here. You've got me trying to work it out already.

At various times I've worked with blind soccer players, wheelchair basketball players and the deaf and it was always a blast! I once taught a guy who was blind from birth to play tennis. I "showed" him the movements and he was able to reproduce them really well. I then fed him the balls by dropping them and he could hear when to hit them. Then I was throwing him balls from the net and he was smacking them over the net back to me from the baseline! Amazing and FUN! After an hour a day every day for a week, we did the serve and the most amazing moment of my entire coaching life happened. Heinz threw the ball up as he had been "shown" but instead of throwing his racket at is as you would normally hit the serve, he let the ball drop and swung a forehand at it, instinctively middled it and put it smack inside the service court first attempt. I was speechless: I would have had a problem to perform that move that well with eyes open after much practice, if at all! Great moments lie ahead for you and the kids Joe... have fun!


RicksPick
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:12 pm

Good on you Joe

It will be so rewarding

RicksPick


izzyhara
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:27 pm

HeyJoe - this will be so cool, and they will probably amaze you with what they can learn. It is interesting that Matt is getting ready to meet with someone who can help. But I agree with the others - your joy of music will come through. I imagine you will become a better guitar player during this experience, and certainly a better person. Congrats to you for undertaking this. We will want a video of you and your proteges.... I am deeply touched by this and we are all here to help you. Izzy


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