New Student Song Suggestions

willem
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:53 am
Status: Offline

Sat Oct 30, 2010 4:26 am

Hello Dan,, i subscribe to your channel(so i can follow you easy),,cause my grandson start with intrest to the guitar and i try to learn him but did not know were to start, i find you do a great work with this..


ps i think you know ''donna,donna''',, well i tryed ones






Sorry about the background noise,,i must buy me some gadget''s


michelew
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2009 5:43 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Status: Offline

Sat Oct 30, 2010 6:54 am

Hi Dan!

The songs that I use for my students, especially that age are for example:

Wonderwall (Oasis), you can find it on this site too.
Boulevard of Broken dreams (Greenday), also on this site
Otherside (Red Hot Chili Peppers), of course strumming adjusted, Am F C G en Em.
Californication (Red Hot Chili Peppers), another strumming compared to Otherside, Am, F, C, G, Dm.
Hey Soul Sister (Train), usually in C, F, Am, G and if neccessary Capo on IV. (also on this site, differently though.)
Smells like teen spirit (Nirvana), strumming and powerchords.

Almost everybody, if not all, really like playing these song!

Let me know what you think!

All the best,

Vanessa
webtvdan wrote:
Recently began teaching youngsters guitar and looking for modern song suggestions to replace old folk songs for initial lessons.

Current Curriculum:

First Lesson – Down in the Valley with D & A7. Students leave able to play a song after first lesson. Happy youngsters often ask if I wrote the song!

Second Lesson – Michael Row the Boat Ashore with D, & A7 and the addition of G. The G chord played with just the third finger on the first string.

Third Lesson – This Land is Your Land with G, C and D. Student still using the cheater version of G.

Fourth Lesson – Where Have All the Flowers Gone with G, Em, C and D Taught full G taught at this time.

Fifth Lesson – Blowing in the Wind – Key of C – new chords F and Am. It’s surprising that after just a few weeks kids can almost play F. By 6th to 7th week they’ve got it.

I’ve got modern songs from here – i.e. Let It Be, Hey There Delilah, Love Story (Taylor Swift) although welcome any fun beginner’s songs.

Students first taught basic thumb strum, next an index finger strum, and then thumb pluck (bass) followed with index finger up – down – up. Begin Alfred Basic #1 with third Lesson (how to read sheet music). These are the same songs I taught 30+ years ago - the last time I did this.

I’ve created a YouTube channel just for students to practice along with me at home singing these old folk songs.

Does anyone here have song suggestion to replace my old fold songs?

Thanks,
Dan


webtvdan
Posts: 0
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2009 3:50 pm
Status: Offline

Thu Nov 04, 2010 10:23 am

Wow Willem, your song came complete with a video, thanks.

Some great suggestions everybody, I need to modernize my curriculum and now have plenty of easy guitar songs that I just need to learn to sing.

I appreciate the input, almost finished with ‘Stand by Me’, ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’ will probably be next.

I’ve subscribed to this topic – welcome further suggestions.

Thanks again everybody.


songman52
Posts: 0
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:32 pm
Status: Offline

Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:12 am

Here are a few not really 'new', but not as old as the folk songs mentioned. However, those folk songs are still fun to play and take me back to my childhood and the songs we learned in school, like "Shenandoah", "Down in the Valley", etc.

A Horse With No Name - can be done with two chords, Em and "that other one" (split the Em)
Bad Moon Rising - three chords, I - V - IV for verses
Taking Care of Business - three chords, V - IV - I (we use A - G - D, all barre)
With or Without You - four chords, I - V - vi - IV (I use C - G - Am - F)
Twist and Shout/La Bamba - three chords, I - IV - V

Lots of others that don't come to mind right now.

Jerry


Post Reply Previous topicNext topic