Keith Moore - Family News Article

Previously published in Family News, October 2000.

As a guitar teacher for the past several years I've witnessed the spectrum of adolescent behavior in my lessons. The spoiled rich kid who shows more interest in the price of his instrument than his ability to play it. The apathetic, sometimes shy, who answers every question with "OK, not much, I don't know." The hyper-achiever, whose parents believe can learn guitar between daily sessions of basketball, piano, gymnastics, Little League—oh, and homework. The kid who can afford $20 a week for lessons but duct tapes his Nike's to keep his toes from falling out.

At least he has his priorities straight.

No, I'm not a cynic yet. I've made countless friends, people excited by the possibility of influencing emotions with sound in their fingertips. Their enthusiasm for my quirky ramblings-"Kum-ba-yah" only by request-challenges me to understand the instrument more deeply and improves my own playing. The slackers insure a good portion of my time is spent as an overpaid baby-sitter. Sure, most of them would like to play. But do they want to practice? I get my answer weekly, the latest victim forgetting how to play an E major chord, despite having it shown to them every week for six months. How do you stretch the attention span when it's being squeezed to the size of a pinhole by Sega and the Internet? I have several methods of approach, a mixture of theory, textbooks, and Mtv's most requested, in case the Star Wars theme isn't hip enough for them. But there are other factors beyond my control, issues that can wear out the most excited student's enthusiasm. Help a teacher prepare for these obstacles and your musical investment will have a much greater chance of soaking into your child.

First, consider the quality of the instrument. By that I mean the size of the guitar body and the thickness of the strings. I've worked with countless ten-year-olds who can't get their guitars to stay in tune. A worse culprit: the bargain basement acoustic guitar with decrepit strings that require adult finger strength to fret properly. Granted, patient fingers will eventually get a some kind of grip on such monsters, but why gamble on patience holding out that long? Get your child a small guitar that he can hold without being overwhelmed by its size. Electric guitars are often a better start here, as their thinner bodies and lighter gauge strings are easier to work with. Most music stores can also install lighter gauge strings on acoustics if necessary. Going too cheap here is like watering a dead plant, wondering when it will grow.

Assess the available time your child has to explore the instrument. It has long been cliché for me to hear students admit their lack of progress is due to a relentless schedule of school work and after school sports. I can't judge whether or not they're truly overloaded, but I can say what you get out of any musical instrument is proportional to what you invest in it. Decent results come from at least half an hour a day, five days a week. If that schedule can't be maintained comfortably then you might consider having your child drop out of school to pursue guitar full time.

Once your child is taking lessons, you might try purchasing an instructional book outside the one required by the instructor, preferably one containing a CD with musical examples. The publishing market for song and technique books is amazingly fierce, creating a wonderful range of texts and videos covering everything from chords and scales to the analysis of punk rock or a specific guitarist's technique. The right book can complement a teacher's instruction greatly, giving the student a chance to focus on musical areas of personal interest that will in turn fuel their interest for the basics. This might take time away from the instructor's guidelines, but a regimented practice of the same theory book every week might kill lessons entirely. A short detour through a Britney Spears songbook might encourage further interest in that theory book.

In searching for the right instructor, personal recommendations are helpful, but only part of the checklist in assessing their qualifications. Do they work from method books exclusively or devise custom lessons for each student? Do they focus on sing-along playing or theory? Pop or jazz emphasis? Have they worked with young students? You might want to schedule a couple week's worth of lessons and sit in with your child to see how the instructor works. Teaching degrees are a plus, but not essential, as many people have the gift sharing musical ideas without diplomas.

If you find it a continual struggle to get your child to practice you may consider stopping the lessons altogether. Some kids aren't cut out for music until they're older. I personally found practice to be torture when I was eight years old, an attitude that reversed itself in my teens. Move on once an honest effort has been made. Another interest will eventually ignite your child's passions, hopefully something legal.

Keith Moore is a guitar instructor at Marin Music in Novato. When he isn't teaching he can be found shooting fireballs out of his Strat with Groundwire at the local clubs.