My Beginner Teaching Material

[Putts]

Hi All! No0b here. Posted my into in the New Members section, so you can check me out there. Spent 30 years self-diddling with jazz. Played classical guitar as a kid for a few years, and had some music theory to help me figure out chord structure. I got by...sort of. Once I retired I could then focus on really playing, but I knew I had to go back to the beginning and fill in all the holes and break any bad habits.

I'm pathologically lazy, so I had to have something to force me to practice and do the deed right. I'm well aware of the old saying, "If you want to really learn something, teach it." So, I started teaching beginner uke here in the area at senior centers and adult ed programs. In order to do so, I had to come up with my own teaching material. It doesn't have any text to go along with it as I provide the guidance in person at the lessons, but I suppose if I really want to make the material worth publishing in some form for pay it will need it. The question is, is it worth publishing in some form for pay? I thught I'd upload it here and let you folks take a look at it to see if it's worthy. Of particular interest would be the two pages found about 5-6 pages in called "Basic Chords C&G" and "Chord Progressions Beginner C&G."

I'd love some feedback. I'm sure you are all polite and will say it's really cool, and thanks in advance, but I'd rather hear some real notes. I suppose the real question is, "Is it something you feel like you really want to download and study from. Anywho, you can snag it off my Google drive here. Thanks for looking.

 

[Wiggy]

Just scratching the surface here:

Interesting how you included the (relative?) diminished in your 5ths circle. I rather like that as it is introduced right away, removing the mystery.

Then there are the Descending Secondary Dominants which is another thing one hears but can't put a finger on. Choose any adjacent two and alternate between them. Instantly recognizable.

The basic chord groups (families) are clearly presented. Understanding chord progression was the first thing I wanted to accomplish. It still continues.

Your method has a lot going for it.
(And it's "really cool!")

 

[Putts]

Interesting how you included the (relative?) diminished in your 5ths circle. I rather like that as it is introduced right away, removing the mystery.

Then there are the Descending Secondary Dominants which is another thing one hears but can't put a finger on. Choose any adjacent two and alternate between them. Instantly recognizable.

The basic chord groups (families) are clearly presented. Understanding chord progression was the first thing I wanted to accomplish. It still continues.

Your method has a lot going for it.
(And it's "really cool!")

I usually tell the students that you don't have to worry too much about the diminished chord in the seventh degree because it rarely pops up as such. HOWEVER! It does show up all the time hidden as the top three notes of the V7 chord. In C, the G7 chord has the Bdim triad, B,D,F, as it's top three notes.

I think I need to do a better job on the descending secondary dominant chord page to make it a little more visually pleasing. Probably just put the beginner first-position chords on one page and highlight how they almost always follow the circle of fifths.

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the clear feedback.

 

[Teddy]

Thanks I'll check it out. I've been playing uke and guitar for years but just never got around to nailing down the basics. I'd like to be able to jam and throw some lines like Cory and Kalei in the beginning of their shows.

 

[Nickie]

Thanks Putts! your material is much less rudimentary than the ones i use to teach beginner workshops. We don't even scratch the surface of music theory. when I tried that, their eyes glazed over, and i lost every one of them.