How Do I Learn to Play Guitar?!?!

by Glen McCarthy | Jan 12, 2015 | Classroom, Education, Gear, News, Principles, Tips + Tricks, Uncategorized

You’re teaching guitar in school and things are going..OK, but some of your students seem really good! They can play riffs that grab the attention of the class (including you). You begin to wonder if they might give you a pointer or two and your confidence about...

Gam-ify Your Classroom Guitar Program with Electives

by Glen McCarthy | Jan 7, 2015 | Classroom, Education, News, Principles, Stories, Success Stories, Tips + Tricks

I was reading a post on Edutopia about using principles from video games to engage students. I was struck by how much classroom guitar programs resemble video games. Douglas Kiang, the author of the article, points out that in video games we: – Fail early and...

Reflecting on the Success of Classroom Guitar

by Glen McCarthy | Jan 7, 2015 | Classroom, Education, Gear, Stories, Tips + Tricks, Uncategorized, Videos

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” comes streaming across our school’s PA system after the last student has exited the building for Christmas break. That was one of my former principals jolly way of not only wishing us “Merry...

Guitar TABs, the Other White Meat

by Glen McCarthy | Dec 17, 2014 | Classroom, Education, Gear, News, Tips + Tricks, Uncategorized

You teach standard music notation in music class, right? Sure, but what about the other form of notation, TAB? Notation and TAB have been around for a long time, but nothing says controversy like teaching TAB in music class. By the NumbersTAB made a comeback a few...

Teaching a Guitar Class of Beginners and High Flyers

by Glen McCarthy | Dec 17, 2014 | Classroom, Education, Gear, News, Tips + Tricks, Uncategorized

Photo credit: FlyingPete from morguefile.com Are you struggling at teaching your guitar classes because you have both beginners and students who have rocked out for a long time? This has been a struggle that I have found myself in and one that I have been asked about...

Breaking Unspoken Rules in Guitar Class

by Glen McCarthy | Dec 10, 2014 | Classroom, Education, News, Principles, Tips + Tricks, Uncategorized

Photo credit: manuere from morguefile.com School is full of rules, most of them unspoken. However, if there’s one takeaway from music, it’s that you have to break the rules to make something beautiful. In shaping growing minds and life-long music makers...