Dennis McCumber, who teaches guitar in a Bronx junior high school, stresses the importance of keeping it fun. “My students really like playing folk songs,” he says. “These are songs they’ve heard before and have fun playing. Duets seem to keep students engaged. I play games with the duets on the repeats. The students switch parts without stopping, changing the dynamics, or even using a different timbre.”

Buono adds, “I choose pieces that are doable by a novice and that sound great in a duo setting--things with smart counterpoint, great harmony, interesting rhythmic interplay, etc.”

A Lifetime of Reading
Whether your students are future professional musicians or hobbyists who just want to strum along with their favorite tunes, reading can facilitate their goals. “Even if you’re not learning how to play Bach,” says Monaco, “a basic knowledge of a lead sheet is so valuable in sharing your music with others and helping them share their music with you.” Bez sums up how many teachers feel: “Considering the few scant months it takes to learn, reading is a gift of a lifetime.”

Karen Hogg has been teaching guitar for 12 years and is an instructor at the National Guitar Summer Workshop and the American Institute of Guitar. She performs regularly on guitar and mandolin in various country and rock bands around New York.

What is it about guitarists that makes them resist musical literacy, and what can teachers do to encourage them?

The Road to Reading
Four ways to keep students engaged
- Use popular songs as examples.
- Let students write their own examples.
- Have the class write a piece together.
- Use duets to demonstrate the importance of reading.