Inspiring Students Through Technology  

There is nothing worse than going into a lesson where the guitar teacher is chowing down on a tuna melt sandwich while watching his student struggle through Kumbaya. Thankfully, those days are a thing of the past. With advances in computers and programs, it is easy to create lessons that keep students coming back. Here is how I go about inspiring students through technology.

Sharing Playlists on Spotify/Apple Music/YouTube 

Probably the most inspiring thing I do is teaching students using the songs they love. I have them create a playlist and share it with me. Then when they hear a song that they like, they can add it on the spot. Even if it is an advanced song, I can usually simplify it. If not, then we have it as a goal to work on in the future. This way we will not forget the song. I have discovered that almost any song can provide a student with a new skill.

Inspiring Students with Riffstation

Back when I started teaching, there was no way to slow down a song during a lesson. The only available option was to practice without the song until the student was up to speed. These days, I use a program called Riffstation which is able to play a song at any speed and in any key. This program can also speed the song or section of a song up slowly over time. That make challenge is a lot of fun for the student. Plus, they can see their progress. Sometimes it only takes one time through to get up to full speed. This is invaluable when it comes to soloing.

Chordify is Perfect for Young Students

Another great way to inspire students through technology is with Chordify. By having a subscription, we can change the chords that we use, make edits, and slow a song down. The music is displayed on a large monitor in the studio so they can clearly see the changes.

Chordify is extremely helpful when a student comes up with a song that is hot off the press since it may not be transcribed yet. The program can hear the chords and display them.

Getting Right into the Lesson Inspires Students

Arguably, Guitar Pro 7.5 is probably the most important tool I use to inspire students through technology. Instead of waiting for the instructor to transcribe a song, the student can start working on it right away. Teachers used to have to sit and rewind the old tape player to hear the parts the student needed. Sometimes that was tough when the passage was fast and buried in the mix. Now we have access to professionally transcribed songs in minutes. the students love leaving a lesson knowing how to play a riff they just heard on the radio.

Conclusion 

With all of these technological advancements, students stay inspired and see results much quicker than they once did. Additionally, they have more time for hands on, which increases the intrinsic reward as they see the results of their progress in a lot less time. If you are interested in lessons, please contact me for more information.