The School Guitar Class: A Need for Redirection When a public school student signs up for study on the violin, trumpet, piano, or any other instru- ‘ment, he is taught basic technique, not “pop” violin, “western” trumpet, or “folk” piano. When he signs up for study on the guitar, what is he taught? ‘When a student requests informa- tion on the purchase of a violin, trumpet, piano, or is loaned an instrument by his school, he is put in touch with basie standard models. Student violins and trumpets are standard instruments with manu- facturers offering different models to suit individual taste. What gui- dance does a student receive about the purchase of @ guitar? What kinds of guitars are purchased by school systems? What school guitar models are available? It would be logical and educa- tionally honest to offer students instruction on basic classical tech- nique on the guitar as we do on other instruments. A beginning trumpet player learns to form a ‘good embouchure, to develop good breathing habits, to work for a good tone production, to read from a (Clare Callahan is assistant professor of classical guitar at the College Conser- vatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati, She received her masier’s degree in musicology from Ohio State University where she was @ National Defense Fellow, Clare Callahan musical score (not charts or dia- grams). Why not also require good posture, proper muscular move- ‘ment, good tone, and note-reading skills from guitarists? Curiously, a number of guitar classes begin (and end) with chord study, Playing position tends to be casual or at random, right-hand skills are not even touched upon. The student is given a plectrum to hold or is told to brush his right- hand thumb across the strings. Rarely is the proper joint and knue- ke position of either hand discussed or demonstrated. There is seldom any progressive approach to ac- quiring proper physical control of the instrument. Listed below are the three main problems associated with school guitar instruction, together with suggested solutions: [7 1. The discovery that guitar is | enthusiastically received by the students has resulted too often in scheduling classes without guitar specialists to serve as teachers or scheduling them before staff music teachers have had opportunities to learn the instrument properly them- selves. Methods courses in 1, private lessons, and seminars are being offered by a growing number of college music departments. The steady introduc- tion of guitar degree programs at Reprinted with permission of The Instrumentalier wine 1078 colleges throughout the country means that guitar specialists and courses given by guitar specialists are multiplying. Accessiblility to solo concerts, specialized courses in repertoire, pedagogy, and guitar ensemble are not just dreams any- more. The Guitar Division of the American String Teachers Associa- tion is committed to assisting in every possible way with the dis- semination of information about programs, methods, colleges, pub- lishers, and all matters related to teaching guitar at public school and college levels. (Write to: Educational Chairman, ASTA Guitar Division, 2596 Princeton Pike, Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648) (2. Basic guitar techniques rooted in classical guitar technique. For some reason, this realization can elicit a fear from teachers and students that they will have to play the classics exclusively. Classic technique is equated instantly with classical repertoire and dismissed as too difficult or irrelevant. This attitudeis not found in the beginni study of any other instrument, but on the guitar itis allowed to prevail Solution: A foundation technique for the guitar does exist. It is sometimes referred to as “classical guitar technique” or “classical/folk technique.” With classical/folk tech- nique one learns to sit ina balanced position, move both’ hands in a natural and productive way, use right-hand as well as lefthand fingers, and make full use of the instrument's resources. With the use of right-hand fingers, the player has four possible picks at his dispo- sal, not just the plectrum. A be- ginning student learning guitar in this way has all other options open to him in the future. He may want to play twelvestring guitar, jazz guitar, concentrate on intricate folk strums, or he may want to pursue classical guitar. But, ikea beginning violinist or trumpeter, he is given valid musical base upon which to build. Basic technique brings him to terms with his instrument. (—_ 3. There is no standardized in- strument on the market for use in the classroom. School purchasing agents, music supervisors, and music teachers are confronted with a plethora of guitar models when they go to instrument dealers. Everything from electrie, acoustic, to nylon-stringed folk guitars are laid out in front of them. UnlessSCE they are well-informed, they play » game of chance, hoping their archase choices will work out. ~ ‘Solution: The core instrument of the guitar family is the classical/folk guitar. It is the one with its roots dating back to ancient Assyria and Renaissance Spain. There is a size- able repertoire of fine music for this instrument with modern editions becoming increasingly available Several hallmarks identify the clas- sical/folk guitar: +A soundhole, not holes on each side of the top. *A flat top and back, not arched as in a violin or cello (exception: rounded fiberglass backs.) *A fingerboard that is 134-2 inches wide. Guitars with narrower finger- boards make contrapuntal playing difficult, +Six nylon strings. It is possible to use classical/folk technique on a stecl-stringed guitar but steel strings are hard on the fingers and sound better when played with a plectrum, A guitar originally strung with steel strings can be re-strung with nylon strings for guitar class study, but this accomodation is not recom- mended +No amplification. The quality of the sound of a classical/folk guitar depends upon the instruments fine construction and the player's skill *Varying sizes to fit individual physical differences. Just as violin teachers have found that 44 and 34 size violins greatly assist young players in their study, so guitar teachers are increasingly aware of the need for a greater variety in the sizes of student guitars available. A full-size classical or folk guitar is usually too large for elementary school hands to manage The guitar class is a relatively new phenomenon. Its great success means that we must move to the next step and consider long-range goals. The instructional efforts we exert in guitar teaching should parallel those we exert in other instrument studies. Guitar students may choose to continue studying the guitar but they may also choose to study other instruments and move into bands, choruses, and orches- tras. A balanced school music pro- gram strives to offer quality instruc- tion in every area. It is time to take the guitar class seriously. 7