New Student, 70 year ole Lady

Ernest Cawby · Post by **Ernest Cawby** » 15 May 2005 7:27 pm

Val came in today and wants to learn Island music. She has a steelmaster 6 string, and a small amp, sounds good. She also has a great desire to learn to play a steel guitar and is very up to get started. We spent a hour and a 1/2 getting setup and going.
I started her with scales, whole notes, and half notes and showed her how important scales are by singing a song and demonstrated by filling in with scale runs.

This was always my weekness so it will be a chance to show someone else how important it is.
I just started up from the top today, thanks Fran for quick delivery.

ernie

Jeff Au Hoy · Post by **Jeff Au Hoy** » 15 May 2005 8:28 pm

It is thrilling to have an ambitious student.

Last year, I taught a woman about ten years younger. I took a different approach and started her on chord positions first. I felt this way she could accompany herself singing, jam with others--the ability to engage in these satisfying experiences even at the most basic level, I feel, keeps a learner interested and less prone to abandon the instrument out of frustration. Without harmony, scales are just notes hanging around in space. And someone who can't hear harmonies will never learn to apply scales appropriately.

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 16 May 2005 8:46 am

I learned to play guitar around the time the Beatles hit (me and a million other kids my age). I had a very wise teacher. He immediately taught me how to play songs like "Satisfaction", "Gloria" and "Pipeline", and I was hooked. Many of my fellow classmates went the traditional route, starting with the Mel Bay's book 1 on playing the guitar, and quickly quit after attempting to play "Pollywally Doodle" reading from the staff. By the time they got through Book 1, I'd formed my first band and was playing gigs).

Of course, I later became interested in more than playing songs and imitating solos and took to learning music theory, reading, arranging, learning modes and scales etc.

I'm pretty sure had I started out learning scales and trying to read notes on paper I would have quit out of boredom.[This message was edited by Bill Leff on 16 May 2005 at 09:48 AM.]

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 16 May 2005 11:01 am

Hi everyone...I have been teaching 'seniors' (55+) Hawaiian Steel Guitar and Ukulele at a local Senior's drop-in Recreation Center for almost the past ten years. It's a very rewarding experience!!!
This year I have 20 on steel and 17 on ukulele. My "youngest" steel guitarist is a petite Oriental lady who just celebrated her 80th birthday. She joined the group about 7 years ago and loves playing Hawaiian music on her SUPRO MOTS.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 16 May 2005 11:19 am

I have been teaching 'seniors' (55+)

Um, there's something about the way he phrased that that's making me squirm...

Chris Brooks · Post by **Chris Brooks** » 16 May 2005 11:59 am

Me too, Jim. I thought a "senior" was someone who was (always) 15 years older than I was . . .

Chris

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 16 May 2005 12:07 pm

I turned 50 eight months ago. All of a sudden I start to get letters and magazines from the AARP. How the hell did they find me?

P.S. - When you turn 50 and go for your yearly physical your doctor has a whole new shopping list of "procedures" that need to be done.

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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association
[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 16 May 2005 at 01:08 PM.]

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 17 May 2005 8:01 am

One of my sisters was determined that her daughter would become a musician, so she imposed piano lessons on her from the time she could walk until her teenage years.

The final result was that she could play from a musical score, but take away her sheet music and she was completely lost and could not improvise on anything, and had no desire to be a musician.

My conventional wisdom hypothesis is that regardless of any training and education that may be provided, there must also be a genetic propensity and a desire if it is to be successful.

If the 70 year old lady who is the subject of this thread has the innate talent to be a musician, she will succeed! And, may God bless her in her efforts.

www.genejones.com

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 17 May 2005 7:35 pm

We have a country dance band up here that plays everything from classic country to 40s - 50s country dance. No one can even try out for this band unless they are 75+. And if you think these old dudes cannot do non-believable things with their instruments, hey, many young pros could take lessons from them.

The age of a person should not be a road block to learning to play any instrument they want or to continue playing the one they already play.

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(I am not right all of the time but I sure like to think I am!)

[This message was edited by Les Anderson on 17 May 2005 at 08:37 PM.]

Ernest Cawby · Post by **Ernest Cawby** » 18 May 2005 8:10 am

Val had trouble holding the bar and using the picks. I gave her whole not scale so she could hold 4 beats on each note, and have time to concentrate on the next note.
She wants to play song Of the Island, and I will start her on that next time along with learning notes.
I am glad I learded to play by music it helps on other things.

ernie

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 18 May 2005 10:24 am

I don't understand why some of you feel uncomfortable dealing with the word "senior". No beeg deal ! Around these parts, anyone 55 and over is considered to be a senior...and hey, that means senior discounts almost everywhere you go! Everyone of my students are playing and doing very well. None will ever achieve professional status and have no desire to do so. They play the steel guitar and ukulele because it's a great form of enjoyment and relaxation. Besides, they love Hawaiian music.

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 18 May 2005 10:32 am

Keoki,

It's a Baby Boomer thing. We are never supposed to get older than 29. We are never supposed to lose our hair, our hearing, our eyesight or our size 32 waist pants.

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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 18 May 2005 1:31 pm

Gerald says: "It's a Baby Boomer thing. We are never supposed to get older than 29. We are never supposed to lose our hair, our hearing, our eyesight or our size 32 waist pants".
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Gerald...I agree and I certainly qualify ! I am only 29/48, I still have all 3 hairs, my hearing is great...(I can hear an explosion even if it's a half block away!), my eyesight is amazing...I can read bill boards with 8' letters very well, and my belt size is 32" (+8"). Not bad for an olde phart !

Jeff Au Hoy · Post by **Jeff Au Hoy** » 18 May 2005 1:47 pm

Youth is overrated.

Jan Hess · Post by **Jan Hess** » 18 May 2005 2:01 pm

Hey Gerald... the only thing anywhere near 32" on my pants is the inseam on the leg.

I'm growing more "mature" with as much grace as possible....So what if I misplace my bi-focals ocassionally,I've developed the patience to find them Hee Hee!!

Soundhound

Jack Shults · Post by **Jack Shults** » 18 May 2005 10:19 pm

I had a bass student who was 84 at the time. He did pretty well and is still playing.

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Jack Shults
MSA U-12
Evans Amps
Stereo Steel