Acoustic Guitar Central: Questions and Answers about Guitars, Technique, Music, and Players

TEACHING STYLES | NICKEL STRINGS | LOWERING YOUR ACTION

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Teaching Styles

Q I have a student with a moderate and, I suspect, undiagnosed learning disability. He has particular difficulty with written music, especially with symbols that represent a concept rather than a simple sign (like the time signature as opposed to a repeat sign). How can I serve this kid better?

Gregory Carlin
Woodbury, New Jersey

A One great challenge for guitar instructors is finding the most effective way for each student to learn. It’s important to teach the individual student rather than a particular method, and flexibility, patience, and creativity are essential tools for all teachers.

Some people learn kinetically, through physical action and motion. They aren’t going to get a concept until they try it themselves. Others are auditory learners and need to hear the desired result before they can play it. It’s best to record the lesson for these students so they can listen to it at home. And others need to orally process information through careful explanations of history, theory, and techniques.

The Learning Styles Inventory by Janet Hagberg and Terry Donovan (www.personalpowerproducts.com) helps teachers assess an individual student’s learning style and offers observations about learning by means of feeling, observing, thinking, and doing. Finding the right approach for an individual is likely to surprise both teacher and student with sudden and accelerated improvement.

In the case of the student you described, you may want to set aside printed music as well as your expectations. Face each other with your guitars in hand and do some playing. Would it work to have another student in the session? Your student may absorb information by watching others learn it.

Of course, it is important to be sensitive to the feelings of your students. Some are well aware of personal learning difficulties and eager to discuss and work with them. Others will require a more careful, indirect approach. If the student is a child, it is very important to talk over your concerns with the parent. Diagnosis is certainly out of the area of expertise for most guitar teachers, but in the right circumstances your carefully phrased observations will be appreciated.

—Gary Joyner

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Nickel Strings

Q I’ve heard that nickel strings produce a really smooth sound. Where can I find them?

Michael Greenwood
San Diego, California

A You’re in luck. D’Aquisto (www.daquisto.com) has just come out with a special Tony Rice signature set of nickel-wound strings made for optimum performance on acoustic guitars. You could also look for a "jazz" set of nickel electric strings, which should be available in gauges similar to standard acoustic sets. For example, D’Addario’s EJ21 set goes from .012 to .052 and features a wound G string. These should work well on a flattop. Be aware that some magnetic soundhole pickups, such as the Sunrise, have a higher output with nickel strings, but other magnetic pickups, such as Fishman’s Rare Earth, are specifically voiced for bronze and can’t be adjusted to the higher output of nickel strings.

—Teja Gerken

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Lowering Your Action

Q I find it difficult to play a barre chord on my newly acquired Ovation. I suspect the action is too high. How difficult is it to file down the saddle to lower the strings?

Paul Froehlich
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

A Most Ovations have shims under the saddle, making it very easy to lower the action at the bridge. But are you sure that it’s just too high at the saddle? Nine times out of ten, action is also too high at the nut. You may also need a truss rod adjustment. If removing a shim doesn’t do the trick, get an experienced player’s opinion about how to proceed before you start making bone dust.