Guitar Teachers Using RiffWorks
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Teaching Guitar with RiffWorks
Sonoma Wire Works has been a proud sponsor of the GAMA Teaching Guitar Summer Workshops since 2007. RiffWorks Standard has be given to more than 500 teachers so that RiffWorks can be integrated into their guitar lessons. RiffWorks is excellent recording software for beginning guitar players and has been successfully used as a teaching and practicing tool by several guitar teachers. It is exciting that public school teachers in the GAMA program will be able to take advantage of all RiffWorks has to offer.
Guitar Teachers Explain How to Incorporate RiffWorks into Lessons
Bill Coulton's Method:
Did you ever take a guitar lesson from someone and who showed you a great lick and you say to yourself, “That lick was so hip that I will never forget it.” After your lesson, you go to the mall or food shopping before you go home. Then when you pick up your guitar that cool lick is gone from your memory. Even if the teacher writes it in a book, the most important part of a lick (at least for me) is its sound. If you forget how it was phrased, it can become a bunch of notes with no direction.
This is where RiffWorks comes into play. When I’m showing students something, I use RiffWorks to record those licks. When the student finally has time to sit down and practice they can still get the “vibe” of the lick because it was recorded and burned on a CD for them to take home along with their lesson book. Also, along with that kewl lick you need to play it to something so you can use it in actual music. To solve that problem I create backing tracks for them to play over. Imagine writing a song around the lick you just learned on the fly.
RiffWorks also allows me to give lessons over the Internet because I can send my students their written lesson along with an MP3 of what their lesson should sound like, and an actual track written to revolve around the ideas given in that lesson. RiffWorks is a powerful tool for any musician. From the teacher trying to get a point across to their students, to the students trying to learn and apply what they have learned. The NEW RiffWorks T4 (free) comes with built-in online collaboration which makes this even easier.
As you can see from my brief explanation, RiffWorks can be used for more than just recording songs. It is a tool for becoming a better musician.
If anyone would like to check out my lesson program, email Coul10nj at aol.com for more info. Check out some of the stuff that I created by using this smokin’ program on RiffWorld.
Note: Bill was the winner of the first RiffRumble Song Contest for RiffWorks users.
Timothy Bagley's Method:
Basically, I use RiffWorks as a phrasing and practice tool by creating a simple drum loop and the creating a relevant riff or chord progression that my students can then take home with them to practice modes, shapes, and phrases over the given structure.
The first time I did this, my students returned the next week and were floored by how much easier this makes practicing. I remember how dull and lifeless scales and modes were when I was starting out (with no multi-tracking available, mind you LOL). RiffWorks allows me to create a great foundation that my students can use to actually "hear" the context to which the exercises are used. RiffWorks actually inspires my students to practice more.
Other Methods:
- With RiffWorks T4 (free), teachers can save their recorded licks as a RiffWorks file (.rws) and email them to the student. Students can open the file in RiffWorks T4, play along with their teachers Riffs, add Riffs, save what they've recorded, and email it back to the teacher, or even better:
- With RiffWorks Standard, Line 6 Edition or T4, teachers can post their Riffs on RiffLink and students can play along with the Riffs online (as long as they are 13 years or older). They can use the built-in chat features as well. RiffLink online music collaboration, built into the RiffWorks interface, eliminates the need to email files back and forth.
- If you teach guitar with RiffWorks, let us know how you incorporate RiffWorks into your program by emailing marketing@sonomawireworks.com or posting in this forum thread.
RiffWorks Guitar Teacher Program
If you would like further information about teaching guitar with RiffWorks, please subscribe to this mailing list: http://www.sonomawireworks.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=8
