6 Tips for Teaching a 6-String Guitar in Middle School Music

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 Guitars are Great, so Get on Board!


Engaging middle school musicians can be tricky sometimes.  They're not necessarily as invested as the students who chose to join band, choir, or orchestra, & their skills vary widely. 

But after 10+ years, lemme tell ya...very few are unwilling to get on board with guitar!  These 6 tips will help you teach these 6-string instruments to 6th graders & up:

1. Awesome Instruments

My first dive into guitars in middle school was inheriting wide-necked classical guitars.  I understand the benefits of classical-style fingerpicking & the important historical role it played for this Hispanic instrument.  But my kiddos?  They didn't love 'em.

Classical guitars have wide necks

  • Pro: It makes fingerpicking easier with the extra space between frets.
  • Con: It makes playing chords challenging.

Classical guitars use nylon strings

Classical guitars are not as "cool"

  • Pro: Classical guitars feel elevated and quite academic
  • Con: Acoustic guitar boosts engagement. 
Some guitars I love are as follows:

This 3/4 size size guitar is nice for students with shorter limbs, though truthfully I have found all my middle school musicians were able to use full size & folk guitars comfortably.  It's running $159 on Amazon at the moment.


2. Bet on Yourself

You are really talented.  If you're not a guitar player already, props to you for learning this instrument right along side your students.  I'm proud of you!

Part of betting on yourself means investing in yourself & your areas of passion.  These are a collection of resources I use in my own music classroom.


All these are aligned with the National Core Arts Standards for Music education which guides my curriculum planning.

  1. 1. A full Guitar Unit with history, notation, tablature, chords, tuning, music theory, strumming, songs, worksheets, assessments, and progress tracker
  2. 2-3-Chord Guitar Songs - C, F, G chords- 5 songs using C & F, C & G, or all 3 chords to play world folk songs.
  3. Guitar Songbook - 16 songs in a digital format to accompany the full unit.
  4. Guitar Songbook - Disney- 5 songs that kids know a love
  5. Guitar Songbook - Patriotic - 5 songs for Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, or Flag Day
  6. Guitar Songbook - Pop Songs- Perfect for a concert and it engages middle school students!
  7. Play a Rainbow - Guitar Bulletin Board - Rainbows make everything beautiful
  8. Guitar Escape Room - Puzzles to review material and challenge gifted learners.

It's important that you find an instrument that feels comfortable to play since once you learn to play it, you'll find tons of reasons to play it!!!!


I love this Yamaha guitar.  It's a folk size guitar, super clear tone, comfy for hours of playing, & has a beautiful natural finish.  The solid top allows it to resonate beautifully on stage & in the classroom.


3. Capos, Tuners, & Spare Strings

For your advanced students who enjoy singing & playing, capos are awesome.  They allow students to play in different keys without changing the finger placement for the chords.  It is also really helpful for the changing male voice!

Personally, I have students tune by ear to the piano, use overtones, & by matching the 5th fret to the next string.  That being said, my students with Cochlear implants & specific hearing deficits are permitted to use tuners because the visual cues are needed.  These snark tuners are awesome because they clip onto the head of the guitar!

And if budgets are the limiting factor, more important than tuners for weak students, or capos for strong students...strings.  Because they'll break, y'all.  D'addario makes great sets, but I find it is mostly the high E string that snaps, so I order those in bulk.

Lastly, I have invested in humidifiers that sit between the 3rd & 4th strings.  If you have guitars in cases & in a humidity controlled environment, lucky you!  However, for me, these really made a difference in tuning & helping to prevent the necks from warping over the summer.  It's not fool-proof, but they are easy for students to take in and out.

4. Diversify performance opportunities

There are TONS of ways to have students perform.  Not all will be ready for an on-stage gig, so think creatively. 

  • In class performances
  • Perform for younger musicians
  • Virtual performances using TikTok, YouTube, or FlipGrid.
  • Wandering Minstrels, like Italian troubadours of old, for teachers, a lunch crew, or during a study hall.
  • Parent's night
  • School Assembly
  • Full out Concert
  • Allow students to pick their own performance venues

5. Engage Musicians


Select music that meets the kids where they're at.  That can be using pop music, Disney songs, or Patriotic tunes to honor a holiday. 

With loads of play alongs available on YouTube & sites such as Ultimate Guitar, there is no shortage of resources for musicians to find what speaks to them!

6. Find quality materials

Whether you're looking at Teachers Pay Teachers, Blogs, music education sites such as NAfME, YouTube, or making them yourself, having quality resources makes all the difference!

7. Go Get Guitars!

Seriously, go get guitars for your music class!  Your kids will thank you!  Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

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