Guitarist describe John as a major british axe man with a teaching method that works!
For beginners, I start with technique, simple chords, 12-bar blues, how to play songs the student is familiar with. I like to work with songs the student knows, sings or hums, and do them in the key the student can sing in if they sing. We do a few songs that way, and then begin learning how to find the melody to those songs. Everything we approach in the guitar lessons I make sure the student can understand his target by the end of the lesson. Sometimes we put it on cassette, mp3 etc.. Review it the next lesson and usually they've got it roughly. Time and musical understanding polish the diamond. I use tablature in the lessons because I find the student commits everything to memory faster, as well as relating to the instrument better. I give out the recording of the sound on cd as mp3 or wav files. Watching my hands rubs off. You memorise by osmosis too. Tab plus mp3 helps a great deal. Tablature is useful if you don't have anyone to show things to you in person. In my guitar lessons I zoom in on technique, theory and rhythm. Visuals are used to demonstrate and support the understanding. Chord diagrams, written format, it's all used but I leave out reading notation - direct input you could say! Systematic approach to guitar tuition.