The Spiel at Guitar Beginner Level

Abstract

This article presents the proposal for using spiel and its distinct forms as a pedagogical practice at the beginning of guitar studies. The aforementioned strategy is directly linked to the concept of familiarity in the learning process of the instrument and music by children between seven and eleven years old. The work of several Portuguese authors on the benefits of spiel and its application in Education, particularly in Music Teaching, is analyzed. Subsequently, the article establishes a bridge between the approach of Edwin Gordon’s musical thought with the familiarity, and further advancing to the use of spiel in guitar teaching and focusing, particularly, on the study of the initial section of the book Zbirka Kompozicija za Gitaru (1973) by Vjekoslav Andreé (1935–2002), the manual which was almost obligatory book for guitar pedagogy in the countries of the former Yugoslavia in the 70s and 80s of the last century. His introduction of popular rhymes in his initial guitar studies is analyzed and the elements of synthesis are highlighted.