Yes! With beginners, I’m a great believer in getting to the point where you can play something that your ear recognises as fast as possible, even if it’s just a song that uses two chords.
I have created a series of four sheets each with 5-7 quick songs on that use just a few chords that are easy for beginners to change between. We’ll also have a go at some simple strumming patterns – rhythm is how the song comes alive and something that is rather difficult to learn on your own. We might also have a go at my series of riff sheets – over 20 simple short repetitive riffs that are great for beginners. There’s a reason everyone plays ‘Smoke On The Water’ or ‘Seven Nation Army’ at some point…
Contemporary guitar (particularly electric) is not designed as a solo instrument so for the vast majority of songs I teach, we will play along with backing tracks. At the end of the lesson, I’ll email these to you at a manageable speed/tempo for your practice at home.
With children, as well as simple one string riffs/exercise we will try some simplified chords. Sometimes, I recommend the book “Guitar Basics” by Nick Walker and James Longworth – although I always have spare copies, so there’s no need to purchase the book in advance.