Therapeutic Guitar: Guitar Book & CD

This method recognizes that guitar instruction can serve purposes far beyond technical skill building. Krout structures the learning experience so that students encounter meaningful musical interaction from the start, creating genuine confidence and self-worth rather than frustration. Music therapists, special educators, and classroom teachers will find a resource that treats the instrument as a tool for human connection and healing.

Accessible and affirming. The songs are straightforward enough that early success is within reach, yet the therapeutic framing around each one invites deeper reflection and emotional expression. Playing through these pieces creates a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

This method serves students with learning disabilities, emotional or behavioral challenges, and those with medical diagnoses that affect engagement in traditional instruction. Music therapists, special education teachers, school counselors, and private instructors working with students who need alternative approaches to music learning will find this resource invaluable.

• Play through the accompaniment tracks on the included CD before introducing songs to students; hearing the context first helps students understand phrasing and rhythm even before they can replicate it.
• Pair the therapeutic activities with the songs as written rather than isolating chord or strumming practice; the emotional scaffolding in each activity supports learning that purely technical drills cannot.
• Adjust pace based on individual responses rather than advancing by page number; some students will need multiple sessions with one song to experience the full therapeutic benefit.
• Use the CD as a model for encouraging students to listen actively, not just as background; focused listening strengthens musicianship and prepares the student for their own playing.

Integrate this method in one-on-one or small-group special education music settings, or use specific songs as part of a wider therapeutic program in schools, hospitals, or residential facilities. The 72-page format allows you to work progressively through the material over a full school year or adapt individual songs for shorter interventions.

• Open chord shapes (A, D, E, G, C)
• Basic strumming patterns and rhythm consistency
• Finger placement and chord transitions
• Following tablature notation
• Self-regulation through structured musical engagement
• Listening and responding to recorded accompaniment