May 13 2009
What to look for in a guitar teacher
When you’re learning guitar, there’s nothing that can improve your playing quite like private lessons. But finding the right teacher can be difficult. And going to the wrong one will cost you not only money, but precious time and effort.
A good guitar teacher need have played guitar for a long time themselves. If you are a complete beginner, or still very new, then somebody who has been playing for 3 or 4 years ought to be enough. If you have been playing for a very long time yourself, then it’s quite possible that you could learn from somebody who hasn’t even been playing as long as you have.. so long as they have something to teach you that you don’t know already. As well as asking how long they have been playing for, it is important to know what type of experience they have. If you are looking to join or form a band in future, then finding a teacher with a lot of experience with live performances.. as their experience will be very relevant to what you’d like to learn. If you are learning so that you can write your own song, then look for a teacher who has written their own stuff too - bonus points if you actually like what they’ve written. Be aware that many very accomplished guitarists are completely self-taught - and be wary about going to these guitarists for lessons. Somebody who has figured out how to play all on their own will rarely be able to articulate what they are doing as well as somebody who has taken lessons, learned from video or written instructional materials or received formal training in music theory.
A guitarist’s teaching experience is much more relevant than their playing experience. If you are a guitar teacher’s very first student, then they will be learning how to teach just as much as you are learning how to play. This is true even if they have a formal teaching qualification.
Don’t get too caught up in how fast or how flashy a teacher might be able to play.. it is important that they are competent, but they don’t need to be a virtuoso, particularly if you are just wanting to learn the basics yourself. Some more great advice in this vein can be found at the Blues Guitar Instruction hubpage - “A good guitar teacher should be far more interested your playing than their own - at least while the lesson is on.”
Most electric guitarists are not formally qualified, either in teaching or in playing. If you find a teacher with a qualification, consider this a good thing - a qualification is a good sign that they are very serious about the instrument themselves, and also means they will be better able to explain in words what they know about playing guitar.
It is good to have a teacher you have a rapport with. But it’s easy to fall into the trap of spending the entire lesson “hanging out” with your teacher.. a good teacher should be very quick to get to the business of playing. A good guitar teacher will also stop you getting too comfortable with what you are doing. It can be a lot of fun to just jam over what you know, but your teacher should be prompting you to try new things as well.
Lastly, if you go to a teacher and they want you to pay in advance for lessons or put a deposit down, don’t get your back up. This is actually a good thing! It shows that they value their own time as teachers, which is a prerequisite for valuingyours as a student. Unfortunately, most teachers will have experience of students who don’t show up to lessons, or disappear without a trace the day that payment is due. This can be particularly bad for those who teach privately, though even those who teach for schools and are getting paid anyway will find this sort of thing demoralizing. If you find a reputable teacher who wants money upfront then just be reassured that they are just being professional and are taking their job seriously.
