Finding The Best Guitar Teacher For You
If you live in a major city, there may be many guitar teachers to choose from. How do you find the one who will help you progress quickly, while still making the lessons enjoyable?
Just listen
A good guitar teacher will listen to you and understand your guitar goals, and not try to force you to aspire to something other than what you want to achieve. They should be well versed in the style you want to learn, and help you improve and reach your personal guitar goals.
Drop the name dropping
Just because someone has played in a famous band, does not necessarily mean they will be a great guitar teacher. A good guitar teacher not only knows how to play well, they know how to impart the knowledge in a way that others can grasp and apply easily.
Patience is a virtue
Whether you are looking for a guitar teacher for yourself or your kids, patience is a good quality in a guitar teacher. This does not mean they should be lax in expecting you to practice and advance. Not everyone masters each technique at the same speed. You may find you’re faster at getting down one technique compared to another. A patient teacher will help you integrate all the things you need to play the way you want.
What is their approach?
When someone gives you too much information all at once, it can be overwhelming. It’s fine to touch on several ways of playing, but they should eventually all come together to make you a better player.
Do they inspire you?
A good guitar teacher should be able to play well, and inspire you to advance beyond the level you are currently at. But the lesson should be predominantly about YOU, not about them and their guitar prowess.
Are they certified?
Look at the wall in their office or studio. Are there any guitar teaching certificates on the wall? There is something to be said for learning HOW to teach, not just knowing the instrument yourself.
The cheapest lessons could end up costing you more
Guitar teachers who charge the least amount per lesson are most likely teaching as a side-line to their “real job”. When people teach part-time, they may not have worked out all the methods and strategies for teaching in the most effective way. They may be great guitar players, but the fact that they are not committing to teaching full time could cost you more for lessons over time.
When you choose a guitar teacher based on a lower per-lesson price, you could just end up paying more in the long run, as you may have to buy more lessons and spend more time to get the same result.
How quickly you want to progress, and how long you would like it to take you to achieve your musical goals should be the primary consideration in choosing the best guitar teacher to help you become a great player, faster – not price.
©Jason Womack – The Hamilton Guitar Academy