Choosing a Teacher
Have you ever considered, letting a professional help you to learn the art of playing guitar? When shopping for a music teacher people are mostly concerned about musical style, location/convenience and price. Don’t worry about playing electric,acoustic,classical or jazz (style), instead focus on learning the basics of melody and chords. Location- I wouldn’t spend too much time traveling unless there are no teachers available or you are an advanced student looking for a specific skill, technique or style. Price- recognize the value of the services you are comparing. Ask an instructor why his method is a better value than the competitors.
What to look for, #1- communication skills. Can the teacher explain things simply? A good teacher doesn’t just regurgitate theory’s and techniques. They must understand the students motivation and goals. #2- Problem solving skills. A teacher should instill students with a sense of confidence in their problem solving ability. Methodically dealing with small problems makes large ones easier to deal with. #3- Motivation. Do they love teaching as much as playing or performing? It shows either way. Some teachers, especially at music stores and studios, give every student the exact same lesson. You are just a bum in a seat and they want you there as long as possible. Ask the teacher what his long-term goals are, if teaching music isn’t part of his long-term goal, they might be doing it for the money. Teaching income is steadier and more reliable than performing. Being a good musician doesn’t automatically make one a good teacher.
Don’t be afraid to change teachers after a few lessons, it’s not a marriage. There’s no obligation, except to get the best value for your money. Most of the teaching information is available for free on the web, or at the library. What a teacher offers is an overview. Someone to plan your musical goals with. A source of feedback and they should motivate you, possibly even make learning fun. The range for private lessons is approximately $30-$60hr. Some teachers will offer a free introductory lesson. Teachers that charge less than $30/hr probably are not experienced, licensed, don’t spend time preparing individual lessons and basically don’t care if they are still in business next year.
Posted ads, Craigs List, bulletin boards, etc, offer a chance to evaluate communication and problem solving skills. Do they anticipate obvious questions? Location, experience, do they teach beginners, electric, acoustic, do they offer a free lesson? Many wont tell their prices up front, and they forget details like a contact name. If the reader has to work at getting this information, how much thought will the teacher be putting into the lessons? Is the first impression confusion, disorganization or a genuine ability to achieve results. Do they explain why they are the best value?
A good way to spot a hack teacher, is use of the term “Pro”. It’s one of those deceptive words used to impress the inexperienced. Anyone that has earned money playing is technically a pro. Of course it implies someone that make their living as a professional musician but doesn’t actually specify. Be aware that it’s a pointless expression. Ho’s are also pro’s!
Being a good player doesn’t always translate into being a good teacher, but a teacher that plays lame music will teach You to play lame music, everytime!
March 5, 2009 at 8:43 am
There are many details that some good teachers forget. Ie my teacher forgot that he had gone to 35 dollars an hour instead of 30 but he is one of the best jazz musicians in vancouver. Once you are an advanced student you do need a teacher with some musical aptitude as long as he or she has decent communication skills. I always come out having learned a new jazz progression, or piece of theory with practice applying it.
Teachers are very subjective and some work for some while others may not work for others. Always check the teacher’s myspace page to see what kind of music they are putting out and check the complexity. IF the teacher produces bad music the teacher will teach you to produce bad music and so on.
April 30, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Thanks for commenting, good points. Communication and problem solving skills are probably more important than musical ability to a teacher. If their ad doesn’t answer obvious questions like who are they, why is their method better than the next teacher and of course price, how much effort are they going to put into preparing your lesson?
I agree that a teacher that plays bad or lame music, will teach you to play bad, lame music. I’m always learning a new instrument, right now it’s the Fiddle. That helps me think like a student, I hope. I think a lot of teachers forget how hard it was to keep everything straight. Many of us were lucky enough to learn our theory and technique as kids, so it’s easy to take for granted.
I guess complexity is subjective. One thing you can always count on is, if a teacher says he can play Jazz, Classical, Metal and Afro-Cuban Pop, he probably sucks at all of them. I’ve seen so many lame “Rockabilly” lessons on Youtube from guys with long hair and mustaches, playing Strat’s or PRS’s. A teacher that doesn’t even understand what his niche is, wont help you find yours. I don’t mean limit yourself to one style of music, but I don’t trust anyone that says they can play all styles equally well.