All About Choosing The Right Guitar Teacher

Many guitar players and potential guitar players ask about the best ways to learn guitar.  Many guitarists come from very different backgrounds, whether they taught themselves to play or got private instruction from another guitarist.  I encourage every guitar player to invest in lessons from a professional musician since a seasoned guitarist will have been through years of experience that he or she could then pass onto you.  Choosing the best teacher can be a difficult choice though, so I put together some information to be prepare you for a guitar teacher.

Guitar teacher and student

The best way to be prepared for a first visit with a potential guitar teacher is to have a list of questions that will help prove the experience of the teacher.  It is important to get along with your teacher so that you can move through your lessons and get a lot out of them.  Having a teacher you don't get along with can actually work backwards for your guitar playing.  Find such a list here at http://guitar.about.com/od/findingaguitarteacher/tp/guitar_teacher_questions.htm.

Choosing a guitar teacher can be a daunting experience for guitarists of all levels. Asking a potential guitar teacher the following questions should allow you to make a more informed decision. 

1. How long have you taught guitar lessons? 

Ideally, you'd like to hear a big number here... at least five years. Experienced teachers will be more polished when trying to describe new techniques to students, and have a better idea of common mistakes and how to solve them.

2. How many students do you currently have?

Again, I'd like to hear a fairly large number here... 10 to 15 or more. This gives you an idea of how many other students are (happily, you'd assume) being taught by this teacher.

3. Where do you teach?

Teachers who provide lessons in a studio may be more serious in their efforts as a music teacher. Having said that, many good guitar teachers choose to give lessons out of their homes to save money on rent, or to avoid splitting lesson costs with music studios.

Chances are, teachers giving lessons out of their homes will provide lower lesson rates.

4. Are you comfortable reading music?

If it were any instrument other than guitar, this question would be silly. The reality is, however, many guitarists become excellent working musicians without needing to learn to read music. Whether this concerns you or not probably depends on what you're trying to learn. I'd suggest that any young person interested in learning guitar take lessons from a teacher with a solid foundation in reading music and the fundamentals of music theory.

5. What is your musical education background?

Again, the answer to this question may or may not matter to you. I'd suggest that all young guitarists learn from an instructor with a musical education.

6. What styles of music do you teach?

Many teachers claim to be able to teach all styles of music... that's not an answer I'd hope for. Certain types of guitar playing (e.g. classical guitar) require complicated techniques that even excellent rock guitarists may not know.

7. What is your cancellation policy?

You'll want to know in advance whether you'll be charged for any lessons you need to cancel. While you're at it, you might want to ask how often you should expect the teacher will need to cancel.

8. What openings do you have?

Keep in mind that booking lessons on a Monday will results in a more erratic guitar lesson schedule, due to holidays.

9. Do you teach from specific instructional books?

This not only gives you a better idea of how much the initial cost for beginning lessons will be, but gives you insight into the teaching style of the instructor. Many teachers choose to work through a specific instructional book with students, while others prefer a more casual approach, opting instead to write out lessons on the fly.

10. What is your payment policy?

Some guitar teachers like to receive a lump sum money for lessons in advance, while others are comfortable working in a pay-by-the-lesson format. If your potential teacher asks for a commitment to a significant number of lessons up-front, you might instead suggest paying only for the first several lessons, at which point you can make a decision on whether or not to continue.

Young guitar player and teacher

More ways to check the experience of your potential guitar teacher can be found here at http://musiced.about.com/od/beginnersguide/ht/pteacher.htm.

Choosing a music teacher is like choosing a music instrument to play, there are lots of good ones out there but you aren't sure which one is right for you. Here are some helpful guidelines on choosing a music teacher.

1. Get recommendations. Ask family, friends and other reliable sources if they know a good music instructor.
2. 
   Interview the teacher. Inquire about his/her qualifications, experiences and references. Also, ask about tuition fees, policies, teaching method and anything relating to the service he/she is offering.
3. If possible, ask if you can sit-in during classes or watch recitals. Doing this can help you assess his/her rapport with students and how effective his/her teaching method is.
4. Consider your budget. Remember, some teachers who charge a lower fee are as good as those who charge a higher fee. Also, based on your budget, assess whether you can afford to hire a private tutor or enroll in group instruction. For kids I recommend group instruction as it is more fun for them. While for adults, a private tutor seems more suitable especially if you're balancing a family and career. Generally, private tutors cost more.

As you can tell by now, finding the right teacher is a big choice for most guitarists.  Find even more suggestions to help in your search here at http://ezinearticles.com/?Guitar-Lesson-Teacher---How-to-Find-the-Right-Guitar-Teacher&id=6409071.

Learning how to play the guitar can be extremely rewarding and it is a good idea to try and find ways to help you get started in the right direction. Getting on the right foot to learn how to play the guitar does not only require finding the right resource but also the right guitar teacher who will guide you in achieving your musical goal. However, with many guitar teachers offering their services, it can be hard to figure out who among them are truly exceptional. Exceptional in a sense that he/she would not only provide you the guidance you need but also one that would supply you the right information as well.

Here are some tips that can help you get started with your quest in finding the right guitar teacher.

How to Locate an Instructor

1. Ask for referrals.

You can hang out on your local music or guitar store and see if they have someone to recommend you that offer guitar lessons. These people often have connections to music instructors. Chances are they are music instructors themselves. You can also ask private music schools for further referrals.

2. Browse thru directories or your local newspaper for advertisement about guitar lessons available. It is important to take note of rates so you can compare each.

3. Determine how much time and money are you willing to spend to learn.

4. Determine your level of proficiency in order to asses which instructor is the right for you.

5. Negotiate with the fee. Most of the time, in-store music instructors may accept a higher fee compared to local musicians.

6. Inquire if the instructor offers a free introductory lesson.

7. You can also browse the internet because many video guitar lessons are being offered online. There are many existing sites that you can check out for great offers.

Guitar student and teacher

How to Choose the Right Guitar Teacher

The above mentioned are just prerequisites on how you can locate a music instructor that you may consider if you really want to pursue learning to play the guitar. You may already have the list of teachers to choose from. Still, finding the right guitar teacher can all come down to one important question, "Will he/she provide the right information?" and this will help you to further narrow down your search. The following questions can be your guide to find out if a certain music instructor can be the right guitar teacher for you.

1. How long have you been teaching guitar lessons? Credentials?

2. Does he/she offer a particular music style that you may want to learn?

3. How many students are you teaching right now?

4. What is the instructor's preferred schedule? Or better yet, can he/she accommodate your preferred schedule?

5. What is your payment policy? Do you offer discounts?

6. How about cancellation policies?

7. What specific instructional material do you use for each lesson?

8. If you don't have a guitar, you might also want to ask what type of guitar you should get.

Being laid out all these essential tips on how to find the right guitar teacher, you can now easily filter out mediocre music instructors from those that can offer a truly exceptional guitar learning experience.

If you are interested in finding a guitar teacher to help advance your playing, consider this advice to find the best one for you.  As I said before, it is important to build a solid relationship that will constantly encourage you to keep learning throughout your entire career.

Remember to check back at Mike's Guitar Talk for more information about the guitar.  Please feel free to leave any feedback, any and all is welcome.

Have fun and stay tuned!

Mike