By Nicholas Anderson
1. Guitar Teachers Are All the Same
This is absolutely false, but many people assume that all guitar teachers do basically the same thing in their lessons. They teach chords, songs, a few scales and maybe, just maybe, they teach a little bit of music theory. People assume that because this is all a guitar teacher does, any old guitar teacher is ok. There’s no reason to find the best teacher possible – just pay as little as you can for lessons and you’ll get the same results as you would with the guy down the road.
The truth is that there are excellent guitar teachers who do more than just what I have already mentioned. Yes, all guitar teachers will teach chords, songs, scales and at least some music theory, but what really matters is how all of those things are taught and, more importantly, what is taught in addition to those things.
You see, the vast majority of guitar teachers do not teach critical elements of guitar playing that will help the student learn faster, play better, save a lot of frustration and save a lot of money in the long run. Most guitar teachers do not teach each any of the following:
- Exactly how and what to practice during the week
- How much to practice each element
- How to integrate everything they’re learning so it makes sense and is useful
- How to get and stay motivated to practice
- How to set goals and track progress
Sadly, because many guitar teachers fail to do these, their student spend a lot more time than necessary trying to learn how to play guitar effectively. I’ve had many student come to me after having lessons with another teacher expressing their frustration that they can’t play guitar very well, even after months of lessons! If any of this sounds like you, or if your guitar teacher does not include these elements in his teaching on a regular basis, go here to apply for admission now and start making a lot more progress in your playing.
2. Guitar Teachers Can Teach “All Styles”
A very common sentence inserted into almost every advertisement that guitar teachers write is this, “I teach all styles of music.” Next time you see that, you should immediately know this – he doesn’t teach all styles of music. In fact, it is highly unlikely that a guitar teacher is able to even play all styles of music, let alone teach them. Most guitar teachers don’t have a clue how to teach classical music. It takes a very highly trained and specialized person to teach progressive metal. Playing bluegrass is very different than playing R&B. Do these teachers really know how to effectively teach all of these styles of music? No. They may be able to give you some beginning advice about a wide array of styles, but no teacher, if they are honest, can teach all styles of music. The truth is that this is a misleading advertising tactic to make you feel like they are an expert.
I do not teach all styles. I teach pop, rock, classical, beginning jazz and beginning blues on guitar and bass. If you’re interested in country, bluegrass, progressive metal or something else, find someone else who specializes in those styles. If you’re interested in getting started with me, apply for admission today
3. They Shouldn’t Charge More Than $__ Dollars
Most people, because they think that most guitar teachers are basically the same (see point 1 above) also believe that a guitar teacher is only worth a certain amount of dollars per lesson. For the most part, this is correct! In fact, many guitar teachers probably are worth less than what they are charging because they’re not giving the student all of the tools they need to make a lot of progress in a short amount of time.
A guitar teacher should charge according to the value that they bring to their student. Some very good teachers should charge more than they do. Others should charge less. Ask yourself, am I getting outstanding value from my guitar lessons? Is my teacher delivering more value than I expect from paying xx amount of dollars? What does my teacher do that makes him justified in charging what he does?
Also, ask yourself this very important question: Am I going to end up paying a lot more in the long run for guitar lessons because I’ve chosen a cheap teacher?
4. They Teach One on One Lessons Because That is the Best Format
Most guitar teachers use the one on one format not because it is the best, but because it is easy, familiar, and they’ve most likely never considered the benefits of other, innovative formats and programs. The average guitar teacher has probably never taught anything other than one on one lessons. This is comfortable for him. He is familiar with the format and doesn’t want to venture into other areas that make him uncomfortable, even if some other format or program would really help his students make a lot more progress in their playing.
One on one lessons can be very good, however, there are many reasons why a guitar student (or any music student) should seriously consider a different format. If you’re interested in exploring some of these formats, you know what to do. Apply for admission today
5. Guitar Teachers Usually Have An Individualized Plan For Each Student
This is also not true. Most guitar teachers have a plan for themselves. This is how they teach. They know what they are comfortable doing, they know what “works” for them, and they stick to it. Sometimes it’s a method book and sometimes they’ve been teaching for so long that they know what they want to teach next. At worst, they just teach whatever they feel like on any given day because they have no individualized plan for each student.
This is not to say that I do not teach the same material to many students. I do, especially beginners, because they have to learn all of the same skills at the beginning. However, when a student is no longer a beginner, they tend to have an idea of what they want to achieve. I tailor my lessons to fit the needs of these students so that at every lesson they’re coming one step closer to reaching their ultimate goals. Many guitar teachers never consider the goals of their students.