Time is our most precious resource, so when you’re looking to hire your next guitar teacher, you should be mindful of these things in your first few lessons:
- Are they listening to how you want to learn? Not everyone follows the same path or has the same goals when learning guitar. For some, coming home after a long day and strumming on their favorite songs is exactly what they want. Others might want to be able to play super technical songs, which would require a different mindset. Your teacher should understand your long term goals before developing a lesson plan for you.
- Are they more by the book, or do they tailor lessons around songs? I feel that the sweet spot is somewhere in between - you’ll practice some exercises that will physically prepare you to play the guitar, and the rest of your learning will come from learning licks, songs, and more based on the songs you like. This helps keep practice exciting - if you want to learn a technique like bends, or if you want to learn a song structure, learn it from one of your favorite bands.
- Do they let you off the hook too easily? I’ve seen countless students not find the time for practice - and it's not always the student's fault. Your teacher should be able to keep you accountable, but if something isn't working, adapt your lesson plan accordingly.
- Are your lessons a two way street? You should trust your teacher to guide you down the right path with what to practice. But if there’s something you would like to learn, you should be able to bring that up, and tailor your lesson plan based on what you’d like to learn.
If you ever have any questions about finding a good teacher, or about guitar in general, let me know! You can email me at brian@chasingsound.com