Finding the right teacher is critical

Once you have made the commitment to learn the guitar, finding a good teacher is critical to teach you the correct way to play, to keep you motivated and, most importantly, to teach you what you are looking to learn.

For day-one beginners what you are looking to learn doesn’t matter as much since most of the time you can’t even hold a pick correctly. For people with some experience or even advanced players, however, finding the right teacher is absolutely critical to your success.

It’s not all about the teacher, however. Most of what you need to look for really depends on what kind of student you are more so than what kind of teacher he is.

What Kind of Learner Are You?

I’m a visual learner. I learn the quickest and most effectively by watching someone do something first and then trying it myself with corrections from the teacher. Some people are do-it-yourselfers. Others learn best by reading the information out of a book. You first need to figure out which kind of learner you are. Keep in mind that you’ll probably learn best through a combination of all methods, but focused on your strongest attribute.

Once you figure out how you learn best, finding the right teacher becomes easier.

What Kind of Teacher Is He?

I have found that there are two basic types of teachers – expository and progressive method teachers.

Expository teachers have a general and wide-ranging teaching methodology, where the general idea is to expose (hence the name “expository”) the student to all kinds of different things to find out what the student gravitates to. My teacher Scott McGill is an expository teacher, for example.

My other teacher, Jimmy Bruno, is a progressive method teacher. Everyone starts from Day One and goes through the same material. Everyone learns at a different speed, of course, but all of his students basically follow the same formula from A to Z.

Interview Prospective Teachers

Um... can you teach me How High the Moon?

Don’t just dive right in with the first teacher you come across. Ask questions. Most importantly, figure out what kind of teacher he is (expository or progressive). Does that jive with how you learn? If not, don’t force it; move on and find another one. How he teaches and how you learn is absolutely integral to your success. No matter how great of a player he may be, if you have trouble learning in an expository environment you will fail.

Find out what his influences are and what he likes to play. If you want to learn jazz, don’t study with someone who thinks Cannibal Corpse is the greatest band ever. He may know a lot about jazz, but his head probably won’t be in the right place to provide you with the motivation and influence you need.

Ask him what he typically gives in a weekly lesson. Here’s an example of one of my Scott McGill lessons:

Scott McGill Lesson – 08/16/1991

If you don’t think you’ll have time to do this much, then you either need to lower the teacher’s expectations, or move to another teacher. Certainly, not every teacher will give you this much to work on, but the counter-argument is that if you want that much, your teacher should be able to give you that much.

Trial Lesson?

If you find a teacher you like, see if you can pay a few bucks for a one-time lesson, to see how it goes for you. Personality is also a huge plus. If you hate the guy, chances are you probably won’t want to practice or pay attention to what he is teaching. You guys don’t have to be best friends, but you should at least get along with him.

Don’t Waste Time

His or yours. If you really want to learn guitar but know you don’t have sufficient time to practice every week, don’t bother taking lessons. Seriously. There is nothing worse than a student who comes in week-to-week expecting new material but doesn’t practice at all in between lessons. Do yourself and the teacher a favor and just buy a few DVDs instead.

Keep An Open Mind

Once you do find a teacher you like, commit yourself to fully becoming their student. There may be times when your new teacher has you do things that don’t make sense. (We’re talking purely guitar here, folks; it should be obvious I’m not talking about a teacher who tells you all of your lessons will be conducted in the nude.) Have faith that your teacher knows what he’s doing – once you’ve found the right one – and that in time you will understand why he’s asking you to do what he’s asking. Sometimes it takes months or even a few years before the lightbulb goes off. Be patient!

Finding the right teacher can be the most rewarding experience in learning to play guitar. There are many, many special teachers out there just waiting to share what they know with the right students.