The road to dazzling your friends with your guitar skills begins with finding a guitar teacher.
You don’t want to get stuck with the wrong teacher so knowing how to find a good one is going to help you get the most out of your investment.
Here is my guide for finding a guitar teacher.
What you probably know about guitar teachers
Guitar lessons are a great investment full of learning benefits for both children and adults. Guitar teachers are typically part time or full time freelance musicians who teach half hour to hour long private lessons once per week. As a student, it is expected that you practice during the week between lessons to make progress on your instrument. The guitar teacher you choose will depend on teaching style, what goals you have and what’s available near you.
Do academies kill creativity?
You will find that some teachers work for a music academy. Generally speaking, academies have a “one size fits all” approach and will follow a specific curriculum for everyone. Other teachers work privately and create their curriculum based on the student’s specific needs. While academies tend to be rigid in their approach and have a reputation for killing creativity, private teachers have the freedom to craft specific plans for individuals. If you aren’t sure of what your goals are in learning music, academies can be a great starting point. If you have more of an idea of where you want to go musically, a private teacher will be a better fit.
You’re going to plateau at some point
So take a moment to visualize what you want out of guitar lessons. What’s it going to feel like when you learn how to play? Can you see yourself practicing in order to get better? What type of music would you like to be able to create or learn? Having clearly defined goals are going to carry you through the inevitable plateau everyone experiences when learning a new skill. Once you have a clear idea of what your goals are, it’s time to see what guitar teachers are available in your area.
Finding a guitar teacher near you is pretty easy
Especially if you have a recommendation from someone that you know. If not, simply begin by googling “guitar teacher” followed by wherever you live. Here’s an example:
“guitar lessons loveland co near Fort Collins, CO” . Take a look at your options, the reviews and what types of programs are offered. Make a list of your top 3 picks and schedule an in person interview with each. Once you’ve met with all of them, it will be easy to make your final decision.
You can always fire your teacher
and try one of your other options so don’t worry about making your final decision. As long as you’ve interviewed enough teachers and have a good idea of which one’s style and personality is most congruent with your goals, making your final choice should be pretty easy.
Conclusion
I hope “Finding a guitar teacher: A beginner’s guide”, helps you to finding a guitar teacher. Feel free to connect if you need any recommendations. Knowing how to vet potential guitar teachers will give you peace of mind once you’ve made your decision. Best of luck to you in your search and I hope you enjoy the journey!