The electric guitar has greatly improved over time when someone can train himself (or her) to become a world-class player. If your ambition is to be a talented player and a talented musician, you need a talented teacher. Even with the best of intentions, you can achieve those goals very quickly, easily and effectively with good teacher guidance.
Much of the information needed to learn about playing the guitar (and music in general) is available from many different sources. There are hundreds of books, instructional videos, CD-ROMs and the Internet. Although a lot of information is readily available, there is a lot of inaccurate, incomplete and some bad information (this is especially true with a lot of information available online!).
You will need the help of a qualified teacher to teach you how to fully understand and apply the right information. You can save yourself from unnecessary frustration and disappointment by studying with a qualified teacher. Keep in mind that textbooks, CD-ROMs, instructional videos, and the Internet will not answer your specific questions. They can give you advice on your play, songwriting, ear training, etc. They cannot listen to your play and identify any errors or omissions that may exist. Some textbooks are good and I have seen some great CD-ROMs out there, but you still need the help of a good teacher to guide you through everything and help you develop your skills and music in the right way and effectively.
Great teachers manage and organize new things and effectively explain their significance and meaning. The teacher should encourage you if you do well and correct you if you make mistakes. Good teachers will show you how to better organize your exercises and show you how to effectively manage your exercise time (this is important for your progress!). They help you build your confidence (even if you don't know this is happening). A great teacher will help you to be safe with your technical skills so that you can apply difficult techniques to your guitar comfortably. These teachers emphasize art (songwriting and development) and practice.
Great teachers want to make sure you fully understand what you are reading and, most importantly, teach you how to apply it by giving you detailed explanations and encouraging you to ask questions when something is not clear. A good teacher sincerely cares about the growth and development of your music. An experienced and capable teacher will take you beyond what you can learn on your own. Unfortunately, guitar teachers are not licensed and have no organization to represent or control them. Anyone can claim to be a talented teacher and there are many people who make this claim. The number of qualified teachers is limited.
This brings us to a very important question: how can a student find, select, and accurately evaluate a guitar teacher? Here are some questions you should ask any teachers you are considering studying with. I also included my comments on each question:
1) Please tell, whats the story of them big puppys ..... May I see your resume or your details? How long have you been teaching and how many students have you taught at that time?
At least three to five years of teaching experience is preferred - certainly not less than one year of experience. Prefer a teacher who has taught an average of up to 100 students. It takes time for a teacher to really learn to teach well, and the primary way a person learns to teach is to teach for a while.
The new teacher's students are like a test. These teachers learn to teach in the workplace through trial and error. They need time to learn to teach, and they will make some mistakes at the beginning of their careers. You do not want to be one of those first 30 to 50 students. Let the new teacher gain knowledge by making mistakes with someone else.
2) Do you teach private or group lessons?
You are definitely looking for private lessons, unless you are a full-time student or enrolled in a college music course. You will learn a lot about playing the guitar in a private personal study or in a correspondence lesson program.
3) What styles of music do you teach best?
Be sure to ask this question before telling your prospective teacher what kind of music you want to learn. Many teachers claim that they teach all styles well. Note this. Do not be surprised if someone tells you that he can teach all kinds of music well.
If you really want to be a good rock guitarist, learn from a rock teacher, not a blues or country musician who claims to teach all styles well. Find yourself a good rock teacher. If you want to learn many different styles of music (such as country, classical and heavy metal) take lessons from more than one teacher in each style. Unless you are a beginner, you are better off having a professional teacher with your music style, not a jack-of-all-trades teacher.
4) What are the tuition fees?
Excellent teachers are needed and often have more students. These teachers are usually cheap. I can tell you that travel prices for good teachers in the Midwestern United States (where I live) are between $ 16- $ 24 per 1/2 hour for private tuition (prices may vary by region or country). There are a number of teachers who offer correspondence courses for students who do not live in the same region or country as teachers. These courses are usually less expensive over time (learn more about correspondence courses later). Generally, do not look for a teacher with low standards; you usually get what you pay for. If you cannot afford the high prices for a really good teacher, ask the teacher if you can take classes twice a month instead.
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