Giving Guitar Lessons

[Dazza1004]

Seeing as you guys are pretty much the most (only!!) level headed bunch on the interweb I though I would seek your advice about guitar lessons.

Personally, I don’t think I am good enough to be charging people to teach but my missus and a couple of my guitar playing mates think otherwise.

They are suggesting teaching focussed from the beginner to intermediate stage.

I think I have a decent understanding of at least basic music theory and would feel comfortable teaching all the way up to improvising with modes.

I have had a think about what sort of stuff I would teach and I think it would look something like this

1st couple of lessons – teach something really simple but cool and recognisable, the 1st few weeks I think will determine if someone gets hooked or just passes it off as a phase.
Explaining all about the guitar, what the different pickups are good for, re-stringing etc etc.
Maybe a simple major scale alternate picked to start the right and left hand co-ordination.

Next couple of weeks add in a few more open chords and songs. Then progress from there to barre chords, a bit of chord theory and some more finger exercises but all the time using songs to keep things fun.

Obviously each person is individual and may want something different but that would be cool too.

Maybe a bit of a loaded question but how do I tell if I’m good enough to teach or not. I am hesitant not because I don’t think I could do a good job but more because I know there are other local teachers who could run rings around me from both from a theory and playing point of view.

[badgermark]

It all depends if you are a 'natural' teacher. The best guitarist in the world might be cr@p at showing kids how to play a g major, whereas a imbecile like myself could show them that and c major in 20 minutes.

Don't worry about how stuff works at the start, that's not important when you start. Just show the basics- open chords, what note each string is, maybe make up a chart with all the notes along the neck. Finger exercises helped the people i taught for a while, just a simple 1, 2, 3, 4 along the first 4 frets with each finger. Leave lead stuff and scales until they are ready.

Oh and plan in advance! never wing it, it wont work, trust me.

[Jonny]

The songs my guitar teacher wanted me to play were quite insane. I admit, I do like Satriani, some Ozzy back in the day but him expecting him to play Day At The Beach or the lick during one of the verses.

He told me to play anything the first lesson, and then he progressed to playing chords to toughen the fingers up. I think the whole chord to various chords, to technique, etc. etc. is a good start. Fairly boring unless you have the enthusiasm and include a song which the lesson you're teaching has.

[Roobubba]

Oh and plan in advance! never wing it, it wont work, trust me.

This is so true of all teaching, in any context. Never underestimate how LONG it takes fully to prepare for a lesson!

[ailean]

I'd start by offereing some free lessons and see how they go. Getting someone started is one thing, helping them to fix a problem is another, make sure you have a pocketfull of exercises you can give.

You might also consider taking some lessons? Make sure you have good technique, I know that many players don't have great technique and can still play amazing stuff, but if I was having lessons I'd want to be taught the right way to do stuff, soul destroying though it will be, it may be useful to have someone tear your technique appart so at least you know what is considered good practice and what isn't even if you choose not to conform.

[badgermark]

Oh and plan in advance! never wing it, it wont work, trust me.

This is so true of all teaching, in any context. Never underestimate how LONG it takes fully to prepare for a lesson!

I've only winged ONE lesson. Teaching second year chemistry (12 year olds...) and they almost ate me alive. Scary.

[MDV]

I'm starting to teach now.

The plan:

1 hour lessons. First lesson, let them play, find their level, tell them the first things that youre going to work on, point them in the direction of things they need (for example one student, right off the bat, clearly needs to work hard on his timing, so I pointed him toward a good freeware metronome), probe their knowledge, and sort out what they need to know, the next step for them, and what they do know thats not imprinted well.

In the first lesson I give them a little A5 fileofax that will be filled with handouts. A5 so it can go in a guitar case.

Subesequently, I divide the lessons into 2 half hours: one me being horrible and dogmatic and making them learn whatever they need to learn, be it a piece of theory or a technique, with a little handout as a reminder of the key points of the lesson. These build over time.

Second half, I help them with a song of their choice.

Whatever style you choose, though, the most important things are to be pleasant, offer criticism constructively, do not brow-beat, at all, ever, and be free with praise where its due. I feel your job as a teacher is as much to build a mindset to learning as it is to give information, and that means building both a level-headed critical approach, and building confidence.

It also helps to be able to explain things in lots of different ways. and finally, be patient with them. We were all n00bs once.

Edit, oh and I dont recommend offering free lessons. Even if you have the best of intentions it gives the message that you lack confidence in your abilities and that the 'product' youre offering is poor. People think they're getting something good if they pay for it, so charge fairly, but dont not charge at all.

[Matt77]

If your not quite sure of the order to approach teaching people theory, it's worth checking out The RGT Electric Guitar grade books. They provide a good structure on the theory side of things

[MDV]

If your not quite sure of the order to approach teaching people theory, it's worth checking out The RGT Electric Guitar grade books. They provide a good structure on the theory side of things

Excelent advice.

But keep in mind whatevers needed for the student to learn what they want to. The RGT books are very much oriented around blues-rock. You gotta walk before you can run, so there will always be elements of them that are handy, but they are less usefull for someone that wants to learn, say, modern metal.

A good guitar teacher teaches for the pupil, and helps them learn what they want to. Not what you want them to, or even to an accepted course (what the guy that wrote the book thinks goes into guitar playing).

[ailean]

Edit, oh and I dont recommend offering free lessons. Even if you have the best of intentions it gives the message that you lack confidence in your abilities and that the 'product' youre offering is poor. People think they're getting something good if they pay for it, so charge fairly, but dont not charge at all.

Good point.

[dave_mc]

Edit, oh and I dont recommend offering free lessons. Even if you have the best of intentions it gives the message that you lack confidence in your abilities and that the 'product' youre offering is poor. People think they're getting something good if they pay for it, so charge fairly, but dont not charge at all.

agreed. there was a club/bar in our town which had free entry for a while, and no-one went. a while later, they decided to charge entry, didn't change a thing, and it was packed out with people.

by the way, are you sure one hour isn't too long? i'd have thought half an hour was better... normally you're (meaning the pupil) tired enough after half an hour...

agreed with badgermark's excellent points about teaching too.

[Dazza1004]

Thanks guys, some really great advice which I will take on board

[Roobubba]

The other thing I like to get when I teach (academic teaching here, rather than music, but I'm sure I'd be the same as a music teacher!) is feedback.
I'm always looking to improve how I teach, and a well-constructed feedback form is IMHO a very very valuable thing! (not too often, and quite short to maximise the likelihood of the feedback being thought out properly!)

Roo

[Matt77]

If your not quite sure of the order to approach teaching people theory, it's worth checking out The RGT Electric Guitar grade books. They provide a good structure on the theory side of things

Excelent advice.

But keep in mind whatevers needed for the student to learn what they want to. The RGT books are very much oriented around blues-rock. You gotta walk before you can run, so there will always be elements of them that are handy, but they are less usefull for someone that wants to learn, say, modern metal.

A good guitar teacher teaches for the pupil, and helps them learn what they want to. Not what you want them to, or even to an accepted course (what the guy that wrote the book thinks goes into guitar playing).

Good point they don't really have much of a focus on metal and alternative tunings either. It starts getting all jazzy at Grade 7 and 8

[Ratrod]

Before you start teaching anything else to a student, start explaining the 4/4 beat.

I've seen too many examples of students, be it singing, guitar or whatever, that can do all kinds of stuff but fail miserably when they have to perform with a band or even a recording.

If a student doesn't get the basics of the 4/4 beat and has no feel for thythm whatsoever, both student and tutor are wasting their time.

So before you give anyone a guitar, give him a beatring or tabourine and practice that rhythm.