Why Do I Even Need A Teacher?

It's a valid question. The internet has revolutionized the way we access and have access to information. Transcriptions to your favorite music are available quicker and more efficiently. Tabs for just about anything musical exist. There are a plethora of videos out there that will show you how to play everything note for note. If you look hard enough, you can find method books or transcription books available for free or little cost.

But there is still a need for the live, one on one lesson in the basement of a church in St. Paul MN. If you find the right teacher, it can even be a more effective use of your money.

You Don't Know What You Don't Know

This is the biggest reason why you need a teacher: you don't know what you don't know, but a good teacher will be able to find out. There is considerable value in having an intelligent individual ask the right questions to figure out what the next step is for you, and develop a plan of approach to get you there. That is what a teacher does.

Entertainment Value

It might sound funny, but a good guitar lesson is half entertainment and half education. Many teachers laugh at the notion that half of it is entertainment, but I would bet that group also has terrible retention, frustrated students, and 'just teaches on the side' so they can pay the bills.

Why is entertainment value important in a guitar lesson? At every age level, attention is held & retained the best when it's funny, enthusiastic, and keeps you on your toes. The same goes for a guitar teacher! I have known some world-class teachers who went unrecognized because of their lack of these qualities in their teaching routine.

Experience Is The Best Teacher

Remember that hard place you were in where you were looking for your first job but they required 5 years experience to be considered? Well how do you get experience when you haven't even had a job yet? A teacher makes that easier. They have experience. It's their job to share it with you. Learn from their mistakes.

What To Look For In A Teacher

Congratulations! You've found an artist that totally melts your face off with their playing and/ or creative chops. But slow down: you're halfway to having a great teacher, if they are as dedicated and well studied as you say they are. What else to look for besides chops:

-A degree isn’t totally necessary to being a great teacher. All it really says is that this person has officially met certain standards or criteria set forth by a regulated institution, for profit or not. Keep in mind there are players out there that don't have the degree, but they have tons of street cred-- enough or more than enough to have the same skills or better.

-Great players don’t always make the best teachers. Teachers and players are totally different things. They need to be just as well studied in how to create an environment that people learn in, as they are in the music stuff.

- They need to be an excellent communicator with lots of energy, and back it up with enough musical knowledge.

-They need to be excellent interviewers. You don’t know what you don’t know, but they need to find out so that they can teach it to you.

-They need to be organized. There’s nothing romantic about a messy, late, awkward artist, especially when you’re paying them. They should be on time, follow up with people, return phone calls and emails, and take responsibility if they mess up. Those are basics but you would be appalled with how many "teachers" neglect them.

-They should know their schedule like the back of their hand and respond to inquiries as quick as possible. The most experienced teachers know that the decision to take guitar lessons is often impulsive, and if they don't jump on inquiries quick, customers are lost.

-They need to be a bill collector and a friend at the same time. That might seem really twisted but it's true and the best teachers walk this fine line the best.

-They need to be quick on their feet. They have a different personality/age/family situation/income bracket/health situation/life perspective coming in the door every half hour. Kids may cry. Females may flirt. Males may compete. Males may flirt.

-They should know many if not all styles and keep up with current trends.

Guess what? These are the requirements to teach guitar or any instrument at Rockwell Guitar School in Shoreview MN. If you'd like to get started please give us a call at 612-568-7433. Or, share this with someone who needs it!