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Terrible Teaching
$1,500 for a Few Riffs and An Ego
There
are a lot of people who sound good playing the guitar, even though
they have not had any formal training on the instrument. Many of
these people make money teaching other people how to play the
guitar; but how do they teach something that they don’t really
understand themselves?
Someone can show you where to place
your fingers on the neck to play specific songs and riffs, (which is
great because you have to learn the feel of the instrument) but
there's more to it if you really want to understand music on the
guitar. Trained musicians know how music works: They know the
language as well as the theory of music, so they are more capable of
clearly expressing themselves through music, and they are more
prepared and to explain music to you.
I think that teachers
who tell their students that the fundamentals of music are not
important are leading their students down the wrong path. After
years of lessons, thousands of dollars and countless hours of
practice, students eventually realize that they have a lot of gaps
in their playing. They may feel that they do not have enough talent
to really "get" music.
Maybe those students were adamantly
against learning the fundamentals of music when they first started
taking lessons because they assumed it was a long difficult path
that wasn't as interesting as learning the songs that the teacher
was willing to show to them. Eventually, these students realize that
they cannot go any further without going back and learning the
concepts they should have been taught in the first place.
Teachers who understand the fundamentals of music know the value of
those skills, and they will pass them on to you, right from the
start. Good teachers also know that you want to learn songs, and so
they will apply the fundamentals of music to the songs that you want
to play. By studying with a good teacher, you will gain a clear
understanding of music on the guitar, have more fun, and you may
actually surpass the goals you originally set for yourself.
My students just want to learn songs
Many teachers have told me
that they understand how important it is for guitarists to know the
fundamental skills, but they don’t teach them because they say their
students just want to learn songs. Everyone who wants to learn how
to play the guitar wants to be able to play songs. My students tell
me what songs they want to learn, and like a lot of teachers, I
apply the fundamentals of music to those songs.
This stuff
took me my whole life to learn, why should I just give it away?
Some teachers don't want to share their secrets with you because it
took them so long to figure them out for themselves. They would
prefer their students think that their talent is a mysterious gift.
I am constantly researching and discussing new teaching strategies
with my colleagues, because part of my job is to find the most
effective teaching tools so I can better help my students.
It’s too hard to teach the fundamentals to my students
Some
teachers have told me that the fundamentals of music are too
difficult to teach and they don't have the energy to teach them to
every student. Teaching people how to play the guitar is really hard
work. It is challenging to be consistent with each student and not
let laziness, boredom or a student's request to skim the material
confuse the standards. But, the benefit of working so hard really
pays off for both teachers and students when people hear them play.
I encourage most people to study with a teacher who understands
how music works, but that kind of teacher may not be right for you.
It's okay if you just want to be able to play a few famous riffs and
not take it too seriously. Whatever your goals are, ask prospective
teachers how she/he can help you reach those goals, and sign-up for
a trial lesson with the teacher who sounds right for you. Remember,
you are paying your teacher a lot of money to help you learn, and
there are many good guitar teachers out there who really want you to
reach your goals.
Traits of a Terrible Teacher
There are a
lot of teachers to choose from; here are a few traits that suggest
to me that someone is not a very good teacher:
1) If a
teacher begins each lesson asking the student what she/he would like
to do, that can mean that the teacher does not have a plan for the
student. Students need a plan so they can measure their progress and
stay on track to reach their goals. Teachers need to have a plan to
ensure that all of their students learn all of the important
concepts and new students understand what will be expected from them
when they sign up for lessons.
2) If a teacher makes the
student feel bad or stupid for asking a question, the teacher is
simply not doing her/his job.
3) If the teacher doesn't keep
any record of the student's assignments, the teacher is probably not
invested in the progress of the student. When a teacher cannot hold
a student accountable for the lesson material, the student begins to
take the lessons less seriously and does not progress at a good
rate.
4) If the teacher plays or show's-off for the majority
of the lesson, the teacher is wasting time. (Of course, if I had an
opportunity to hear Wes Montgomery play for an hour, I would think
of that has time and money very well spent!)
5) If the
teacher is unprofessional: late, unorganized, using the lesson time
for other tasks, etc., that person shows disrespect toward the music
and the student.
Good teachers have a total understanding of
the guitar and a system of prioritizing and presenting the key
concepts that caters to the musical tastes and learning styles of
many different types of students. They are patient, encouraging and
honest. They teach because they understand and love the guitar, they
get along well with most people, and they enjoy teaching people how
to play the guitar.
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