I want to start using my acoustic guitar – it’s just collecting dust in the corner of a room here. The problem is, I don’t know how to play. Slight problem! But, I could take lessons. Now I wonder, would the best guitar instructor for an adult be the same as for a child? And, what to look for to find the right guitar instructor for your child?
When your kid wants to play music
There are few things more exciting than when your child decides they want to start being involved in something creative like music. After all, plenty of hobbies for kids can be so passive that seeing them actively doing something that teaches them fun and valuable skill is fantastic.
Of course, if you want to support them in their ambitions of being a rock god, then they’re going to need a decent instructor to help them understand exactly what they’re doing. With that in mind, here are a few things to consider when trying to find the right guitar instructor for your child.
3 questions to ask to find the right guitar instructor:
1. What kind of style do they want to play?
It’s one thing just to say that your child wants to “learn guitar” and search for an instructor who can help them do that. But that ignores the fact that there are so many different styles of guitar and your child won’t necessarily be interested in all of them.
Do they want to rock out in a band one day or blast out face-melting solos? Or would they rather write and sing their own songs, strumming away on an acoustic guitar. If your child wants to play a certain way and the teacher specializes in something else, that’s going to cause problems.
2. How does your child learn?
Every child learns in a different way, and one of the biggest problems that a lot of schools have is that they don’t necessarily cater to all learning styles. However, when choosing a guitar instructor, you have the freedom to look for someone who matches your child’s learning style.
If you don’t do so, there’s a chance that both your child and their teacher are going to end up getting deeply frustrated. The youngster may even decide that they don’t like learning guitar at all, simply because the way they are being taught doesn’t match up with the way they want to learn.
3. Finding the right guitar instructor: Do they get along?
It’s incredibly important that you find an instructor your child actually likes and wants to engage with regularly. It’s a good idea to regularly touch base with the instructor too that you can be sure that they’re getting along alright.
Not only that but you want to make sure that the instructor is happy to teach your child since, if they’re constantly butting heads, they’re never really going to learn anything, and you end up wasting money on pointless lessons. The right instructor can change a child’s life, whereas the wrong one can completely discourage them from ever picking up the guitar again.
Of course, it’s important not to put too much pressure on your child when it comes to learning the guitar. Playing music should be something fun and creative for them.
If you put too much pressure on them, then it’s going to start feeling like work, and they are going to become less interested and engaged in it. So, make sure that you’re encouraging them without forcing them to do something that they don’t really want to do.
Great post. I want to suggest an online directory for people who are looking for guitar lessons :)
I picked – up my older brothers Ibanez roadstar 2 that was collecting dust in a corner 30+ years ago… When only cassettes and magazines existed! Try and force yourself on your own to learn as much as you can , every style and genre, then when you feel as if you hit a barrier reach out to a qualified instructor. It has to come from within. Techniques are easy to grasp, but putting it out in a unique form is not! Develop your own style as much as possible before lessons I guess is what I’m trying to say! Hope some of this helps ? First song i tried learning on my own was Satriani’s ” Satch boogie”. I guess 5 years violin playing prior to that helped?
Great post, Christy! My daughter and I are still learning the guitar, and our fingers are fine now. In the beginning, it was painful. :) But it should remain fun and not become work. I hope you dust off yours and begin again, too. :) 😊❤🎶🎼
Great post, Christy. Neither of my kids ever played guitar, but my daughter did take private lessons in flute and piccolo all through jr. high and high school, and most of these same points could have applied to her instructors.
You are right that creativity should be fostered, not forced! That is #1!
LOL, I have the same kind of problems with guitars, Christy — I don’t know how to play! I love the romance of playing a guitar, something portable but beautiful and eye catching. When I was about 13 I pestered my parents into getting me one. It was a defect, a gap at the back. The store said under no circumstances try and fix the flaw because it wouldn’t play right if you did. Of course the first thing my father ever did was determinedly “fix” it… and as the store promised, it wouldn’t work properly as a result. Alas for my potentially illustrious fame as a guitarist. ;)
Go learn the guitar. It will hurt your fingers, but you might think it’s worth it. :D Hugs.
The guitar is not highly used in my country and training on it is not available in everywhere…just few places…but in schools they use other instruments like drums and pianos..
Great post Christy..keep going.
Excellent.. I started to learn last year,, Still learning, and i really should bite the bullet and get a person who can teach me properly instead of just learning from YouTube.. But I have learnt and I got a a couple of books with CDs in too, which have helped.. But I think a good instructor especially if you are child who is wanting to learn.
Wishing you a wonderful start to the New Year Christy.. Love and Hugs xx
How true! These were some valuable suggestions.
Good one
Very good. The best instructor is the one who makes you practice, practice, practice between lessons.
My husband is a music teacher. Here is his motto:
My goal with each and every lesson is to encourage, inspire, and pass on information. We play songs together, learn new techniques, chords, rhythms, and scales. One of the most important things I learned early on is how to learn at a “neurological” speed (simply put: going so slow that our body has time to learn the movement). It’s a very low stress, easy, “can-do” approach to learning and I’ve had great success with lots and lots of happy students over the years.
Students are introduced to their instruments through song, technique, music theory, and reading. We learn songs that YOU want to learn which creates a strong foundation and love for music.
We are always having fun, while still getting the job done.
My parents needed this advice when they were searching for a guitar instructor for my older sister…eons ago. She bounced around to many. Happy Weekend, Christy!