How To Find A Good Guitar Instructor

By: John Hertz Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Learning to play the guitar might not be the easiest thing in the world but it is certainly one of the most satisfying. For newbies, it is only the first few months that are difficult. Here’s why:

First of all, you are starting to make use of muscles in your hands, fingers and wrists that you have never used in this way, therefore it will take some time for them to adjust to the new positions they have to form when playing chords and scales.

These positions and movements requires a lot of strength so this will also take time to develop, just as with any muscle-building exercises.

Then there is the co-ordination between the left and right hands, and of course you are learning a new subject, so the mind will also need time to adjust.

All these things together can make it appear as if the guitar is a hard instrument to master. Just bear in mind that this will only last for a few months, and for some people, just a few weeks.

This beginning phase is where you want the most help and support. As a guitar instructor for more than 25 years, I witness this problem all the time and constantly try to encourage my students to practise properly and to keep a positive approach.

Then after the initial problem is conquered, they start to enjoy their playing and learning greatly. It is extremely rare that I get a student drop out because they find it too difficult.

If you are a beginner and finding it tough going, then heed my advice and find yourself a good, experienced guitar instructor. You can obtain as many books and DVD’s on the subject as you want but in these early days, there is definitely no substitute for a good tutor.

They will be able to show you the correct way to play the required techniques, provide advice, rectify your mistakes and provide the encouragement you need.

So, how do you know if a teacher is any good prior to meeting them for the first time? Easy, just ask them these questions:

1. How long have they been playing?

2. How long have they been teaching?

3. Do they teach different styles or do they specialise in only one?

4. Do they have a syllabus or program that they teach from?

If you are serious about learning to play the guitar, then you should make sure that they have been playing for at least 8 years and teaching for at least 2.

Teaching the guitar is an art in itself which takes a few years to master as well as requiring a vast amount of head knowledge, as well as the skill to explain and demonstrate it.

Be on the look out for guitarists who are simply trying to make money from beginners. Some of these people don’t know their stuff properly and should not be doing it without the knowledge and skill required.

I regularly take on new students who complain that their previous guitar teacher was useless and wasted their money. Don’t let this happen to you, especially in the early days.

Once you pass this point, you can obtain as many books and DVD’s on the subject as you like, because from this point on, they will be very useful learning aids.

If you are a total beginner and have already bought a few items like these, just take them along to your instructor, who will be able to help you understand them easily.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: For loads of completely free lessons, take a trip to www.learn-guitar-here.com, one of the best guitar learning sites on the Internet which is aimed at everyone from beginners to advanced players.