GUITAR LESSONS - NJ and NY
Airmont, Allendale, Fair Lawn,
Franklin Lakes, Glen Rock,
Hawthorne, HoHoKus, Hillburn, Mahwah,
Midland Park, Montebello, Montvale,
New Milford, Oakland, Oradell,
Paramus, Park Ridge, Ramsey,
Ridgewood, River Edge, Saddle River, Suffern,
Tallman, Upper Saddle River,
Waldwick, Washington Township, Westwood,
Woodcliff Lake or Wyckoff
BEGINNER • INTERMEDIATE
ADVANCED • AUDITION PREPARATION
GIFT LESSONS
During the Thanksgiving through
New Year's Day period,
I get more calls than any other time,
from well-meaning people who want
to surprise a loved one with guitar lessons,
as a "gift."
There are also calls like these
around Mothers' and Fathers' Days
and throughout the year,
when those unsuspecting loved ones
celebrate birthdays.
My advice to all the wonderful people,
who want to surprise someone
with the gift of private guitar lessons is
take the following advice,
from a seasoned, experienced instructor:
Offer to subsidize the lessons, if you wish,
but DO NOT ATTEMP TO CHOOSE
AN INSTRUCTOR WITHOUT THE INTENDED STUDENT
BEING INVOLVED.
(If you're looking to surprise a child
with guitar lessons,
please read my Find a Teacher
and the Kids and Guitars pages.)
I know that my definitive statement above
may disturb lots of people who think
they are planning to do the greatest thing
for someone by giving them
the gift of guitar lessons.
Your motivation is beautiful.
The problem in your plan is that you lack
understanding about why the intended student
MUST be part of the search for an instructor.
Realize, working with an instructor
is a long-term proposition.
The student and teacher must be compatible,
and on rare occasions,
that compatibility is lacking.
You may have the potentially greatest
guitar student, and an experienced,
qualified instructor,
but if they can't work well together,
whether the cause is chemistry or anything else,
the student should find a different instructor.
A third party can't really
ask the questions or interpret the answers
that are integral for a potential student
to determine if a particular teacher
is qualified to lead them through
what they need to become a well-rounded,
competent guitarist.
Surely, a third party cannot determine
how the two might work together.
That can only be determined
by an informed student
and and experienced instructor.
If you are just not buying this advice,
you will most assuredly be able
to find people willing to sell you
a month of lessons or a "6-pack" etc.
The highly qualified, skilled instructors
I know, will not occupy their scant
open lesson times with any proposition
as whimsical as "gift" lessons.
Their schedules are already tight
and good instructors are seeking students
who are enthusiastic and
who will keep a weekly professional appointment
with them and have a longer term outlook
than a month or 2.
Those who will gladly sell you "gift" lessons
fall into two primary categories:
the person who can play (maybe even professionally)
and figures if they pick up a few students
when they have free time,
all the better for them
OR the inexperienced or not qualified
teacher/player who just can't keep
their appointment book full because
their students don't learn much.
Both should be avoided.
If you like a band and approach a guitarist
in the band to teach your loved one,
you must remember that the skill set
needed to play and the skill set needed to teach
do not necessarily overlap.
All teachers must have a command of the guitar.
But it does not necessarily follow that all players
can effectively teach what they know.
We see this in all aspects of life.
Who doesn't know someone
who is a great cook?
When they are asked how to prepare something,
they tell you, and they may even write the recipe,
but they use terms like "some olive oil" or
"a little bit of" something.
Excellent cooks have training AND are intuitive.
A great chef/instructor will help their students
develop the intuitive part,
but it's not likely your next door
neighbor's mother can.
She can tell you to throw some raisins
in the spaghetti sauce,
but you also need someone to explain
chemistry to you so you will understand
why a quiche is flat and a souffle is full of air
(and how to make them that way.)
Likewise, if an instructor is teaching someone
chord progressions or scales
or technique,
they must draw on experiences greater
than just their own playing
to approach the particular discipline
in various ways, so as to be the most useful
for the student as well as being able
to profitably correct the student's mistakes.
Long story short:
Don't get involved seeking guitar lessons
for your adult loved one.
If you're seeking lessons for a child who lives with you,
the student and instructor need to meet
before you go ahead with lessons.
Don't seek lessons for an adult or child
who does not live with you.
Offer to pay for some lessons.
That would be a terrific gift.
Email Me if you'd like to submit
a Question of the Week or
suggest an additional segment topic.
If I use one you submit,
I'll send you an official
Guitar Technique Tutor Podcast pick.
Tell a guitarist friend who might also have questions.
current podcast, show notes and archives
find a good teacher contact me
© 2012 D A Arlaus, all rights reserved
Sunday, January 1, 2012