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Finding the best guitar teacher to take lessons from saves you tons of frustration and struggle. Pick the wrong one and your playing suffers (in addition to your wallet).
Tons of guitar players select their teacher based on the wrong criteria. For example: they pick them by the cost of lessons, the teachers skill level and his musical background. Problem is, these things give you no proof that the teacher has the skills to help you become a better guitarist.
This is what does: proof that the guitar teacher has helped many other students achieve the same musical goals you have. These students must play in the exact same way that you want to play in.
Only look for the proof that the teacher has provided results. This is the only thing that matters.
Just think for a moment: Isnt this how you would select a dentist, doctor, mechanic or any other specialist you want to do business with?
Question: But Tom Hess, dont the teachers prices or playing ability or musical education matter at least a little?
Answer: No, they dont. This is why:
Guitar lesson prices: Tons of people select guitar teachers because they are cheaper than other local teachers. They falsely believe that all guitar teachers (and guitar lessons) offer the same exact value (just like buying a carton of milk at the grocery store).
Reality: Guitar teachers who charge the cheapest rates are almost always new to teaching or simply have very poor teaching ability. The best guitar teachers usually charge the most because they offer the greatest value.
With this in mind, some guitar teachers charge the most for the sake of tricking you. They know that a high price makes them appear higher quality. This is a major reason why you must not choose a teacher based on price alone.
Guitar playing skills: Having excellent guitar playing skills is different than having excellent guitar teaching skills. There are tons of amazing guitarists out there who do not know how to teach at all.
You need to see proof that a prospective teacher has excellent teaching skills. The only way to get this is to find a long list of satisfied students (usually on their website).
Formal musical education: Going to school to get a degree in music has nothing to do with knowing how to teach guitar. Learning about how music works and developing guitar teaching skills are two separate matters.
Once youve picked the right guitar teacher for you, you must learn how to speed up your progress as a guitar student. Learn how to get the most results from learning with a guitar teacher.
