One of the things that has helped my studio, but at the same time, reflects the change in the industry from when we were teenagers is the Guitar Center phenom....
When we were teens, there were several music stores around the city and all taught guitar/bass. However, when GC came along, they ran the small shops out of business. What they don't do is teach though.
So i'm able to pick up a lot of students, but we don't have the mom & pop stores around any more.
Sammy
· 1 year ago
With the ease at finding free information (lessons, tablature, chord charts, scale charts, video lessons, etc.) on the web, this surprises me.
Ovidiu
· 1 year ago
Sammy, I think not everybody is able to learn by reading tabs, I think a guitar teacher means a lot for some people. Personally I have never had a guitar teacher, but I know people who can not learn like this.
Robert Irizarry
· 1 year ago
Really enjoyed the guest post IG!
Unfortunately, I'm not surprised about the declining sales in low end guitars. With the big guys seemingly focused on selling big buck guitars to the star struck and the collector, the fast dollar is winning over building long term customers.
It reminds me of the situation the current American car companies are in. While the Japanese spent years building the hybrid market, the American car companies built one lumbering SUV after another catering only to the immediate. Now those SUV's sit idle in car dealer lots while hybrids are flying off the shelves, so to speak.
At what point will folks get tired of paying a premium for someone's name on a guitar or collectors move on to some other item?
Keith Moore
· 1 year ago
I agree that GC and the Internet are putting the squeeze on Mom & Pop stores (the boss at the one I teach at complains about them regularly--band instrument rentals brings in most of the revenue, I think), but the business of guitar instruction seems bigger to me than it was even twenty years ago. Publishing, DVDs, online resources for lessons, even illegal tabs can motivate beginners. And here in the Bay Area, there are more than enough teachers to start a softball league! However, finding a QUALIFIED teacher is another story...
Justin @ GG
· 1 year ago
Ive become pretty good friends with my guitar instructor and Ive gathered that living where we live (a major city) its not hard to find students but its hard to find the students who really want to learn. Most students he has start to flake out after a month and its unfortunate because he really loves teaching guitar. So in his downtime I have him video recording lessons and helping build him a good website so he can hopefully help out more people online. In-person lessons arent the only way to go anymore it seems.
Frank
· 1 year ago
Wonderful post -- I actually can relate, but I want to introduce another aspect to this…
I spent some time with a guitar teacher, and what I learned from him was invaluable.
The problem that I had was eventually the teaching wasn't good enough. I worked with him for about 3 or 4 months. I didn’t like how he was trying to teach and I think it ultimately got in the way… I've actually tried two teachers. The first teacher I couldn’t work with at all – I had one lesson, and that was it. The second teacher is the one I worked with for a few months.
So, another question I'd like to pose is how does one find a quality guitar teacher in an environment like this (with those previously mentioned shops)?
Everyone has had the teacher in school (not music, I mean high school or college) where they felt like that teacher was really, really good at teaching, you could just connect with him or her. Those "good" teachers were like 1 in 25 or something.
That is what I need in a guitar teacher. A teacher that is really good and really passionate about teaching. I'm in the chicagoland area; there are a ton of teachers but I don't know how to evaluate their ability to teach and I hesitate to start with another one…
I was hoping to find one of those shops that you’ve mentioned in the post because I figured professional full time guitar teachers would be better at it then those moonlighting as guitar teachers. There is nothing wrong with teaching on the side – I just think one who spends full time teaching will be more invested in teaching…
Both of the previous teachers I’ve tried did it "on the side."
Tennyson Williams
· 1 year ago
Its true. It goes back to that whole "give a man a fish" thing. I think its important to also convey in students how they might teach themselves along the way. I try and do this with my readers as much as possible, by showing the connections between different musical styles and approaches. Great post IG - you speak pure wisdom.
Your Guitar Teacher
· 1 year ago
Really a nice post!! To learn a new instrument usually is a little challenging for the people. Learning to play the guitar is not so hard but it will be when we first begin. It can be mastered in no time.
All Comments
One of the things that has helped my studio, but at the same time, reflects the change in the industry from when we were teenagers is the Guitar Center phenom....
When we were teens, there were several music stores around the city and all taught guitar/bass. However, when GC came along, they ran the small shops out of business. What they don't do is teach though.
So i'm able to pick up a lot of students, but we don't have the mom & pop stores around any more.
Unfortunately, I'm not surprised about the declining sales in low end guitars. With the big guys seemingly focused on selling big buck guitars to the star struck and the collector, the fast dollar is winning over building long term customers.
It reminds me of the situation the current American car companies are in. While the Japanese spent years building the hybrid market, the American car companies built one lumbering SUV after another catering only to the immediate. Now those SUV's sit idle in car dealer lots while hybrids are flying off the shelves, so to speak.
At what point will folks get tired of paying a premium for someone's name on a guitar or collectors move on to some other item?
I spent some time with a guitar teacher, and what I learned from him was invaluable.
The problem that I had was eventually the teaching wasn't good enough. I worked with him for about 3 or 4 months. I didn’t like how he was trying to teach and I think it ultimately got in the way… I've actually tried two teachers. The first teacher I couldn’t work with at all – I had one lesson, and that was it. The second teacher is the one I worked with for a few months.
So, another question I'd like to pose is how does one find a quality guitar teacher in an environment like this (with those previously mentioned shops)?
Everyone has had the teacher in school (not music, I mean high school or college) where they felt like that teacher was really, really good at teaching, you could just connect with him or her. Those "good" teachers were like 1 in 25 or something.
That is what I need in a guitar teacher. A teacher that is really good and really passionate about teaching. I'm in the chicagoland area; there are a ton of teachers but I don't know how to evaluate their ability to teach and I hesitate to start with another one…
I was hoping to find one of those shops that you’ve mentioned in the post because I figured professional full time guitar teachers would be better at it then those moonlighting as guitar teachers. There is nothing wrong with teaching on the side – I just think one who spends full time teaching will be more invested in teaching…
Both of the previous teachers I’ve tried did it "on the side."
To learn a new instrument usually is a little challenging for the people. Learning to play the guitar is not so hard but it will be when we first begin. It can be mastered in no time.