Choosing the right teacher - by Mark Stefani

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Choosing the right teacher - by Mark Stefani

Having taught guitar and bass full-time for over thirty years, I've had the opportunity to interview and coach an enormous number of aspiring musicians. Naturally, this experience has given me a significantly deeper understanding regarding the relationship between teachers and their students. My foremost intentions in writing this article are to share some observations and insights with prospective students, dispel a few myths, and offer some concrete guidelines that will hopefully assist you in choosing the "right" teacher for yourself.

"Need" A Teacher?

All musicians need "influences" to grow and evolve, and teachers can be powerful influences. Other influences may include fellow musicians, other artists, bands, schools, instruction books, videos, etc. The very best players among us, regardless of style, are usually those who have learned from a combination of many influences and experiences. And contrary to some prevailing myths, the weakest players are generally those who, in their misguided quest to be "original," avoid influences.

I've always maintained that, in order to satisfactorily progress at your craft, three elements are required. The primary and most essential of these is dedication, followed by proper direction, and finally environment. Now most aspiring musicians generally have a fair sense of dedication and are willing to create an environment suitable for personal practice. Finding the right direction is an entirely different matter, however. The types of goals differ tremendously from one player to another, and a teacher's responsibility should be to help the student set up the kind of direction that will achieve those goals. If you find yourself in a rut, uninspired, or confused about getting from point "A" to point "B," it may be time to begin searching for the right teacher.

How To Begin Looking

This may not be as difficult as you might imagine. Good teachers usually develop good reputations, so for starters, ask around throughout your community. Local performers or perhaps the musician's union can often be solid sources for acquiring a teacher by "word of mouth," but there are other alternatives to consider as well. Classified ads or residential music stores in your area are often good possibilities, and you might want to check out a nearby college for an instructor with a private teaching practice.

Regardless of your method, before you contact a potential teacher try to focus on your most immediate needs as a student. Lacking some technique? Song vocabulary? Accompaniment skill? Improvising prowess? Theoretical knowledge? Sight-reading skill? The ability to learn music by ear? Songwriting proficiency? We all have musical priorities but never enough time, so try to focus on what will bring you the most satisfaction before making the connection. Try to be receptive musically, but if you are definitely firm about pursuing a specific style, be ready to express your desires when first speaking to the teacher.

Your Money's Worth

Will you "get what you pay for?" In general, as with other products and services, the answer is yes. The range of cost per lesson and duration of lesson time can vary greatly from one teacher to the next, but this in itself is no direct indication of the instructor's competency. Don't sell yourself short. You can waste a lot of time and money on the wrong teacher, but if you find the right teacher it will be a bargain at any price!

Most private instruction, incidentally, is given on a weekly basis. Take this into account when preparing your budget. Steady weekly lessons (as opposed to biweekly or "spot") will offer you the quickest assessment of a teacher's actual value and skill.

The First Encounter

Once you've contacted a possible teacher and agreed to "give it a try," consider some of these useful suggestions and tips:

First, don't be intimidated. Students, especially those who lack prior experience working with private instructors, are likely to feel ill at ease when beginning music lessons. You're there for personal improvement, and consequently have everything to gain and nothing to lose by remaining as relaxed as possible.

Second, speak your mind. Try to verbalize the way that you feel about your present ability, outlining both areas of strength and weakness. If you have no experience, express to the teacher the type of music that you feel deeply drawn to, and perhaps would like to be able to play.

Third, observe the instructor. Experience aside, you should be able to tell within the first meeting or two whether the "chemistry" in the relationship feels right. Don't make a mistake by wasting time, energy, and money in an uncomfortable situation when the right teacher could be a simple phone call away.

Evaluation

Teachers are, by nature of their profession, placed in a position to judge your musical ability and potential. In your search to find the ideal instructor, you should likewise do some evaluating. Since teachers have their own varying degrees of competency, here are five essential traits to look for:

Enthusiasm. This is, beyond all doubt, the most important trait to seek. Does this person seem to sincerely enjoy working with you? A good teacher should be a good "student" as well, and share in your quest for knowledge. If your instructor seems bored, unexcited, or into teaching just "for the money," cancel this relationship now!

Communication. A good player may possess a wealth of musical knowledge, but a good teacher must be able to "explain" it. This is one reason why many successful performers often lack the verbal skills to succeed as instructors. The perfect situation, of course, is in studying with someone talented in both areas. As jazz bass legend Charles Mingus once said "Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple."

Flexibility. This is a highly valuable trait to seek, especially if your range of interest is very broad. Does your teacher seem to have a "fixed" game plan, or is there an ability or willingness to adapt to a student's individual needs? If you play a diverse instrument like the guitar, you may desire skill in a wide variety of areas (contemporary, blues, jazz, classical, flamenco, country, folk, gospel, etc.). No two musical paths are alike, so be sure to look for an instructor flexible enough to cope with your specific desires.

Experience. In almost all professions the amount of experience has a great deal to do with the quality of the service. The longer a musician has played, performed, or taught the better. While experience by itself should not be the foremost determining trait to look for, it certainly deserves some consideration.

Patience. This final trait, or "virtue" if you will, is a key ingredient for both teacher and student alike. Musical pursuit, as you probably know, can often be just as frustrating as it can be joyful. A good teacher, in my opinion, should never lose patience with a student, because a teacher should know the kind of perseverance it takes to succeed.

Length of Stay

It make take some time to find an instructor with the traits I've discussed, but once you do the ball is back in your court. A teacher, no matter how good he or she may be, cannot be successful without your help. The length of stay with lessons is a major factor in this success, especially if the instructor has a lot to offer. While I can't give specific guidelines for each case, try to treat the situation as a "college" course, and at least give it a "semester" or two. Study diligently and give your coach a chance to really work with you.

Happy Trails...

In closing, I would like to wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. The music field is absolutely full of opportunities for those with enough vision and ambition to look for them. Savor all of your positive experiences and don't become discouraged when little things get you down. I hope that you will discover some value in what I've shared with you, and if you are indeed presently in search of a teacher, that you make your choice the "right" one!

Mark Stefani is a guitarist, teacher, writer, and founder of Vision Music, an educational website offering over 600 pages of FREE learning resources, including guitar lessons by top professionals, jam tracks, articles, songs, sheet music, and more. Visit: http://www.visionmusic.com

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