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Did you take Guitar Lessons?

onewhodreams	Date: June 24, 2004 @ 9:49 PM So I'm unemployed right now and have been brainstorming what I can do to make some money. I've been playing guitar for some 20 years and working with kids for over 10 so I thought Why not give Private Guitar Lessons to kids? What I want to know from you is what your experiences were, basically what an ideal teacher is, how much they charged, did you have to sign a contract with them, did they come to your house, and what was their cancellation policy? Any other advice would be helpfull too
pog	Date: June 24, 2004 @ 11:40 PM I have had lessons, and I have taught lessons... if you're considering making a business of it, then there's a coupla things you should consider. First, it may be a better idea to go to your students house, so you don't have to take out expensive insurance to stop them from tripping up in your yard and sueing you. I have had friends that had a flow of students visiting them on one day, one after another, but unless you're insured against accidents in some way, it can only take one injury to make things really bad for you. Secondly, it's important that you teach them the right techniques, but to keep them interested, it's a good idea to find out who they consider to be kickass players... more often than not, it only takes one 4 chord nirvana song to keep them interested. Once you have them interested, then you can teach them the fundamentals they need. Contracts are not usually needed for private tuition, instead what I tended to do was give the first lesson free (or even 1/2 hour lesson) and then if they like it, I'd have a price structure like $15 an hour for basic, $20 an hour for intermediate, $30 an hour for advanced. Hope this helps
MisledMayhem	Date: June 25, 2004 @ 12:02 AM Kids are whiney, I tought this one kid who's mom was making him take guitar, he didn't want to do it half the time, and he was 9 years old and bi-polar. It takes ALOT of patiance. Man, I did it for dirt cheep too, 10 bucks an hour. An ideal teacher understands when you don't practice, but is helpful anyway and not picky about it. Oh and I had this one teacher who made me stop at every octave when playing a new scale, and play each ocatave twice, that pissed the hell out of me. My new teacher always studies really hard at what he does, it's damn hard to catch up, I like having something that elusive to try to catch up to. None of my teachers had a cancellation policy except my piano teacher, and my current teacher charges me 25 bucks an hour, and he's really really really really really freakin good at it. He is the Jazz master, he's been playing for like 35 years or so and it's worth every last cent to get infomation out of his guitar filled brain. I always went to my guitar teacher's place. I made house calls once in a while, but mainly it's easier if the students can come to you. But teaching little kids sucks.
DevonPowell	Date: June 25, 2004 @ 1:08 AM I agree w/ Pog, and from experience w/ lessons was always happier with teachers that would make lessons fun as well as a learning event. Mostly, I remember teachers who would initially review lessons, then present new material, then we'd jam. I'd pick a song to learn/play and we'd do it/they'd teach me the chords or whatever. Learning to read music was a bitch, and I ended up teaching myself later on in life instead (but, a woman came along and demanded more time w/ her and less w/ the guitar...wtf was I thinking??) I think I would prefer having been taught that earlier, tho... However, I disagree somewhat with MM...I think you have to set the tone for your teachings. If you want just to take any student and their money (or parents money), not caring about if they are progressing/learning/showing such, it might become irritating at some point. It also might become a moral issue. My suggestion is be honest with them up front. If you want to teach kids who WANT to learn and are into it, then feel them out. If you don't care, then don't bother with this. Better that then feel frustrated down the line when a kid you're working with just doesn't progress at all after 6 months and you're still going over the basics every time over and over and over and over... Good luck, if you enjoy helping people learn, it's the best! O, and why limit it to kids?
onewhodreams	Date: June 25, 2004 @ 1:37 AM Wow, thanks guys for your input. The reason I want to keep it to kids is because I like kids I've worked with them for so long and I can handle the teens and younger ones too. I guess I could teach adults too but I figured, being female, I would be an asset to Mom's out there or even young girls who want to learn and might feel intimidated by a male teacher. I've given a few lessons here and there and I do seem to have the patience for it. I'm in it for the money, of course, but it would bother me if the kid didn't care about learning, I probably would drop him/her as a student. I think the funnest part about teaching would be learning the songs they like and teaching them and seeing their enjoyment. I'm not the greatest player and don't have a huge amount of knowledge, but I do have a husband who does and has taught as well so he promised to help me with lesson plans as they progress. I plan on teaching beginners only so I should do well. My plan is to go to their homes and teach them there. It seems easier than having their parents come to my apartment and then come back in 1/2 hour. The going rate around here is $20 a half hour and I haven't seen any ads for Female teachers so I'm gonna start with that. I'm pretty good at reading kids so I think I'll know if they aren't liking something, hopefully I was thinking about some kind of cancellation policy because here in So Cal people are very flaky and it's "all about them" so I want to make sure they know my time is valuable. I think something like if they don't give 24 hour notice then there is a $10 charge. Does that sound fair? Thanks again for your responses
DevonPowell	Date: June 25, 2004 @ 10:11 AM Hey, if kids is where you wanna do your thing, it's good that you know what ya want I just asked to see if there was a reason...especially if you're doing it for money, no sense in limiting yourself unless you have a reason for doing so. Honestly, my mother's BF teaches piano for a living now, and he goes to ppl's homes, but many parents bring their children to his as well. I think they like the idea, because it puts a level of seriousness to it, getting them out of their comfort-zone of home and into someone else's space means it's time to focus. Of course, it's a little different with a piano (can't lug his baby grand around with him ) Cancellation policies are good. However, they are tuff to enforce, as long as you give them that up front and then stick to your guns, you'll probably be ok. Best of luck!
BedroomSessions	Date: June 25, 2004 @ 10:21 AM i had lessons for a while but preferred to be self taught. also the guitar teacher was a virtuoso and seemed to like the sound of his guitar better and ended up just showing off. you cant show off to kids because they will lose interest, thinking theyll never be that good etc. meanwhile, my little brother who is 8 goes to piano lessons, and i think going somewhere is useful because they know its routine and they are focused, rather than in their own house, like devon powell says. good luck whatever happens!
sqrlcub	Date: June 25, 2004 @ 10:23 AM I took many years of private lessons as well as given many years of private lessons. I don't do it currently since I moved and it takes a while to build up a studio (and it is tough being broke during that time). Anyway, the going rate here tends to be about the same (30-60 bucks an hour for classical guitar) as there (20ish bucks for a half hour). So that sounds good. POG is right about the insurance thing. Don't have them come to your home unless you are willing to let them slip and fall and break things and be sued. Tips: After the first couple of lessons and seeing your students ability, take notes and write out a lesson plan for the next several weeks. You will want to have a plan that shows the students advancement. Just going in and jamming and teaching a few songs here and there without being able to show progress later can really lead to an unsatisfying experience for both you and your students. Another Tip: Carry extra guitar strings with you and extra books and music (for what you are using for your lesson plans) because the student won't always have them. Charge for the strings. Charge for the books only if they keep them. I had a more lax cancellation policy. Having a cancellation policty requires that you have a contract as well. It is hard to be able to charge people that skip lessons and never come back. It is bound to happen sometimes without a contract. It isn't much of a problem usually though. After the first month of lessons I would have my students pay monthly. They needed to give me 24 hours notice to cancel a lesson. I wouldn't charge them for cancellations but would reschedule for a day or two later in the week that I kept free for cancellations. This was outlined in their contract. If they weren't able to make the lesson then or later in the month (I kept a tally) they were out, not me (see, they paid for the whole month of lessons, if they missed I wasn't out any extra money). If they didn't call I would sometimes reschedule on their next lesson if they had a good reason. Otherwise, they were simply out of luck. I tried to be reasonable with this. So I didn't bother with the 10 dollar cancellation fee, I got it all. If you have any cash saved up at all, go to a lawyer and get a real professional contract outlining all of your charges and cancellation policies. It looks better and more professional. Get everyone who signs up for lessons to sign it. Also set up a database or some type of tracking device that has contact information (and lesson plans). You also have to be the one to inspire the students. If you are teaching a lot of kids, a good portion of them won't want to be there, especially if they are younger. I built a studio up fairly quickly in college by giving free classes at a local community center and announcing that I also do private lessons. This got rid of that pesky free lesson. I would do these free classes every month until I had a working studio and usually they were so enjoyable that I would continue doing it even after I was full. One last thing, 20 students is a full time gig if you are driving to their houses. Remember that your time involves driving, lesson plans, and other upkeep things.
DevonPowell	Date: June 25, 2004 @ 1:16 PM FYI - If you have homeowners insurance, this will cover those so-named "slips & falls" under most circumstances. You should check with your insurance agent to be certain, tho. I have a business out of my home, and I have business insurance to cover that room of the house and the other areas clients come into (front walk, etc) for those and other reasons. Regardless, call and find out.
onewhodreams	Date: June 25, 2004 @ 5:39 PM I live in an apartment and I have renter's insurance but I believe it only covers $1000. Here in Southern CA I'm sure that wouldn't cover more than a few band-aids
DevonPowell	Date: June 25, 2004 @ 7:53 PM Then you shouldn't have any worries at all..the apt. complex would be liable for any injuries on the property proper. Accidents INSIDE the apt. would be yours to handle, I believe.
woodhead	Date: June 25, 2004 @ 11:06 PM everythought about teaching at a music store, I am sure if you asked they would be willing to work with you especially since you want to work with kids
onewhodreams	Date: June 26, 2004 @ 12:47 AM Nah, I don't think I'm "qualified" for that really. I like the idea of having no boss too
missvolatile	Date: June 26, 2004 @ 7:03 PM I have a nice guitar and I play it a lot, but I've never had lessons. I could really use some, anyone want to help?
Rodrica	Date: June 27, 2004 @ 10:36 AM I had a piano, cello and guitar teacher as a kid...all classical music. They were very opposed to any "new" forms of music though (i.e. rock, pop, jazz) I think as a teacher it's best to be open minded about all forms of music...and I wish mine had been
pog	Date: June 27, 2004 @ 11:34 AM poggy raises his hand I'd be happy to show you a few guitar things, missV.... ah damn... wrong hemisphere. If I'm ever in the neighborhood, it'd be my pleasure to do a few guitar lessons... it's always nice to teach someone that wants to learn
Funk4you	Date: July 27, 2004 @ 6:38 PM I never took any guitar lessons... i grew up with a father who is a musician, and he let me play along when he was practicing at home... maybe you can better say ...I had no choice !
Distilled1	Date: July 27, 2004 @ 8:52 PM I think it was said befor but I had just a few months (mom stoped paying) when I was 13 the guy tought me teq. plus always saved 1/4 to 1/2 the lesson to teach me a song I wanted to learn, and then always seemed to put that into my lesson for home practice ie. I wanted to learn since i've been loving you al Jimmy Page (as most my request were ) he would work those riffs chords and scales into the fingering teq. and practice stuff. wow that was more than 20 years ago can't belive I can still see that little studio room! He never did get me to keep my thumb on the back of the neck though always wanted it wraped over to the E like Jimmy Page
Traf	Date: July 28, 2004 @ 7:01 PM My old dad, bless him, was one of those old style jazz pro pianist (they never called them keyboard players back then).. He said he'd only get me a guitar if I learned all my scales and chords, so I had no choice really.. He buoght me a crappy old acoustic with strings about half an inch from the fretboard and made me learn on that... It was great what he made me learn back then.. I still use a lot of what he taught me even now... You can't beat a few good lessons just to get you understanding a little of what's going on..
jordanthegreat	Date: August 24, 2004 @ 9:20 PM i think you don't need lessons as long as you are able to learn on your own. If you just learn songs the rest of the time you play guitar instead of learning scales/chords/modes and other theory then you would have been better off taking lessons, but either way you can learn on your own just as well.
Droquen	Date: August 26, 2004 @ 12:43 AM I learned how to play guitar through some website. About.com I think
Ironman69	Date: August 27, 2004 @ 5:26 AM I never had one lesson. I just went out and bought a Mick Thompson Warlock special, downloaded The Heretic Anthem, had a friend drop my tune to B. Went to ultimate-guitar.com and d/l the tab. Took a few weeks to memorize it. Mastered it. And showed it to my friends who's mouths all dropped about 10 feet. Now I play all kinds of heavy sh*t. From slayer to pantera, 'tallica, drowning pool, creed (was, lol),and other crap. I've seen people come up to me and say, " I can play guitar too." So I go to their house or whatever, and listen to them try to play and I have to laugh at them cuz THEY SUCK! Maybe I had a talent i didn't know cuz i really just picked up a guitar and started whaling on it. Oh and it helped i bought a great amp and and kick a$$ distortion pedal.
JoeyDahlia	Date: August 30, 2004 @ 11:40 PM do a google on joeydahlia thats a great place for lessons
chrismacmanus	Date: August 31, 2004 @ 4:44 AM I used to buy a pile of guitar magazines and go through them cover to cover. They usually have a lot of crap in them, but I learned it anyway. It also helped to open my eyes to a lot of different styles and a lot of different artists out there. I started playing a lot of folk and fingerpicking when 'Anji' by Bert Jansch was featured in one of the issues. It may not be as good as a real-life tutor, but I suppose on the other hand it's better than nothing at all! I gave up on the old magazines once I started to get a bit better, and once songs started getting tabbed on the internet.
victorsskull	Date: August 31, 2004 @ 10:14 AM very little
MindSculpture	Date: September 23, 2004 @ 6:04 PM I got classical lessons for a few years. I would really recommend it to anyone wanting to learn guitar.
C-Side	Date: September 24, 2004 @ 2:11 PM I have electric lessons and have taken singing lessons. Trumpet lessons have now lastest for 7 years. Really worth it, thoroughly recommended.
mudshadow	Date: September 24, 2004 @ 9:41 PM Got my guitar at 13, practiced on my own for 6 months, took lessons for a year until my teacher becam "obsolete". From then on spent every nite after school jammin with my favorite records, Zep, Sabbath, Rush, Kiss,Van Halen etc. Hey it was '80-'81!
tsand19151	Date: October 7, 2004 @ 5:48 PM my mom tried to get me to take guitar lessons when I was in grade school (had a female teacher, btw). But I wasn't serious and I use to take the lesson money and go to the movies with it. My mom eventually found out. She wasn't mad or upset at all but I remember she said, "you don't have to take guitar lessons if you don't want......but one day you're gonna kick yourself in the ass". To this day I wish i had a third foot.
tossom	Date: October 8, 2004 @ 6:25 AM I had sorta guitar lessons for about 9 months when I was 10. I'm now 20, pretty much self taught (learnt everything by ear) and have a pretty nasty case of tendonitis in my left middle finger... It actually stopped me from playing altogether for a couple of months it was that sore at one point Saying that, the lack of "proper" technique has given me my sound - if ya catches ma drift.
GTLive	Date: October 8, 2004 @ 7:48 AM I took intro guitar lessons at the age of 11, but was not interested in them. I was all into Judo at that age. I watched my older 1/2 bro teach hiomself the banjo and began fingerpicking a guitar the same way. My family used to complain about my guitar learning, so I snuck it in on the sly. Somehow this evolved over the next couple of decades into whatever I do today I had music thory in college, that's about it for the formal training.
joshmerfi	Date: October 8, 2004 @ 3:23 PM I've played guitar since I was 13 and starting taking lessons when I went to college. I took lessons for all four years and got my minor in music theory and performance.
FraDonaghy	Date: October 16, 2004 @ 5:40 PM When I was around 14 I learned the basic chords then after that I mostly taught myself by ear. I would listen to songs then transpose them for myself. Never took any formal lessons unfortunately, (ask chris mac manus how crap I am at scales etc)
MickeyBreezy	Date: October 16, 2004 @ 11:48 PM nope, never...n its painfully apparent whenever i pick 1 up.
sinai	Date: October 16, 2004 @ 11:55 PM no
plungerboy	Date: October 17, 2004 @ 4:57 PM I taught one of my friends to play guitar. He never wanted to tune by ear(he used a tuner) and he never tabbed his own songs(he downloaded them). If your gonna teach people guitar teach them how to use their ears to identify notes, otherwise they will never grasp music properly, just as this friend of mine after 2 years still doesnt. His guitar is always out of tune and he plays out of key constantly. Another thing is to not tell them that their good when they really are, this will only make your job harder for you. I actually considered giving lessons myself, but im not really a people person, so all i can say is... Good luck buddy!
JohnHyde	Date: October 24, 2004 @ 11:21 AM no I havent had lessons. should i?
iluminati	Date: October 24, 2004 @ 6:09 PM The first 6 months it is helpful to learn from a teacher just to get you started. Beyond that if you some natural ability you will probably be able to teach yourself by getting transcriptions of your favorite songs and learning them, and just talking to other players. Learning from the songs you love keeps you motivated.
milesov	Date: October 25, 2004 @ 4:45 PM wish i could find the students, i love teaching them. a good teacher, is RESPONSIBLE for keeping the student interested. if that means teaching them a favorite song, then so be it. ear training is totally neglected since tab came out, i think it should be taught. lol, there was no tab when i started. (you do the math, haha)the songbooks were always wrong and the reason i quit taking lessons after the first six months i started. i realized then i had to do things for myself. i didn't take lessons again til 10yrs later when i felt i hit a rut and went for some jazz/classical lessons for about six months, other than that, the other 24 yrs i been playing are self taught. the teacher is often the link between whether the student loves to play for a lifetime, or puts the thing in the closet to collect dust, have some impact!
bulletxtheory	Date: November 13, 2004 @ 3:32 PM i didn't have lessons but a friend of my dads taught me to tune by ear, i did have a few lessons prior to doing grade 4 as my dad thought it would be good to do a grade and that's round about where i was. i wish i'd taken lessons when i first started playing cause hopefully i'd be better at playing by ear

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