I have been teaching since 1989, and I can tell you, when I first started teaching, I wasn’t very good at it!

It isn’t that I didn’t have the knowledge. I did. I had been playing guitar for many years. But what I learned over time is that knowing something doesn’t mean you can teach it. I became a better teacher over time because all of my students taught me!

You may have found a friend or family member who plays guitar and asked them to teach you. Maybe it worked out, but chances are it didn’t. Maybe you gave up because of that experience. Unless your teacher has taught before, don’t expect them to know what they’re doing. Teaching is a SEPARATE knowledge from the ability to play.

I always recommend that you interview teachers before you decide to go for it. Here are some things to consider:

1. What kind of music do you want to play? Do you want to play blues riffs? Jazz guitar? Do you just want to learn to play some of your favourite songs for yourself or around the campfire? Or maybe you’re interested in classical music. Most teachers cannot teach all of these genres, and specialize in one or two of these areas. Just ask!
2. Teachers who teach out of music stores aren’t necessarily better because of their place of employment. Lots of teachers teach privately. Look on craigslist or usedvictoria (or whatever city you are in). Do a Google search for guitar teachers in your area. Ask friends. Word of mouth is a great way to find someone good.
3. Some cities and towns have recreation programs that include guitar classes. Again, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get the best teacher, but sometimes learning in a group is a little less intimidating, and even more fun because you’re learning with others.
4. Some teachers have a set agenda on how and what they want to teach you. Others make it more your decision. My method is to give everyone a list (and it’s a huge one!) of every song that I teach. I get them to pick out songs they are interested in and write down anything they’re interested in learning that isn’t on the list. But for absolute beginners, I usually have a couple of songs that I start with just to give a new student some basics. Ask the teacher how she/he teaches when you first interview them.
5. There are teachers out there who are willing to come to your home, but be prepared to pay a little extra for that. And speaking of payment, as with anything, cheaper isn’t always the best. Look around at a few prices to get a sense of what the going rate is. And ask what their cancellation policy is too.

You should know within about a month whether or not guitar is for you. And if it’s not, that’s okay! We all have to put our toes in the water first to check it out! Your teacher should not try and commit you to more than that at the beginning. So when you first meet, mention that you’d like to try it out for a month to see if it’s a good fit. That way, if you’re not comfortable or happy with the teacher, you can find someone else.

And I want to emphasize that again. Not all teachers are created equal! I hope for you to have a good experience, but if you have a bad one, please don’t give up! Playing guitar should be a very joyful part of your life.

Good luck!

IJ

Below is my YouTube video describing the Horse With No Name Strum:

This is the strum pattern:

This is a link to the .doc file that you can download:

Horse With No Name

These are the chorus chords:

I often get new students who have tried and failed at learning guitar by watching YouTube videos. I have a couple of videos myself, so I’m certainly not against the idea of learning this way! In fact, many budding guitarists benefit from the generosity of players who demonstrate songs and techniques by video.

However, it is something akin to learning something by reading a book; some can, and others are only more confused. So don’t be discouraged if YouTube videos are not making you a guitar virtuoso! Now I will explain why.

First of all, you might be a beginner and not up on the “lingo”. A video can’t look at you and assess how much you know. So if you simply don’t understand the terminology used, or if a demonstration goes too quickly, it can be a complete turn off.

Secondly, those who can play, can’t necessarily teach. They may say that they are going to show you how to play something and go ahead and play it, and explain nothing! While some might be able to pick up on what they are doing, many can’t.

Thirdly, you may not realize what you need to learn first in terms of which videos to watch. If you want to learn to play solos, you need to learn scales…if you want to play your favourite Neil Young song, you need to learn chords and some strumming techniques. Again, videos can’t assess what you know, or don’t know. If you don’t know how to swim, don’t jump in the deep end!

Videos can also be wrong. When I say “wrong”, I also mean that people tend to play their own versions of songs, for instance, and it doesn’t quite sound like the original. You may have already come across that in terms of looking at chords and tabs at some of the more popular sites dedicated to it. When you try it out, it doesn’t really sound right, but you might blame it on yourself rather than on what the tab or video is showing you.

If you are a guitar enthusiast, videos can be a great way to augment your learning experience. But don’t consider yourself a failure if you are having trouble learning how to play from them! Therefore, I always encourage getting an instructor or taking some guitar classes so you can learn at a pace that works for you.

IJ