You booked a guitar lesson, now what?
You’ve finally done it, you booked an intro lesson for yourself or your kid, and now you’re probably wondering what to expect and how to prepare. Let’s go over a few things to make sure that come lesson time, you’re ready to hit the ground running.
This isn’t an audition
You’re new to the guitar, nobody is expecting you to be Jimi Hendrix, and it’s totally okay to be nervous. If you’ve played guitar before, your teacher might ask you to play a little bit, but that’s just to get an idea of where you’re at.
What’s the first lesson all about?
Great question! Every teacher and school does this differently, but here at I.R. Guitar Lessons, the free intro lesson isn’t time for a sales pitch or a “consultation”, it’s a real, honest-to-goodness lesson. You’ll chat with your teacher about your experience, your musical taste, and your goals, and once all the yapping is out of the way, you’ll get right into the nitty-gritty of playing that instrument of yours.
What do I need?
If you have your own instrument, even if it’s one you borrowed, found, or inherited, bring it along with you, as well as any music or books you’ve been working with. If it’s an electric guitar or bass your bringing, don’t worry about bringing an amp, we’ve got you covered. If you don’t have your own guitar yet, no worries, we have plenty of instruments here at the studio that you’re welcome to use. We’re also happy to provide free rentals for our students so that y’all can practice at home!
What should I be looking for in a guitar teacher?
First and foremost, you should be looking for someone you connect with on a human level. It won’t matter how much knowledge they’re able to impart if you just don’t like the cut of their jib, ya know? Find someone you won’t mind being stuck in a small room with on a regular basis. From there, you want someone who isn’t just an experienced player, but an experienced teacher as well. Experienced teachers will be able to turn your musical style, current level, and goals into an actionable practice plan; one that’s tailor made to you. If you’re interested in a particular style of music, like classical, jazz, or folk, make sure that’s a style that your teacher is comfortable with.
Which questions should I ask?
You should definitely ask your teacher about their education and experience with playing and teaching guitar. It’d also be a good idea to figure out what their favorite styles of music to teach and play are; it’s always a good sign when tastes align. Ask about what you need to fix technique-wise, or where the gaps in your vocabulary or literacy are, and what steps you can take to start improving them. Ask them what needs to practiced for next week and be as specific as possible! Logistically speaking, it’s also smart to ask them about their availability, how to schedule, pricing, etc.
What’s important to share with my teacher?
It’s critically important to share your musical tastes and what your goals are. Do you want to use the guitar to accompany your singing, do you want to rip solos, play in the school band, or play campfire songs with friends? If you’re teacher knows what you like and where you want to go with the guitar, they’ll have a much easier time prescribing music and materials for you, and you’ll be much more likely to work on the most relevant topics. A great thing to show up to your first lesson with is what I call a “guitar playlist”, a list of ten to fifteen songs that make you want to pick up your guitar. Sharing that playlist with your teacher is an excellent way to help them get to know you as a musician.
What should I leave with?
You should be walking out of the studio with a sense for the basics and what your next steps for practice are. If you’ve never played before, you should feel comfortable with basic guitar notation, and if you’re more experienced, you should have an idea of where your strengths and weaknesses lay. You should feel comfortable and confident in your teacher and their ability to guide you through the learning process in a way that feels centered around who you are and what you need.
First lessons are a great way to test drive the guitar playing experience and a get a feel for a teacher’s style. They’re a smell test (hopefully not literally) that’ll enable you to choose a teacher you feel happy to be around and motivated by. Everyone is looking for something different in a teacher, don’t be discouraged if you don’t strike gold on your first go-round, and trust your instincts; you may not be an expert in guitar, but you’re definitely an expert in what you need.
If you’re here in the Bay Area and you’d like to swing by for a free intro lesson, there’s always a space for here at I.R. Guitar Lessons, happy practicing!