A guitar instructor teaches students how to play acoustic, electric, or bass guitar. Guitar teachers teach beginning, intermediate, and advanced guitar players in group and private lessons. They may teach in music schools, conduct lessons in their own studios, or travel to people’s homes to do so. Some teachers work for others, while others work for themselves. Some people teach guitar as a primary occupation, while others are professional musicians who teach to supplement their income, and still others teach guitar to supplement their income from another, unrelated job.
Some guitar instructors offer a comprehensive learning experience for students, teaching the fundamentals of a wide range of musical styles, including classical, blues, popular, folk, and others. Other guitar instructors focus on teaching specific styles to their students. Some teachers specialize in teaching a specific level of student, such as beginners, intermediates, or advanced students, while others work with students of all levels. The level of students that a guitar teacher instructs is sometimes determined his or her own level of experience.
Guitar teachers who work with beginner players may begin discussing music theory and proper playing techniques. They go over the various parts of the guitar, as well as how to hold it and tune it. A beginner’s guitar teacher will also show you how to read notes, play simple guitar chords, and pick and strum. They assist beginners in putting what they’ve learned into simple songs.
A guitar teacher working with intermediate students, who have mastered the fundamentals, might concentrate his or her instruction on specific musical styles. If the student is interested in blues, for example, the guitar teacher may explore the 12-bar progression, which is the basis for many blues tunes. Intermediate rock students might be taught power chords and how to use an amplifier the instructor.
Guitar teachers who work with advanced students may be able to assist them in writing their own compositions. They might suggest ways for students to add variety and interest to their playing incorporating different styles. A guitar instructor, for example, might assist a country musician in learning faster, heavy metal picking techniques. Instead of teaching advanced students new techniques, the teacher may assist them in honing their skills, such as introducing methods for improving dexterity in right-hand classical playing. Instructors of intermediate and advanced students may also participate in musical performance planning.
Successful guitar teachers keep up with new styles and techniques because music isn’t static. Some players take lessons from more experienced players. They may collaborate with more experienced instructors in a specific style or study a variety of styles to incorporate into their own compositions.