Since you received your acoustic guitar, and if you bought a book of how to learn to play a guitar and learning basic chords. This is a great starting point for all beginners. However, there will be a situation and time you will run into a difficult period where you’re not progressing enough, or you need guidance by someone who been playing for many years and knows how to teach students.

Finding a guitar teacher will help you improve your progress through lessons and practice by learning new songs and new chords. The big question is, how to find a guitar teacher to progress in the right direction, and also that its right for you?

Where to search a guitar teacher?

1. If a student is in middle school or high school, ask your friends or students who already plays a guitar, and been playing for a few years by taking lessons.

2. If you’re an older adult and learning to play, there are instructors out there willing to teach older adults.

3. Searching a reputable music store usually have teachers giving lessons.

4. Community Music Groups, Open mic events or music events at your local café.

List of important criteria of finding a guitar teacher:

1. Teaching Credentials, education & approach how he/she structured their lessons

2. How many years he/she been teaching lessons?

3. Where did they receive their education in music?

4. Does a teacher email notes of what you should review and practice after each lesson?

5. How long are lessons conducted by the teacher? Should between 45-60 minutes long for teenagers and adults. If this is a child, maybe 30 minutes is long enough.

6. How are lessons structured? Time, Location and Environment.

7. Will a teacher discuss with you of how to plan for your weekly practice routine on a weekly basis and knowing what to practice and how long?

8. Each guitar instructor may have a different approach to teaching and create a structured weekly lesson that a student progresses for each lesson.

9. As always, usually the instructor will post their cost for lessons on their website. Some will ask a month of four (4) lessons to be paid upfront which is the norm for guitar lessons.

What should a student be practicing from each lesson:

1. How to sit in a chair during practice sessions. Posture is very import while practicing.

2. How to hold a guitar and pick correctly. The neck of your guitar should be above your elbow so you can move up and down the fretboard at ease.

3. Plan out daily and weekly what to practice after each lesson as a student can progress. Remember, playing will start being fun and exciting as you improve.

4. How long should a student be practicing? This is crucial, because there are students who practice for an hour or more, and there are students who practice 30 minutes. It’s very important to realize when you start making mistakes while either playing scales or changing chords of not hitting the right the strings (notes) on the fretboard, you will become frustrated.  This is where you stop practicing and give yourself a break and breathe.

5. Start out slow so you can build up speed by using a metronome. When you’re practicing a song and on a difficult part, take it slow so you can learn how move your fingers from note to note, and making chord changes seamlessly by taking one measure at a time.

List of Resources:

• Tony Polcastro (great for older players)

• Colin Cannon (In-Person or Online)

• Justin Guitar