Paul Hackett kindly passed this note, originally sent to our “General Questions” box at Guitar Noise, on to me:
If you would please answer my questions about guitar teaching since you’re the expert.
1) Is it frustrating?
2) Do you need a degree from college?
3) If not, would it draw more customers to have a degree?
4) Would a degree help you get better?
5) What do you say the basic level of skill would be to become a teacher?
Thank you for reading my questions, I consider this a possible career.
Hi
Thanks for writing! I’m hardly what I would call an “expert,” but I have been teaching full time for close to ten years now, so I guess I could be called “experienced.” I’ll do my best to answer your questions.
1) Is it frustrating?
It’s tempting to say “not at all,” but every job has its share of frustration. A teacher cannot go home with the student and do his practicing for him or her. The teacher can guide and advise and coach, but ultimately it’s a team effort. One wants his or her students to enjoy music and to have as few frustrations as possible and as long as both student and teacher can be open and communicate freely with each other, the minor frustrations that are just simply a part of any natural learning process can be easily dealt with.
On the other hand, if you yourself look at playing or any aspect of music as a competition, then you are setting yourself up for a lot of frustration. If you are expecting your guitar students to all become Steve Vai or Eric Clapton, you’ve set yourself an impossible task. If you are trying to give them a gift that they can have the rest of their lives, the gift of playing the music that makes them happy, you’ll discover that each of your students has to learn at his or her own pace.
2) Do you need a degree from college?
No, unless you plan to teach “for credit” courses at a school (at any educational level).
3) If not, would it draw more customers to have a degree?
That depends on your customers. Many students (or their parents) simply look for whom they consider the best possible teacher. Sometimes people mistakenly equate “best player” with “best teacher.” Sometimes they think “best educated” means “best teacher.” Neither are true, and neither need be necessary, but being a good player and having a degree can help draw customers. Having a reputation of being a good teacher will draw more.
4) Would a degree help you get better?
That depends, too. Getting a degree for playing the guitar doesn’t prepare you in the least for teaching unless you take courses on teaching. And getting some basic business courses would also help anyone with a goal of making a living at being a teacher.
5) What do you say the basic level of skill would be to become a teacher?
People discuss this all the time. Obviously, you need to have a good command of the basics of playing. You also need to know enough music theory that you can competently discuss the “whys” of music instead of simply telling your students to “just do this.”
If I had to quantify further, I’d say the most important thing you would need as a teacher is the ability to be honest (both with yourself and with your students) about what you know and about what you can teach them. You need to be able to direct them to other sources (teachers, books, tutorials)
when they have absorbed all that you are capable of giving them.
In addition to all this, I’d like to add that if you’re truly interested in a career teaching music (whether guitar or any instrument), that you check out two books:
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Teaching Music on Your Own, written by Karen Berger, answers your questions and many more in detail. She not only deals with teacher qualifications, but also the day to day aspects of teaching that you might not even think about (how to set up your studio, getting business, contracts, even making time for yourself in your schedule) until after you set up shop. Karen is a great writer and piano teacher and she also is my partner, so yes, I’m a bit biased in my assessment!
The Musician’s Way is by Gerald Klickstein, another excellent teacher and educator with over thirty years experience, and does an exceptional job of dealing with practicing, performing and creativity from the point of view of both the student and the teacher. I can’t recommend either of these books enough.
Hope this helps and good luck to you!
Peace