Do you believe that all guitar teachers are pretty much the same? Do you believe that most guitar teachers 'pretty much know what they're doing' and that putting effort into finding an effective teacher will make little difference in the outcome of your (or your child's) musical progress?

The truth is that not all guitar teachers are the same. Actually, most guitar teachers are 'average', or worse. The damage that can be done by poor guitar instruction is significant. More than half of all beginning guitar students will stop playing guitar completely within their first year of lessons, and 80% will stop playing within two years! That's four out of five students who will never reach their true musical potential. The number one reason most students stop playing? They feel 'overwhelmed' by information, and 'underwhelmed' by results. In other words, they've been taught a bunch of stuff they can't use or do anything with. Is this the student's fault? Absolutely not. It is a direct result of traditional guitar instruction methods and poor teaching. The effect on the student can be devastating. Many are left with the impression that they just don't 'have what it takes' to become a great guitar player. This can damage the student's self-esteem (especially in children), leaving them frustrated and robbing them of the joy and reward that one feels while learning to master an instrument.

Unfortunately, average/below-average guitar teachers are the norm. Before you give one hard-earned dollar to just any guitar teacher (thus risking your money and your musical future), take time to compare how College Station Guitar Academy is heads above 'average' guitar lessons. You may find some of the following hard to believe, but I assure you that these instances of 'guitar teacher malpractice' are the norm rather than the exception.

The 'average' teacher has NO actual training in how to teach other people to play guitar. Less than 10% of guitar teachers have even read a book on how to actually teach guitar. No, you didn't read that incorrectly, nor is it a typo. Let me repeat. Less than 10% of guitar teachers have ANY formal training on how to actually teach other people to play guitar. A few guitar teachers have degrees in music, but little to no training on how to actually teach. In contrast, I have been trained, coached, and mentored by one of the top guitar-training instructors in the world. I am part of an international group of skilled, successful guitar teachers. Together we regularly collaborate on new teaching ideas, methods, and materials so that we can improve our effectiveness to our students, getting massive results for our students in the process. I attend annual training seminars to continually improve my abilities so that I can bring you the fastest, most efficient results possible.

The 'average' teacher has no idea what your musical goals are. It is rare for a teacher to have an in-depth understanding of what your musical goals are. Most teachers will simply ask what music you like and who your favorite players are. (Those are not goals, by the way.) Yet your goals are the MOST important thing a teacher should have in mind when formulating your lesson plan. If they don't know where you want to be, how can they possibly know how to get you there? At College Station Guitar Academy, I will help you pinpoint your goals and find lesson strategies that will get you there in the most efficient way possible. Helping you reach your musical goals is my priority!

The 'average' teacher is disorganized and 'wings it' through your lessons. Yes, it's true. Since most guitar teachers have no idea what your goals are (or how to get you there) they give no thought about what they are going to teach you until you are getting your guitar out of it's case when you show up for the lesson. Or even worse, they will simply ask "What would you like to learn today?" Then they spend your 'lesson time' writing out some exercises and may show you once how to play them. If you're lucky, they will ask you to play them through once. Essentially you just paid money to watch someone write out a lesson that may or may not have any relation to what you need to improve your skills. You will leave with a piece of paper, a pat on the back and a 'see you next week' with little or no clue how to learn, practice, or use the material provided. The 'average' teacher keeps no records of what you were taught from week to week and probably doesn't even remember what they taught you last week. At College Station Guitar Academy, every lesson you receive is designed with your goals in mind. Your lessons will be organized and ready when you arrive, so that your lesson time is spent actually playing the guitar and receiving feedback on your technique and understanding of current and previous lesson materials. The time you spend with me in lessons will never be wasted or inefficient. You will receive an email summary of your lesson and any included lesson materials after each lesson.

The 'average' guitar teacher uses the same method to instruct every student. Since most guitar teachers don't have any formal training in how to teach, they may use a 'method' book, or some other type of 'one size fits all' methodology. They cannot identify and address individual student needs and create their own lesson material to address those needs. In contrast, while I do occasionally use materials from other sources when appropriate, much of what you receive in your lessons will be generated by me to address YOUR specific needs and goals. When possible, I will incorporate your favorite music styles into your lesson plans to help you improve your musical skills while playing the music you like.

The 'average' guitar teacher will never teach you how to properly practice. Do you know what really determines how quickly you will reach your musical goals? It's the time in between our lessons. That's right - your practice time. Learning to practice properly and efficiently can make or break your dream to play guitar. Unfortunately, most teachers will never address the issue of practice time, other than to say "Be sure and practice this week." The fact is that most guitar students don't practice (or don't practice effectively). In turn, they don't progress. Then they become one of the many students who quit within the first year. Most students don't practice because they don't know how, what, when, or for how long to practice. They don't know how because they have not been shown properly by their teacher. I will show you how to practice efficiently, properly, and set up a personalized weekly practice plan that takes all the guesswork out of your practice routine. As a result, you will progress much faster and have more fun doing so.

The 'average' guitar teacher will never teach you to apply what you are learning. As mentioned previously, the main reason students quit playing guitar is that they are 'overwhelmed' by information. Information overload is due to a fundamental flaw in traditional teaching methods, which tend to be 'linear' in nature. Traditional linear teaching models very rarely succeed in actually teaching someone to be a great guitar player (thus the 80% failure rate). Their flaw is that they provide a steady flow of information, but do not provide a context in which to actually use that information. Many students who have previously studied under linear models know 'information', but have no idea how to actually transform that information into practical knowledge to apply to their guitar playing. As a result, they get frustrated and give up, thinking the problem lies within themselves, when in reality it is a by-product of poor teaching. Yet most guitar teachers stick with these linear models because 'that's how everyone else teaches'. Most of their lesson time is used to dispense 'information', with little (usually no) attempt at getting the student to understand and use the information in a real musical context. I do not use a linear model. For every new concept, or piece of information you learn, you will spend as much (if not more) time learning to integrate and apply that concept in a meaningful, creative, musical way.

The 'average' guitar teacher will never provide documented evidence of your progress. Evidence of progress is critical to keeping students motivated to continue learning, playing, and practicing. Yet this is an area largely ignored by most guitar teachers. They expect that the student should just be able to 'feel' like they are getting better. I will regularly record your playing and track your progress in quantifiable ways so that you will be able to see and hear your improvement.

I could go on, but I hope you are starting to see that most guitar teachers are not going to get you the results you are seeking. If 'most' teachers were successful, there would not be an 80% failure rate among beginner students. At College Station Guitar Academy, you will get the highest-value guitar lessons in College Station. I am committed to offering you the most efficient, most effective guitar learning experience you can find. Don't waste time and money on inferior lessons. Call (979) 393-0171 TODAY to book your FREE introductory session and get started down the fun, rewarding path of mastering the guitar!

To learn the 9 questions you MUST ask any prospective guitar teacher, and the 3 most common mistakes to avoid when choosing a guitar teacher, read this guide - "How To Choose A Music Teacher" by Tom Hess, guitar virtuoso and world-renowned guitar trainer.

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