Quitting Lessons

I have seen some of the most amazing students come and go. Some have stayed for over a decade and others ended up quitting guitar lessons after less than a month.  If the student has been with a teacher for a number of years and has built an amazing relationship, leaving can really be tough. Here are a few thoughts that may help ease the transition.

When Should I Tell the Teacher I am Quitting Lessons?

The beginning of the lesson can sometimes be the best time to mention it. This way, the student does not focus on the dreaded conversation during the lesson. Sometimes students get too nervous to say anything and won’t if they wait until the end of the lesson.

Most teachers prefer finding out at the beginning of the lessons. This way if there is anything that can get worked out, like a schedule conflict or money issues, sometimes the instructor can help. If the parent is up for it, a phone call can be a nice touch for a teacher they like.

 A Good Teacher Understands

Most music teachers know there are an endless number of reasons a student may need to stop lessons. Sometimes students are moving, have school conflicts, sports conflicts, or maybe they simply lose interest.

A lot of times the instructor will have an idea that the student is leaving as the day approaches. If the student is moving, then the instructor has probably heard about it at some point. The same is true with sports or other conflicts. If there is a complete lack of enthusiasm, the teacher is probably already prepared for the inevitable. Teaching someone whose heart is not in it is actually a real challenge. Despite best efforts to inspire the student.

Giving Notice Before Quitting Lessons is Invaluable

For an instructor that is very busy, filling the spot isn’t usually a problem. Even so, if you are going to leave, the best gift you can give a teacher is notice. This will give your instructor time to let the lesson coordinator know he/she will have a spot opening up. The prospective student will also be very happy to know there will be a slot available. Giving them a card is a wonderful way to leave a keepsake and ease the moment.

Check Back In

 Quitting guitar lessons definitely does not mean the end. There is nothing better than to walk out and see a former student excited to say hi. There have been several students who have come back after college and asked to get a cup of coffee and catch up. What an amazing feeling!

Finally…

There is nothing more rewarding than to watch a student grow both musically and as a person. Don’t stress if you have to leave. For most teachers, the door is always open anytime you would like to come back.

Taking Lessons

If you are interested in guitar, ukulele, or bass lessons, feel free to contact me. I teach in both Greeley and Fort Collins, Colorado as well as online.

 

Purchasing an electric guitar for the first time is an amazing experience. There is almost an endless amount of colors, shapes, configurations, and sizes. A person could literally stay at a music store all day just trying out guitars. There are a few things I would recommend when it comes to purchasing an electric guitar.

Many of the same thoughts that I wrote about in the acoustic guitar purchase holds true with the electric as well. I will list them but feel free to click on the link “Purchasing a Guitar Part 2-The Acoustic” for more details.

Here are three areas that will apply to all guitar purchases.

• Is the guitar attractive?
• Does the guitar size fit your body?
• Does it sound good to you?

There are a few other important considerations that will apply a bit more to the electric guitar:

• Appearance: Style, Shape, and Color
• Floating Bridge/hardtail/standard tremolo/locking nut
• Electronics

Style and Shape

Style is the first thing that comes to mind when considering an electric guitar. There are many styles to choose from which sometimes will or will not match the genre you are pursuing. A person could show up with a flying V to a jazz combo, but you would probably get a few strange looks. Fender and Gibson are the industry standards but there are a lot of competing brands.

Most people love the Gibson Les Paul look. They are beautiful guitars, but I cannot get used to the neck. It seems like Fender and Ibanez have faster necks that are built for blues and rock.

One important point in the last article that is worth repeating…make sure to get a guitar that you are attracted to. This will make paying for it and playing it much more enjoyable. There are too many guitars out there to have to settle.

Another important consideration is the Flying V. This is a guitar that looks amazing to the younger generation and has been used by countless musicians. It can have a great sound and play like a dream. But the downside is if you are sitting, it may slide off your leg. You can use a strap or play classical style, however, it is awkward for a lot of guitarists.

 

Bridge Systems

The next thing I look for is what type of bridge do I want. There are many types of bridges, but I will focus on the three main types. First is the hard-tail which is anchored onto the guitar and does not have a whammy bar. The second is a standard tremolo that uses a whammy bar, but only moves one direction. A third common option is the floating tremolo system.

Hard Tail

The hard tail does not move and does not have a place for a whammy bar. It is nice because if you break a string, most of the other strings will stay in tune. You can also save a little money since the hard tail is less complex and therefore less expensive than other bridges.

Locking Tremolo

The second type is a non-locking tremolo system. These were originally found on guitars that were made before the late 70’s. They offered musicians a lot of cool effects like dives and vibrato. Artists like Mark Knopfler, Paul McCartney, and Keith Richards use this style. The problem they have is that the strings can go out of tune due to the releasing and stretching of the strings.

Floating Tremolo

The third type is a floating tremolo system that locks at the head nut. One popular brand is the Floyd Rose. This is the type I have used over the years and have mixed feelings about it. The advantage are all the tricks a guitarist can do such as fluttering and diving without going out of tune. The big disadvantage is if a string breaks, the whole guitar goes out of tune. This is due to uneven tension on the bridge. Once a string breaks and the bridge moves, you have to switch out the guitar.

Electronics

The next thing to check for are the electronics. There are truly too many variables to cover all of it in this article. However, I will hit on the important one. Should you get a guitar with active or passive pick-ups?

Active pick-ups are powered by a battery and passive pick-ups are not. The advantage of an active pick-up is that it is a bit more powerful and the tone can be a little more even when adjusting the volume. You will need to unplug the guitar when you are done playing or it will drain the battery. Which brings me to the disadvantage. If the battery dies, you may have to change the guitar out or have a fresh battery ready.

Passive pick-ups are less powerful, but have more tonal options. Most songs throughout history are recorded using passive pickups. However, my favorite guitarist, David Gilmore of Pink Floyd, uses active pickups. Deciding which pickup is right for you is decision that may come down to tone and whether you want to deal with a battery. Active pickups are more expensive, but are quieter, have more sustain, and have no loss of high frequency with a long cable. Yet passive pickups are more affordable, natural sounding, and have better dynamic response.

Conclusion

These are just some areas to consider and research when looking into purchasing your first electric guitar. The bottom line is the feel, look, and sound. An amp can compensate for a lot of the weaknesses in a guitar, but it won’t be able to polish a turd.

 

If you are interested in taking lessons, please contact me, I look forward to hearing from you!

Three Main Guitar Categories

Buying your first guitar can be an exciting and daunting task at the same time. There are so many choices, options, styles, and types to choose from. It is always a lot of fun helping my students pick out their first instrument, something they will have for a long time.

The very first step in buying a new guitar is to find out what type you want. The three main guitar categories are electric, classical, and acoustic.  Some acoustic and classical guitars can be plugged into an amplifier, but I will look at the guitars without that option.  Then we will weigh out the advantages and disadvantages.

Should Your First Guitar Be an Acoustic  

Arguably, the most popular guitar people purchase for their first guitar is an acoustic. These generally have steel strings and a large body that uses the vibration of the string through the wood to create the sound.

Advantages

The advantage of the acoustic is that all you need is the guitar to play. This can save a person some money since it does not require an amp, cables, etc. An acoustic guitar can be ready to play in a classroom or at a campfire in no time. They are so nice to sing with since the warm tones work very well with vocals. Acoustic guitars also tend to sound better as they age. Personally, I prefer the acoustic sound to an electric clean sound, but there are limitations as well.

Disadvantages

The disadvantage of an acoustic guitar is that it is probably the hardest guitar to learn on. Generally, the strings are much tougher to push down than the electric or classical guitar since they are thicker. This can stop young players from continuing to play because it can hurt their fingertips. Acoustic guitars are also much larger in size than both classical and electrics. If you get a cheaper one, it can make playing the guitar miserable because they are harder to play.  This can lead to a beginner feeling like they do not have the skills to play.

Finally, an acoustic guitar is built for the sound produced by the types of woods and finishes they use. If you try to use overdrive with an acoustic/electric guitar, chances are it will squeal very loudly.

Thinking on Buying a Classical Guitar for Your First Guitar?

The first guitar I ever played was a classical. Classical guitars have nylon strings which produce a much warmer sound than the acoustic. The guitar has a very distinct shape and used a lot in flamenco and classical music.

Advantages

The advantage of the classical guitar is that the strings are easier to play on. The nylon strings are softer than the steel strings which will not hurt as much. The bottom strings are nylon wrapped in steel which are a bit more comfortable since they have less tension.

Classical guitars are generally a little smaller than the typical acoustic. This can help tremendously with an early teen who is too big for a ¾ size but too small for a full-size acoustic guitar. One more advantage is that the tuners are all facing toward the back which means they turn the same direction when increasing or decreasing pitch. Acoustic guitar tuners reverse directions depending on the string.

 

Disadvantages

The disadvantage of a classical guitar is that the wide neck makes them difficult to play. The distance the fingers must travel is much further and can make it hard to reach if you have small hands. If you are playing rock or country, the positions used on a classical guitar can make that harder as well. For instance, using the thumb over the top of the neck to create a chord is much more difficult and not intended to be done on a classical guitar.

 

Buying Your First Electric Guitar

Probable the best way to go, in my opinion, is to start out with an electric guitar. They are incredibly versatile and easy to learn on. My first time plugging into an amp was amazing. I see the same excitement in a lot of my students that I had when they first try the studio amp. The electric guitar really comes to life when we engage the overdrive channel. There is something hypnotizing about the sound the strings make when the gain is turned up.

Advantages

The advantage of an electric guitar is that the strings are a lot lighter and easier to push down than both the acoustic and classical guitars. One of the biggest reasons young people stop playing is because the strings hurt their fingers. If the student cannot produce a note that does not thump or buzz, they tend to get discouraged. When that happens they stop practicing, and before you know it, they stop altogether. Another advantage to an electric guitar is that there are endless sounds it can produce. With today’s technology, electric guitars can create the sound of similar to almost any instrument. Plus, with a small battery powered amplifier, it can even go with you camping.

Disadvantages

The disadvantage of starting with an electric guitar is that it can be more expensive. You will need an amplifier and cables to be able to hear it properly. The amplifiers can run anywhere from $15 for a used starter to as much as you would like to spend. For a decent amp, you would not want to go under $100 though. It is well worth the investment to get something with at least a clean channel and a dirty channel. Effects can be optional, but these days it is very affordable to get an amp with effects.

What type of guitar is best really depends on your personal taste, but for younger students, my vote would be to get them an electric.

If you would like to take lessons and need some more information, please shoot me a message.

The First 10 Minutes

A lot of people have no idea of what to expect when going into their first guitar lesson. Most people are very nervous and usually have never touched a guitar before. For many students, they have never played an instrument before either.

The very first thing I like to do is find out what the student is interested in musically. This includes asking about their goals and what inspired them to pick up the guitar. It is also very important to know what style of music they enjoy. Almost everyone would rather play their favorite song than mine-although I have great taste in music 😊!

After finding out about their goals, the next step is to see what type of experience they have in music and on the guitar. For this post, I will focus on what the new students will learn on the first day.

Hands On

If you are brand new, then I like to take a couple of minutes to go through the guitar and explain how it works. This includes what all of the knobs are for, what the frets are, how to use the tuning pegs, the names of the strings, etc. Then I demonstrate how to hold the guitar and why the hand position is a certain way for different styles.

Once the student is comfortable with the hand position on the guitar, the next step is tuning. This is sometimes tough for the younger kids, so I have them try a single string and I tune the rest for them. It is really fun to watch how each week they improve on their tuning skills. In just a few lessons, they are experts!

Finally, we learn how tablature works and they play a simple melody on the first day. This is where each student realizes how incredibly easy guitar is to learn. It is fun to see them light up after that part of the lesson, and they are ready to pursue music.

Why I Teach

The part I like the most is when a new student wants to try a lesson to see if they even like it and end up becoming totally inspired. The parents immediately pick up on it…that is so rewarding! My goal is to keep learning along with the student. There are always new songs and new ideas to try.

If you have any questions or would like to try a lesson, feel free to contact me. I teach at Boomer Music in Fort Collins, as well as out of my studio here in Greeley.