Five Tips for Choosing the Right Guitar Teacher

 Learning to play the guitar can be a rewarding experience, but it’s important to choose the right teacher to help you reach your goals. Not all guitar teachers are created equal, and some may be better suited for your individual needs than others.

In this blog, we’ll discuss five tips for choosing the right guitar teacher. By following these tips, you can increase your chances of finding a teacher who can help you learn and grow as a musician.

Christina performing at the jam session

Tip 1: Consider your goals

The first step in choosing a guitar teacher is to consider your goals. What do you want to achieve by learning to play the guitar? Do you want to be able to play basic chords and songs? Do you want to learn a specific genre of music? Or do you want to become a professional musician?

Once you know your goals, you can start to look for a teacher who can help you achieve them. If you want to learn basic chords and songs, you may not need a teacher with a lot of experience. However, if you want to learn a specific genre of music or become a professional musician, you’ll need to find a teacher who has the knowledge and experience to help you reach your goals.

Tip 2: Ask around

Once you’ve considered your goals, the next step is to ask around for recommendations. Talk to your friends, family, and fellow musicians to see if they have any recommendations for guitar teachers. You can also search online for reviews of guitar teachers in your area.

Tip 3: Interview potential teachers

Once you’ve found a few potential teachers, it’s important to interview them. This will give you a chance to learn more about their teaching style and approach to music. Ask them about their experience, their teaching philosophy, and their rates. You should also ask them to play for you so you can get a sense of their skill level.

Tip 4: Make sure you feel comfortable

It’s important to choose a guitar teacher who you feel comfortable with. You’ll be spending a lot of time with this person, so it’s important to find someone who you can relate to and who makes you feel at ease.

Tip 5: Take a trial lesson

Once you’ve found a teacher who you think you might like, it’s a good idea to take a trial lesson. This will give you a chance to see if you click with the teacher and if their teaching style is a good fit for you.

Conclusion:

Choosing the right guitar teacher is an important decision. By following these tips, you can increase your chances of finding a teacher who can help you reach your goals and become a better musician. If you have any comments or questions, please email me.

Fun Side of Guitar Picks

Guitar picks are a simple thing, but they can be a lot of fun. There are all sorts of different shapes, sizes, and materials to choose from, and each one can produce a slightly different sound. You can even find picks with funny or interesting designs.

Different types of guitar picks

If you’re looking for a way to add a little fun to your guitar playing, here are a few ideas:

• Collect picks. There are a lot of cool picks out there, and it can be fun to collect them. You can find picks with the names of your favorite bands, picks made from unusual materials, or even picks that have been autographed by famous guitarists.
• Use a funny pick. There are a lot of picks out there with funny or interesting designs. You could use a pick that looks like a pizza, a pick that has a picture of your pet on it, or even a pick with a saying on it.
• Experiment with different shapes and sizes. The shape and size of a pick can affect the sound of your playing. Try out different picks to see what you like best.
• Make your own pick. If you’re feeling creative, you can even make your own pick. There are a lot of tutorials online that can show you how to do it.

No matter how you choose to use them, guitar picks can be a lot of fun. So next time you’re playing your guitar, don’t be afraid to experiment and have some fun with your picks.

Interesting facts about guitar picks:

• The first guitar picks were made from tortoiseshell, but this material is now protected by law, so most picks are made from plastic.
• The thickness of a pick can affect the sound of your playing. Thinner picks produce a brighter sound, while thicker picks produce a warmer sound.
• Some guitarists use two picks at the same time. This technique is amazing and it can be used to create a variety of different sounds.
• There are even picks that glow in the dark. These are perfect for playing late-night gigs or for playing in the dark.

So there you have it, a few fun facts about picks. If you have any questions, please contact me. Now go out and have some fun with your picks!

Purchasing an Electric Guitar

Purchasing an electric guitar for the first time is an amazing experience. There is almost an endless number of colors, shapes, configurations, and sizes. A person could, and probably should, literally stay at a music store all day trying out guitars. There are a few things I would recommend before making a big investment.

Many of the same thoughts in the acoustic guitar purchase blog 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.

There are at least four areas that will apply to all guitar purchases.

• Are you attracted to the guitar
• Does the guitar size fit your body
• Does it sound good to you
• Does it feel good to play

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

Gibson Flying V with a Hardtail

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 so many competing brands.

I personally loved the Gibson Les Paul look but after playing them, I could not get used to the neck. I always tend to purchase a Fender and Ibanez.

There is an 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 and has been used by countless musicians. It has a great sound and plays like a dream. But the downside is, if you are sitting, it likes to slide off your leg. You can use a strap or play it with the V section resting on your leg, however it may be awkward for some guitarists.

Electric Guitar 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 that 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 is nice because if you break a string, most of the other strings will stay in tune. Another advantage that is helpful to new guitarists is that when a note is bent, the rest stay in tune. You can also save a little money since the hard tail is less complex and therefore less expensive than other bridges.

Standard Tremolo

The second type is a standard tremolo system. These are originally found on guitars that were made up to 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 such as the Floyd Rose. This is the type I have used over the years and have mixed feelings about it. The advantages 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 the tension that is needed to keep the bridge floating. Once a string breaks, the bridge moves since there is less tension on the bridge.

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

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 more powerful and the tone can be a little bit more even when adjusting volume. Just remember to unplug the guitar when you are done or it will drain the battery. Which brings me to the disadvantage. If the battery dies and you must remove the pick-guard to replace it, it can be a nightmare at a gig. Most guitars have a separate battery compartment on the back or side of the guitar, but the older models that are fitted with new active pick-ups may not.

Passive Pick-ups

Passive pick-ups are less powerful, but have more tonal options. Most songs are recorded with passive pickups. However, my favorite guitarist David Gilmore of Pink Floyd uses active pickups. It is a very tough decision that may come down to the 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 pick-ups 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: how does it 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 have any questions or would like to sign up for a lesson, please contact me.

Guitar for a Beginner Student

One of the best ways to help your son or daughter become successful in their lessons is to pick the right guitar for a beginner student. I don’t blame the parents who inadvertently chose something hard to play since parents generally don’t know what to look for in a guitar. They are just excited to get their child into lessons. But I know that without a full set up and new strings, or a new guitar, the student will not want to take guitar lessons for very long. And they will absolutely dread practicing.

Price Recommendation

I recommend spending at least $200-$300 if you are getting a new instrument-especially for younger students. If you are worried about spending the extra money for something they may not continue with, remember it is important to give them the best chance for success. Fender makes a very nice, inexpensive beginner guitar that will help make their lessons something they look forward to.

The Fender Squier is Perfect for New Students

Leila rocking her Fender Squier

Electric Guitar

To make things as fun as possible for the younger students, try a ¾ sized Fender Squier. These are perfect! As I type, Amazon has a package with a guitar, amp, picks, strap, cable, tuner, and strings for $279. This is exactly what I would recommend. For a teen or adult student, the same set up with a full-size guitar is $329. Well worth the investment and the guitars come in variety of colors. This will most certainly help their musical journey.

Acoustic Guitar

Acoustic guitars are nice, but probably the hardest to learn on. This is because the strings are so much thicker. They can begin to hurt the fingertips and be difficult to get a good tone on when starting out. If you prefer to use and acoustic, one idea would be to put light or extra light gauge strings on the guitar. This will help tremendously in giving the student a positive experience.

Guitars to Stay Away From

I am sure that First Act makes a guitar that could be decent. But in my opinion and experience, their intonation is generally off making the instrument sound out of tune. When the intonation is off, the guitar is out of tune as soon as a finger is placed on a fret. This happens even when each string has been perfectly tuned. I cannot remember ever playing a First Act guitar that sounded good. It can cost a lot of money to fix, more than the instrument is worth.

Also, by purchasing a cheap guitar, you may have to upgrade shortly thereafter anyway. This means spending even more money than would have been necessary.

Here is a link to a page where you can check out the ¾ size Squiers. Enjoy your journey, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.