What makes a great guitar teacher?

When asked the question of what makes a great guitarteacher all I can really do is tell you what questions you should ask when seeking a teacher because these are the questions that I believe are most relevant to your actual long term results. So here goes.

1. Do they use a method of teaching? Be weary of teachers who improvise their lessons each week with no obvious plan. A trademark of this kind of guitar teacher is  hand written material. It is of course appropriate for teachers to write specific notes or exercises that apply to you but it should be less than 50%. You need a teacher with a plan and hopefully one that have proven actually works.
2. Do they have a progress tracking system? This is critical. If a teacher has no system of measuring your progress it is too easy to overlook important skills. The essential skills required to learn guitar need to be constantly developed and monitored. 
3. Are there clearly defined benchmarks?  As a student you may know what songs you eventually want to play but with out some benchmarks along the way it is highly likely you will lose motivation. A good teacher will have clearly defined benchmarks to ensure you stay motivated and on track. 
4. Are they a good teacher or just a nice person? We all like people who are friendly, patient and kind. Unfortunately these qualities while important are not always enough. Some teachers are very nice people but are not effective as teachers. While they may be inspiring the student to turn up each week for a friendly chat they may not be getting results. A clue here is to check whether you feel inspired to practice each week and if the teacher honestly cares about your progress or seems more interested in winning your friendship. A good indicator is  when you say you have not practiced and the teacher says its okay. Its NOT OKAY! No practice and you are wasting your time and money unless what you are really paying for is a friend.

After more than 25 years of teaching and recruiting teachers I have found that the best teachers seem to be able to positively inspire their students. They are friendly, honest and genuinely want to see their students succeed. Great teachers see their students as a reflection of their own commitment to teaching. If their students are not passionate they question their own passion towards their teaching.

At G4 GUITAR we of course use the G4 GUITAR METHOD along with checklists to carry out this very function. There are 7 Junior levels, 3 Senior Levels plus AMEB all with certificates awarded on completion which makes it very easy for students.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us via our website at http://www.g4guitar.com.au