There are literally thousands of guitar tutors across the UK offering their services. The trick is to find one that’s right for you. Successful tuition is very much dependent upon the establishment of a good relationship and rapport between student and teacher; this is a very individual matter that is partly reliant upon the personalities of both the student and the tutor and their abilities to relate to each other. This means that a tutor who may be ideal for one student may not be the perfect choice for another, so before committing to a course of lessons it is important to discuss your needs and interests fully with the tutor and perhaps book a couple of trial lessons before committing to a regular booking.

Right Style

When first contacting a tutor, ask which styles of music they specialise in. But do bear in mind that style terminology, particularly in popular music, is not 100% defined: what one person may call ‘blues’, another may think of as ‘rock’ or even ‘jazz’. So make sure you discuss your specific musical interests in detail with any potential tutor prior to booking a lesson.

You may find that many experienced tutors will teach a wide range of styles, but if you want to seriously study, for example, advanced metal guitar be cautious of someone whose main expertise appears to be classical guitar - and vice-versa.

Qualifications

If you’re looking for a specialist classical guitar tutor, a sign that they’ve undergone suitable training is if they hold a teaching diploma from one of the major music examination boards (London College of Music, Trinity/Guildhall, ASRSM). This will entitle them to append letters such as ALCM(Td), LLCM(Td) or LTCL(Td) after their name.

The same does not apply to electric guitar tutors because the only specialist electric guitar teaching diploma, LLCM(TD) from the London College of Music, has only been available for the past few years, and therefore there will be many highly skilled and experienced electric guitar tutors that have not taken this examination.

Music degrees and ‘performers’ diplomas are of course clear evidence of musical knowledge and practical ability, but are not in themselves evidence of capability and training as a tutor.

Tutor Skills

The main skill to look for in a guitar tutor is their ability to communicate information clearly and in a way that suits your needs. A good tutor should have a flexible approach that can adapt to your learning needs and interests, rather than a rigid programme of set teaching materials.

Of course, the tutor must have secure and comprehensive musical knowledge, and the ability to demonstrate techniques and pieces when necessary, but don’t confuse virtuoso players with great teachers – the two are not always the same: sometimes extremely talented players who offer lessons as a sideline can lack an understanding of why beginner students find things difficult, whereas an experienced full-time tutor may have a far greater understanding of the difficulties novice players are likely to encounter. Of course, all guitar tutors have to start somewhere and you might find that someone fresh to teaching makes up for lack of teaching experience with their keenness and enthusiasm.

Teaching Settings

Most professional guitar tutors will have dedicated and well-equipped teaching rooms at their homes where they hold lessons. The quality of these facilities is often a sign of the professionalism of the tutor and their seriousness and dedication to teaching. Alternatively, some tutors prefer to separate their teaching practice from their home and family environment and offer lessons in hired premises or music shops.

Well-prepared and carefully planned group lessons can often provide a highly effective learning environment for guitarists. These may be run as Local Authority evening classes or in private music centres. They have the advantage, over one-to-one lessons, of providing peer group support and are often less costly than individual private lessons. Many tutors will also offer guitar lessons in schools and colleges, either as one-to-one lessons or in a small group. Sometimes these lessons are subsidised by the school and so can represent good value for money, and will also save the student from the need to travel to lessons.

A small percentage of tutors do offer ‘home visits’, normally adding a small additional charge for travelling time and petrol, to the lesson fee.

Locating A Tutor

Many tutors will advertise their services individually in local music shops, the local press, guitar magazines, yellow pages type directories and on the internet. As with any service provider, a good way of finding a tutor locally is by personal recommendation from someone who’s already having lessons with that tutor.

There are numerous websites that offer listings of music tutors, but unfortunately almost none of them make any serious checks on those who apply to be included on their lists. Often such websites are little more than an internet based moneymaking advertising scheme and should be viewed with caution. One exception is the Registry Of Guitar Tutors (see the link below).

The Registry Of Guitar Tutors (RGT) is the professional body for guitar tutors in the UK and overseas. All tutors listed with the RGT have completed registration forms detailing their teaching and playing experience. References have been successfully applied for in all cases and tutors have been obliged to declare any previous criminal convictions. Details of all RGT registered tutors can be found at the RGT website.

The RGT also publishes a Directory of all registered guitar tutors that provides information about which styles are taught by each tutor and to which level. There are separate sections for electric/acoustic, bass and classical guitar tutors. Tutors are also grouped by order of County / City of residence – making it easy to find a local registered tutor near you.

Not all RGT registered tutors are featured on the RGT website: many are ‘ex-directory’ because, for example, they teach guitar full time in schools or colleges and do not offer private tuition. If you wish to confirm a tutor’s registered status you can call the RGT on 01424 222222.

Gaining A Qualification

Most RGT registered tutors offer students the opportunity to take fully accredited RGT grade examinations in either electric, bass or classical guitar. These exams range from beginner to advanced level and enable students to learn in a structured and comprehensive but flexible way, and ultimately to gain an internationally recognised qualification.

For a FREE examination syllabus contact:
Registry of Guitar Tutors
Registry Mews
11 to 13 Wilton Road
Bexhill-on-Sea
East Sussex
TN40 1HY
www.RegistryOfGuitarTutors.com
UK Tel: 01424 222222

 

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