Learning Guitar in NYC: Tips & Considerations For Selecting the Best Guitar Teacher for your child
One quick Google search will make you realize how daunting and overwhelming it can be to find a guitar teacher anywhere, let alone in NYC! Learning guitar can be incredibly rewarding, but finding the right guitar teacher can almost be as hard as finding the right apartment. So many things go wrong, and we’d love to help.
After you sift through all the craziness, you’ll see there are countless guitar teachers in NYC to choose from. What technique do you want to learn? What style? There are so many things to think about! Here are some tips and considerations to help find the best guitar teacher for your needs:
Goals
Before choosing a guitar teacher, it's important to think about what’s important for your child. What kind of music are they interested in? Do they respond more to folk or rock, classical or jazz? Are there any musicians they look up to? Are they looking to practice daily or to add it to a busy week as a fun skill to work on? You don’t always have to know the exact answer to all of these questions, but it’s a great start that can help you pick a teacher.
Experience
Look for a guitar teacher who has the experience you’re looking for. They don’t necessarily need to have a masters in music, sometimes having an active performing musician as teacher is even better! They are in the loop with the latest info in the industry, are actively passionate about playing and may not mind working with an absolute beginner ;) Finding someone who’s great with kids is also super important. Working with an organization (like Blue Balloon!) who vets their teachers and does all of the leg work for you can be an easy way to get started.
Style
It's important to find a teacher who is a good match for your personality and learning style. Chemistry is a huge part of what can make your lessons successful! Some people think they need the teacher to be the driving force behind the lessons. But if the strict structure is a turn-off, finding a teacher with an empathetic, student-driven style is a great direction to lean toward.
Communication
Finally, make sure to choose a guitar teacher who is not only fun and passionate, but also someone who “speaks your child’s language.” Teaching is a fluid, non-universal art, and it’s important for you to find a teacher who can read what works and doesn’t work for your child.
The most important thing – you should feel comfortable and excited about your family’s lessons! If something doesn’t feel like the right fit, go back to the drawing board and work with a different teacher. There’s no reason you should stick with a teacher who isn’t a fit. And when in doubt, you can always reach out to the Blue Balloon team – we’re always here to help you find the right teacher for your family!
