Qualities of Good Jazz Guitar Teachers

Jazz music has its adherents and many students who sign up for learning this particular genre are already well aware of the nuances of jazz music. When they seek someone for teaching them how to play jazz guitar, they need to find one who has a good understanding of teaching as well as of the specific genre of music. Many guitar teachers often have no specialized learning in the genre but tend to take up students merely to make up the numbers. So keep a few things in mind when searching for a jazz guitar teacher.

Awareness of jazz music

If you want to learn jazz guitar, you need a teacher who knows a lot about jazz. Without this, you would just be receiving a hotchpotch of different genres, which might not be helpful in the long run. They must have a good ear, great timing and what’s more, they must be able to teach you how to develop these very essential skills. The idea is that your teacher should always know far more than you do. They must have a lot of heads memorized so that they can guide you at every point. In short, your teacher must be a veteran in jazz music, and not just a guitarist with basic knowledge of jazz.

Trained as a guitar teacher

Seek a teacher who is trained in how to teach jazz guitar. Many teachers just take on students and hope to go through the motions with the help of their knowledge. Many of them have not even learned to play the guitar formally from another teacher but have learned through trial and error. While such people can have amazing talent and are to be appreciated, it does not always follow that they would be able to teach the skills to others. Formal training and being trained in teaching will ensure that your teacher knows how to impart basic skills. There are many techniques for teaching the guitar and it is only with such training that your teacher will be able to help you during your jazz guitar classes.

Organized

A good teacher must be organized in their planning and teaching. This means being punctual whether the classes are in your home or in their studio or home. He or she must not use class time for their personal work, including attending phone calls or entertaining visitors. Remember that you are paying for their time. If you see a teacher behave like this consistently, find another teacher. A good teacher must also prepare their lessons beforehand and have a good overview of what will be completed in each lesson. They must also plan ahead on a long term basis to cover different concepts over time.

Achieving your goals

First, you need to set goals in your music learning. A good teacher will help you do this, if you are clueless or not too sure in which direction to proceed. You will need to set both your short term and long term goals and accordingly learn. It is important that you find a teacher who is able to assist you in achieving your goals by using specific teaching strategies tailored to your specific needs. Avoid teachers who use generalized teaching for all their students or force their goals upon you.

If you are living in Singapore, jazz guitar lessons are available from many sources. With the above tips, it will be easier for you to find a decent teacher who can help you along on your journey.