Top 6 Dos and Don'ts When Teaching a Musical Instrument

Teaching is a rewarding yet challenging profession that requires constant adjustment. As teachers, we strive to create an environment where students not only learn but thrive. As both a student and teacher, I would like to share six teaching tips that I've gathered over my eight years as a student. Whether you are an experienced educator or just beginning, I hope these essential principles will assist you in becoming a more effective teacher.

Tip No. 1: Ensure The Syllabus Isn't Overly Challenging or Too Simple

It may seem obvious: don’t make lessons too hard or too easy, but it can be tricky to gauge. My experience: I started with the Suzuki Guitar Method at grade 1, and soon into grade 2, I stopped lessons. My prior teacher thought Suzuki was right for me, but I found it boring. When I moved on to grade 3, I could easily sight-read the last piece in the book. About 6 months later I started lessons with a new teacher, who, after hearing me play, said it wasn’t challenging enough. I was thrilled to find someone who understood how I felt. The Suzuki Method, designed for younger children, progressed too slowly for me at age 12.

Pay close attention to your students. If they appear bored or play a piece almost perfectly after one try, consider changing the syllabus.

Tip No. 2: Spend a Good Part of The Lesson on Technical Work

When I used to take piano lessons, my teacher focused mainly on playing pieces - neglecting technical exercises like Czerny's and Hannon's - and often skipped the technical work. I came to realize that this lack of practice made it difficult for me to play long moto perpetuo pieces and fast scale passages. Now, in my guitar lessons with one of the best guitarists in the world, we dedicate about half the time to technical work, which I realize is crucial. Good technique makes playing pieces much easier.

Tip No. 3: Ask if The Student Has Questions

It's crucial to check in regularly with students during lessons to ensure they understand the material you're covering and to give them the opportunity to ask questions. I can say from experience that while students may want to ask questions, they often don't get the chance before the lesson moves on. As teachers, it's easy to continue on with the lesson without confirming understanding. Go slowly and ensure comprehension before proceeding to avoid wasting valuable lesson time.

Tip No. 4: Don't Overwhelm The Student

Avoid overwhelming students with too much information at once. Learning new concepts takes time and should follow a logical sequence. For example, when explaining how to play ponticello on a guitar, first explain what the bridge is before saying, "we pluck close to the bridge to play ponticello." Explaining things out of order will only cause confusion, and you'll end up clarifying everything instead of teaching what you originally intended.

Tip No. 5: Demonstrate The Way You Want Your Student to Play

It's essential to demonstrate exercises and pieces at the desired tempo. If you want your student to play slowly, avoid demonstrating quickly, as they will imitate your speed. I've seen this in teaching technical work; playing quickly to illustrate a concept often leads students to rush through exercises. Even if you instruct them to "go slowly," they will still follow your demonstration.

Tip No. 6: Share Your Practice Routine With The Student

As a current classical guitar student myself, I can attest to the value of sharing your practice with your students. When my guitar teacher hosts a YouTube livestream warm-up and emphasizes the importance of playing with a metronome, anticipating the next chord shape, or demonstrates fast scales, I immediately incorporate these techniques into my own warm-ups. I play with a metronome, anticipate my next move, and work on increasing my speed. Teaching by example is truly one of the best teaching methods. If you're a good teacher, and students enjoy your classes, it's only natural for them to want to follow your example.

Conclusion

To conclude, sharing your knowledge with others through teaching is indeed very fulfilling. By ensuring that the syllabus is appropriately challenging, dedicating time to technical work, encouraging questions, avoiding information overload, and sharing your own practice routines, you can create a lesson where students feel engaged and inspired to learn.