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There is usually great argument among guitar players on the subject of guitar teachers.

You may hear things like:

“Why do I need a teacher?”
“What makes a good teacher?”
“Why can’t I just teach myself?”
Or sometimes “I don’t need a teacher, I have natural talent”
You may also hear a statement like this: “I don’t want a teacher because I want my achievements attributed to me, and only me”

I will use this article to try and handle some of these questions and statements as well as try to give some insights into guitar tuition in general.

Firstly, lets try and define what a good teacher is supposed to be. Now, take note that this will be a WIDE definition for the purpose of discussion in this article. Everyone will have their own opinions on this point.

Lets call a good teacher someone who will dedicate time, thought and effort to help you define your musical goals, and show you the quickest, most effective route to get there, while keeping you on the right path for future growth.

As an example, if your goal is to strum the guitar and sing along, there is no point in paying someone to teach you to play classical guitar. This is not going to be the best path to get you strumming and singing. It is going to be a waste of your time, and your teachers. NOW, on the other side of the coin. If you want to develop your guitar skill to the point of virtuosity, for example, in the Jazz music genre, approaching a teacher only capable of teaching strumming and singing is not going to help you one bit in the long run.

I think the example above clearly illustrates what I am talking about.

So lets answer some questions:

“Why do I need a teacher?”

Finding a good teacher is going to help you speed up your path to your goals.

Instead of using trial and error methods to learn the guitar by yourself, a teacher will show you good technique from the outset. You will not need to waste time learning to play in a certain way only to find out some time later that your technique is not going to be able to take you towards your musical goals.

The teacher will be watching and hearing every note you play and be able to give you constructive and objective guidance. The self taught player will require a lot of discipline and effort to do the same, and many self taught players simply either don’t know, or don’t care.

A teacher will have relevant guitar instruction material available to him/her. This saves you time in searching for it and saves you money in terms of buying material yourself that you find not helpful.

Seasoned teachers can provide great experience, insights and contacts in the local music industry, and for aspirant young musicians, this can be of great help.

I could write more about this, but moving along…

“What makes a good teacher?”

For a start, see the definition above. When you evaluate teachers based on this, you will see who is in this purely because it pays the bills.

Always be asking yourself, “am I learning?”, “am I improving?”, “am I enjoying my lessons?”, “do I understand what I am being taught, and WHY I am supposed to be learning it?” “Is my teacher flexible enough in his approach to get me to where I want to be?”

Always keep an enquiring mind, but this does not mean being disruptive and arrogant in your lessons.

“Why can’t I just teach myself?”

Well you most definitely can do this, and many people have done so with great success. See the point above entitled "Why do I need a teacher" for some of the things you may potentially miss out on if you don't employ a good teacher.

Proper teachers will fast track your success and correct your inadequacies. This is their job. Some players might find themselves more than happy to carry on learning without a teacher. Again, this boils down to goals. If you want to strum, sure, you may be able to teach yourself. If you want to play classical guitar at a competitive level, maybe finding a teacher is your best option.

“I don’t need a teacher, I have natural talent”

Sure you do, and you may become accomplished using your talents. But how about employing a teacher to harness that natural talent and point you in the right direction to get to your destination as quickly as possible?

“I don’t want a teacher because I want my achievements attributed to me, and only me”

The correctness of this statement is debatable, but for the guitarist, the best one can do is to test this particular mindset.
Is this attitude working for you?
Is it getting you to where you want to be as fast as you possibly can?

If your answer is "no" to either of these, consider changing that mindset.

In conclusion, learn from the best sources you can possibly find. If the idea of structured, formal guitar lessons does nothing to float your boat, don't bother doing them, because chances are, you will get nothing out of them. If you find yourself madly craving new ideas, new instruction, new knowledge, then seek out a good teacher. Seek out as many teachers as you feel you need to get you to where you want to be (but don't over do it)

Don't be discouraged by one bad teacher, don't stick around, find a new one.

Whether or not to take guitar lessons is a very personal thing. Decide based on your needs, and let your success guide you.