Knowing what you know now wouldn't you want a coach?

So you have now been playing guitar for let's say 5 years, 10 years, 20 years. The time doesn't really matter because we both know that if you could go back and talk to yourself as a beginner guitarist you would offer some very sound advice on how to avoid many of the the mistakes you have made along the way to guitar mastery. This is what often frustrates us as guitar teachers. We see students making the same silly mistakes we made. Perhaps it's their technique or their impatience to learn new songs or the weak excuses they make about not having enough time to practice or just the lack of self discipline. We know that given our time over we could work a lot smarter and probably get to the same level we are now in half the time. I know I certainly could.

Same mistakes, different day.

Here is the thing. If you are starting out as a guitar teacher chances are you are repeating your mistakes all over again. You are likely trying to teach yourself how to be a successful teacher and small business operator believing you have all the answers when the truth is in 5 years you will look back to see all the time you wasted telling yourself "If only I knew then what I know now." You can be forgiven the first time around because you didn't know any better but now as a guitar teacher you are actually promoting the benefits of a coach/mentor. The problem is if you are not seeking out coaching for your teaching and business. You are not practicing what you preach.

If you want to save yourself a lot of time and get your teaching business right the first time get a coach. Seriously. Go and find a business coach right now before you do anything else. Don't waste the next 5 years.

David J Hart.
www.g4guitaronline.com

Are you losing more than 5% of your guitar students in the first year?

In the last 12 months what percentage of your guitar students stopped coming to lessons? 10%, 20%, 50%, 100%. What were the reasons? Did they tell you they could no longer afford the lessons? Perhaps they just didn't have time to practice. Or was it that they simply didn't have the passion? I bet that in just about every case you were able to claim that their reasons had little or nothing to do with you. What if I told you that 95% of your students who quit did so because of you? That's a pretty serious accusation but its actually good news because it means you can do something about it. You are responsible for the success of almost every student who signs up with for 3 important reasons which are as follows; 1. Induction. When you first speak to a potential student what you say at this point will play a big part and whether they succeed long term. You should be honest about what it takes in terms of practice and long term commitment. If they are a child you should make it clear to parents what is expected of them. If there is any doubt or hesitation from the student you should explain that anyone can learn guitar but to do so they need to make a commitment from the start. This process will reduce around 50% of your drop outs. 2. Your program. Too many guitar teachers take the approach that they will teach the student what they want to learn and this in most cases backfires. When teachers do this they are sending a clear message to their student that they have no program. Students quickly realise that the teacher has no plan so they quit. Students want teachers with a plan. 3. The teacher misses the signs. Every student will show early signs of an impending decision to quit. Successful teachers know to look out for the signs and address them early. The strongest sign is a reduction in practice. It always surprises me how many teachers don't ask students to keep a practice log. This is an important early warning system for the teacher. When a student reduces or stops practicing and the teacher is aware they can ask questions and find out why and then take steps to get their student back on track before its too late. The above 3 will eliminate 95% of your student dropouts but more importantly they will ensure the success of your students and therefore you as a teacher.

What can guitar teachers learn from pilots?

As a teacher and student I have always found it useful to study how people learn in different areas. Pilots are a good example because unlike most skills it can be life or death. If teaching guitar was akin to flying it would be somewhat like knowing that if one of your students failed it would be potentially fatal for both you and your students. While obviously not that serious being able to produce successful students is the goal of every guitar teacher so its worthwhile looking at the pilot's training manual. What I noticed immediately was pilots used simulators. This allowed them to gain valuable experience without putting lives at risk. When they had gained enough simulated experience they could begin to fly real planes with the assistance of an instructor. Guitar teachers I realised rarely if ever did simulations of any kind. Ironically they would practice guitar for hours every day but would never rehearse their teaching. They would simply learn on the job but the problem with this is it doesn't allow you to hit the pause button and analyse the situation. Pilots will practice a manoeuvre on a simulator over and over again. Taking off could be compared to conducting a first lesson. Practicing what to do and say will ensure a smooth delivery. I began holding weekly sessions with teachers going through simulations and the performance of those teachers dramatically improved. They lost far less students and their confidence as teachers increased dramatically. Aviation is just one example. As teachers we should always be scanning successful industries to see how they get results.

www.g4guitaronline.com

You need a plan for learning guitar.

When it comes to learning a skill like guitar this is best achieved using a clear structured plan for a very simple reason. There are many different styles of music and of course many ways to play a guitar but the fundamentals are much the same. A clear structured plan is a way of learning that will reliably bring about a result and ensure the fundamentals are being developed. For beginners this is the best way to learn because having no plan is risky. Very risky. By starting with a clear structured plan and reaching lets say an early intermediate level you can then begin to focus on your favorite style. Often when experienced students enquire about lessons with me they are motivated by frustration. They feel like they are not getting anywhere. A structured method of learning solves this problem. If you are learning guitar without a plan I would recommend seeking one out. If you are a beginner it is best to start with a recognised method of learning. At the very least divide your time between a structured method of learning guitar and what I like to call random learning.
www.g4guitarmethod.com

Do you hate your job?

Your job may very well be shortening your life by years. In the book 'The blue zones' the author presents the latest scientific research on longevity. One of the strongest indicators of early death is prolonged stress and for many this kind of stress is the result of their work. Working long hours is not a problem if you enjoy what you do. It only becomes a problem when the job becomes stressful for long periods. Everyday I speak to people who want to start their own teaching business not so much because of the lure of self employment but to escape the stress of their current job. It seems that the more their job pays the harder it is to leave. My advice is simple. Your stressful job will likely shorten your healthy years of life by about 10 years. Throwing in your job might mean you lose the house, the car and your current lifestyle but you will adjust. Now focus all your energy on building your happy life. Study business and within 1 to 2 years you will be earning the same money as your job but you will be doing something you enjoy. You will look forward to getting out of bed everyday and best of all you will have another 10 years or more to enjoy life.

Http://www.g4guitarmethod.com

Take your guitar teaching online

Teaching guitar or any musical instrument has really not changed in hundreds of years. Students typically find a local teacher, book in a lesson and meet the teacher face to face once a week. Well this model is changing and changing fast. In the 90s our social life was something we did primarily in person. Today we mostly socialize online via Facebook etc. Learning online is only just starting but it will become the norm in the next 5 years or so. You only have to look at how much the Internet has already impacted on our lives. I believe the only thing slowly down online lessons from exploding is the technology and people's general confidence. Skype and Google video are good enough now on most computers but not all but it won't be long before its 99% reliable. Teachers who I speak say they are not sure how to teach an online lesson so this presents a confidence issue. Students are keen to try but they just don't know where to find the reliable online teachers. There is still a trust issue which I am sure we will work out very soon. I have successfully been teaching online since 2009 and I am now helping other teachers to do the same. If you are looking to take your teaching online please feel free to email me. g4guitar1@gmail.com

How much do your students spend on learning guitar?

Your average student will spend $1000 or more this year on learning guitar. Your students knows this is money well spent because your lessons will in fact saved them possibly hundreds of wasted hours spent in inefficient practice methods. As an experienced guitarist you can help your students avoid the mistakes you made. So how about you? Are you studying teaching? Business? Marketing? Are you investing in your education to avoid expensive mistakes or to increase you income and efficiency? When I started teaching back in the 80's my teaching methods were based on what I had learnt from my own teachers. This included guitar teachers, drum teachers, school teachers, football coaches as well as my parents and family members. I was a teenager at the time and had spent my life being coached so I was an expert right? The sad truth is that once I left school my education came to a halt and this happens to most of us. We think because we can play guitar we can teach it and even worse we believe we are natural born business people. My family were in business so I definitely had an advantage but once I left home my education stopped and it wasn't until I found my business in serious financial trouble that I began to seek out coaches. Let me tell you this made all the difference. Like our students we need to always be learning and seeking out coaches. Self taught teachers are like self taught guitar students. A select few manage to succeed (usually the hard way) but most fail. 95% of small businesses fail but those who have a coach or mentor tend to be in the 5% who succeed. I think as teachers we owe it to our students to be continually learning and this means investing in successful coaches.

Teaching guitar using a system.

Guitar teachers tend to fall into two camps. Those who teach using a system and those who do not. I belong to those who use a system of teaching guitar but it wasn't always the case. For over a decade I would teach each student by asking them what they were interested in and then filling in the gaps. This definitely works for those teachers with years of experience but for the most part it pales in comparison to using a system. The reason a system of teaching guitar is so effective is because it is usually based on a proven strategy. The idea of any system is to have a reliable series of steps that when taken give a consistent result. The beauty of a system is it can be improved upon. Once I started teaching via a system I began to see consistent results from my students and each small improvement to the system meant an improvement in student results. You might then ask why teachers would operate without system. In short it's because creating and developing a system takes time. Time that most teachers do not have. I took 2 years off to create and design my system initially and even then it was only half completed. It then took another year of actually teaching and tweaking to get it right. I am still making small improvements but only as required.
www.g4guitarmethod.com

Our guitar students want results.

This might seem like an obvious statement but I have witnessed on many occasions teachers who make form good friendships with their students yet they fail to get results. It is easy to get off track in a lesson an find yourself talking about unrelated subjects. It's also possible to over look the fact that your students are not practicing enough. As teachers we justify it by believing that it's up to the student to do their guitar practice. The fact is when your students don't practice they fail which means you in turn have failed as a teacher. It's important to remember that your students are not paying you to be their friend. Friendship should always be an add on to good teaching and good teaching is measured in terms of results.

How to find guitar students on the Internet via niches

Teaching guitar is really about niches compared to most instruments. Think about how many different music styles have been explored and even founded on guitar. When I think of its cousin violin the two seem on almost opposite poles. Guitar really does not belong primarily to any one style whereas violin belongs mostly (not exclusively) to classical music. This means that when it comes to marketing your brand of guitar lessons online you should seek out your niche or niches. For instance I am a fan of Steve Lukather like many others but I am also a big fan of Dave Gilmour. By combining the two I have found a niche. The Lukather/Gilmour niche. I could narrow it even further of course by focusing a certain aspect of their guitar playing like honing in on Gilmour's song writing rather than just his general playing. There are an endless number of niches and if you start with the ones that excite you and make some YouTube videos your audience will find you

Why every guitar teacher should have a blog.

I have been writing separate blogs for guitar students and guitar teachers for some years. I must admit I was in two minds going on and off blogging for the first few years. I couldn't really see any value in it. I first begun to change my opinion when I went through a phase of daily blogging and then stopped due to travel. In the following days I received messages from guitar students telling me they missed my blogs. Around the same time I found the stats section on my blogger account and was shocked to see that I was getting up to 500 people a day reading my various blogs with the total number of hits just shy of 100,000. I couldn't really explain it nor did I understand what it meant but what hit me was the fact that I had an audience and that was worth something. If you teach guitar And want to establish a voice blogging is a worthwhile exercise. Blogging is a good option because it's easy. I use an App on my iPod called BlogPress and it allows me to post quickly and easily anytime. So instead of doing nothing when I am sitting on a train or waiting at an airport I can write a blog. Plus you never know when an idea for a blog will come.

Your ideal guitar student

When you first begin teaching you are basically happy to teach anyone. I remember the excitement of enrolling new students in those early days and thinking that I was going to be fully booked in no time. I would enroll 2 to 3 new students a week mostly due to the fact that I had experience in sales. I did eventually fill my schedule but many of my students weren't practicing and I soon found myself feeling like a failure. The problem was I had been accepting anyone and trying to please everyone.

Successful teachers are clear about what their ideal student looks like. They can describe them in detail and as a result all their students will fit or be close to this description. But I should make it clear that they don't turn away students who aren't ideal. They simply have standards that students have to meet and their strength is communicating those standards and ensuring their students live up to them. If not that's when they politely recommend another teacher.

http://www.g4guitarmethod.com

Why group teaching is better than private

The power of social influence. There is no evidence to show that students who learn privately do better. Private lessons can be helpful in certain situations when a student is just not keeping up but in this case you can offer a one off private lesson for that student. Social influence on the other hand is well documented. We like to keep up with the Jones's. If you set a pace of learning to your groups students in most cases will keep up. You should also employ team work mentality so that students help each other. 

Going viral.  A popular term these days for ideas that spread quickly. When you teach in groups your reputation spreads quickly. When students are learning in groups they feel they are part of something and become excited and want to spread the word. They are more likely to tell their friends and even invite their friends to join them. Private students don't invite friends because the lesson is private. 

Time efficiency. When you teach only 15 to 20 hours a week you can earn several times more than teachers who teach full time. More money means a healthier business. With plenty of cash you can find a good studio in a good location with great facilities.  You can do more for your students. Cash poor operations sweat on every dollar and rarely give much back. You also get more spare time. This is time you can use to become a better guitarist and fulfil your own musical aspirations or you could use this time to become a better teacher. So often I hear from teachers who say they don't have time. The problem is not lack of time as we all get the same 24 hours a day, its the way they structure their time. Teaching privately is like playing concerts to one person at a time. It's an inefficient use of time.

Price point. The average private teacher charges $35 per 30 minute lesson. Group lessons in comparison can be $20 to $25.  What people seek is value and if your price is lower you will get more inquiries and eventually more students providing you can deliver.

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2. www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

   
   

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My ultimate strategy for teaching guitar

The following strategy is my ultimate plan for guitar teacher success and its based on group teaching.

Set your group lesson times. I suggest you teach 3 days a week. Don't teach on Mondays as there are too many public holidays and Fridays people are signing off for the week or going away. Pick from on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. You should split your groups into 3 age groups. Juniors, Teens and Adults. Junior groups 4pm and 6pm, teens 6pm to 7pm and adults 7.30pm onwards. All ow yourself a break from 7pm to 7.30pm.

Start with a 5 week private introduction. Enrol new students for a 5 week private course to introduce them to the method and build rapport. Prime them for group lessons. Once completed introduce them into a group. If they cannot fit into a suitable group time simply explain that you do not have any other options. Stick to your group times. Think of it like a bus timetable. These are the times you teach and students will need to work out their week around your schedule. Students who were impressed by your 5 week intro will fit in.

Spend the rest of your time marketing. To get the numbers you will need to build your groups you will need to do lots of local marketing. Doing local letterbox flyers is somewhat of a safe option but will require lots of walking. Talking to local businesses, schools, attending fetes, joining committees or business groups can also help. Look for opportunities to do shared marketing. E.g. A double-sided flyer with you on one side and a local business on the other.

That's it!

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How to know if your student is overloaded.

When teaching students guitar it is important not to overload them with too much information. A quick and easy way to work out whether you have given them too much is to ask them at the end of each lesson to tell you what they need to practice. Be careful not to say "Do you know what to do?" because they will often say yes but walk out confused or overwhelmed. Ask them to show you.

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2. www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

   
   

   If you have a question please contact me via the email below.
5. Contact: My email address is g4guitar1@gmail.com

Judge students by their actions not words

Most call me an optimist but when it comes to students I assume the worst. Not in the sense of their ability or potential but in terms of their commitment. You only have to look at the statistics and you will see what I mean. For example 98% of people who go on diets to lose weight give up within 12 months and soon return to the original weight or worse. The same can be said about gym memberships and just about anything else that requires a daily commitment for life. I can say that in my early years of teaching my success with students was probably not much better but I was certainly not happy about it even if it was the accepted norm.


Guitar teachers are the rare exception
As guitar teachers we are obviously in the 2% of guitar students who stuck it out. We are not like most students. Something caused us to stick with it where most give up. I am sure like myself you had your moments but somehow you made it to that critical tipping point where giving up was no longer a consideration. Because of this very fact we can easily be over optimistic about our students. Where you are unlikely to question your commitment to guitar they probably do it on a weekly basis. Try stepping into their shoes for a moment. A good way to do this is to think about something that you have recently taken up. It might be a new fitness regime, a new band or even teaching guitar. If for example you are new to teaching guitar chances are you are questioning whether you are really cutout to be a teacher. This is how your students feel and when you can feel what they feel you will be more aware, better prepare and less likely to lose students.


Don't be fooled
Many students will roll up to their lesson looking motivated and keen to learn but this can be misleading so don't be fooled. The best way to avoid being fooled by their positive mask is firstly to look at what they do rather than what they say. In other words are they committed to their lessons and turn up on time every week usually a few minutes so they can warm up in your waiting room? Are they filling in their practice log with at least 30 minutes 5 days a week? When you are focusing on these indicators you will have a much more accurate picture and you can address the reasons why.


Our job as teachers
Our job is simply to teach students to play guitar. That is why they pay us and if they don't get results they will soon realise the lessons are a waste of time. Results will only come from committed practice so your highest priority is to ensure your students are practicing. 

1. 1. G4 GUITAR Teacher Network
   2. www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

      
      

      If you have any questions please contact me via the email below.
   5. Contact: My email address is g4guitar1@gmail.com

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The customer (guitar student) is not always right

Consistency is a big issue for many people and usually explains why they have not reached their goals to date. This is especially true of adults who likely had a dream to learn guitar since childhood. If you call them on their inability to commit they will either stop lessons or will become loyal students. Either way you win. You don't want students who keep cancelling because both you and they lose. You lose time, money and reputation and they are unlikely to ever achieve their goals. If they can't manage a 30 minute weekly lesson I doubt they are going to be consistently putting in daily practice. 

Your aim should always be to get results 

Telling students what we expect of them may seem counterintuitive to our 'Customer is always right' culture. We are taught that we should be listening to our customers and then delivering what they want. Students are paying you to learn guitar period. They are not paying for your time or friendship or even your wisdom. They are paying for results. To achieve this there are certain actions they need to take. If they are not taking those actions you need to make it clear that you can't accept their money under false pretences. They will at the very least respect you for your honesty and if they stop their lessons they will do so for the right reasons. They will almost always stop because they realise you are right and they will usually be grateful but the reality is most will not stop. Most will realise you are something special as a teacher and will continue.

You students are a reflection of you

When you are honest and genuine about the importance of consistency you end up with students who progress and reach their goals. As a consequence your students are more loyal and will spread your name. Your reputation will spread quickly in the community because your students will be doing it for you in terms of verbally spreading the word but more importantly via their ability to actually play guitar. I can't begin to explain how good it feels when all your students are practicing, filling in their practice logs and eagerly turning up to lessons each week. Conversely having 30 or 40 students who are inconsistent and constantly making excuses is soul destroying but remember your students are a reflection of you.

1. G4 GUITAR Teacher Network
2. www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

   
   

   If you have any questions please use email below.
5. Contact: My email address is g4guitar1@gmail.com

Consistency should be your highest priority

Students who are inconsistent will rarely succeed. Teachers should put student consistency ahead of money at all times. If your students are not consistent and you keep accepting their fees you are making money the higher priority. This will ultimately backfire. You might try and justify it by using quotes like 'You can bring a horse to water but you can't make him drink'. This may be so but you should only charge the horse if he actually drinks. If you are accepting money from students knowing they are inconsistent and unlikely to succeed you need to take action. 

"I can't make my lesson because I have to work" again....

What is the real reason your student can't make their lesson? Is it because they have to work overtime or study for a big exam? I think anyone who goes to the trouble and expense of buying a guitar signing up for lessons truly wants to be able to play guitar. The problem is that there is another little voice in their head pulling them in different directions. Perhaps they really wants to play guitar but work or school seem to get in the way. They rationalise that their job pays for guitar lessons and everything else. This means that when it comes to deciding between job/school and guitar the guitar will lose out every time. But is deciding between work and guitar really the issue?

Guitar v screen time 

Most of these same students probably spend 4 to 5 hours a day on a screen whether it be TV or PC. The choice should not be between guitar or work but should be between guitar or screen time. In this case I simply say to students "To be successful on guitar you need to be first and foremost consistent. You need to be able to allocate time to daily practice and a regular weekly lesson. Can we have a look at your schedule and see if we can work something out?" At this point I will go through their week day by day until we have decided on a schedule they can stick with. I will then talk about what will happen in that unlikely event that they get called away for work or have a big exam. In most cases its just a matter of planning ahead.

Eliminate all excuses

My single aim is to eliminate all excuses and ensure the student makes each and every lesson and practices 5 to 7 days a week for 30 minutes minimum. I am relentless on this point. If I have exhausted every option (which is rare) I will explain to the student that its best that they stop lessons for now. I point out that I can't continue to take their money. It just doesn't feel right but whenever they feel they are ready to commit to consistent practice and weekly lessons I would be more than happy to try again.

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2. www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

   
   

   If you have any questions please contact me via the email below.
5. Contact: My email address is g4guitar1@gmail.com

 

Talk about how inconsistency affects your student not you...

So here is the scenario. Student rings up to cancel their first appointment so you say no problem, lets just start next week. Student calls the next week and asks if they can do a different day. You agree and they turn up for their first lesson. Following week they again cancel. You are getting frustrated so you decide to tell the student that they need to be more consistent because teaching is your main job and when they cancel lessons you lose money or miss out on booking other students who may be waiting to enrol in their time.


What's wrong with above?


When we talk about what we are losing we are attempting to make the student feel guilty which is rarely a good strategy. You should always talk about their loss for two very good reasons. 


1. It makes sense to them


When you explain that their inability to make a regular lesson means they will fail to progress they will almost always realise you are right. If on the other hand you say it affects your income or inconveniences you in some way they may fall into line out of guilt or even fear of upsetting you but they are more likely to just stop coming. It certainly won't help your relationship with your student.


2. It shows you care


Your higher purpose should always be to ensure your students are consistent because consistency means progress. When students can't commit to your program it usually means they are unlikely to be practicing so you have a moral obligation to explain your concerns.  Money is important to you sure but you should only be accepting money from students who you believe will succeed. You have a right to be paid if you are a good teacher who gets results but when you tell your students that their inconsistency is affecting your income you are sending them the wrong message. 

1. 1. G4 GUITAR Teacher Network
   2. www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

      
      

      If you have any questions please contact me via the email below.
   5. Contact: My email address is g4guitar1@gmail.com

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Guitar teacher policies and why they are important

When students don't pay or you need to chase them for money or they missed lessons and don't pay for those lessons or are constantly changing times  its costing not just you but the rest of your students. When your policies are too soft something has to pay. You either end up compensating via a loss in income or you work more hours (less income per hour) or you need to raise your prices which means other students are paying more than they should. The end result for many teachers is frustration or in some case they simply stop teaching altogether. The worst result of all is to continue working long hours for what amounts to a junior shop assistant's wages. 

Your policies should be fair and clear for everyone. Policies should be adhere to except in the following 3 cases.

1. Teacher is at fault. If you have made a mistake of any kind you need to be flexible. E.g. If you told a student the wrong time then you need to replace that lesson at no cost.

2. First timers. I believe in giving students the benefit of the doubt. Always explain your policies from the outset but the first time they overlook one of your policies its best to be flexible but make it clear that next time the policy will be enforced.

3. Genuine excuse. There are times when people have a genuine excuse. Perhaps they were in a serious car accident, they suddenly fell ill etc. In these cases take into consideration their track record. If they are someone who seems to have a lot of very genuine excuses it might be time to insist on payment.

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2. 
   
3. If you have any questions please contact me via the email below.
6. Contact: My email address is g4guitar1@gmail.com