How Do I Find the Right Music Teacher? Here are 6 Tips to Know You’ve Found a Great Teacher
Finding the right music teacher can make a big difference in your learning experience and overall progress as a musician. It can be tricky to know whether you’ve found the right music teacher for you (or your child). Here are some tips on how to find a great music teacher:
1) Get a clear idea on why you want to start learning music (or why you’d like your child to start learning)
Before you start searching for your music teacher, think about your goals.
What you hope to achieve through music lessons? Are you looking to learn a specific instrument or style of music? Do you want to prepare for performances and auditions? Or do you want to play for fun, as a form of self-care?
Knowing what you want to gain from lessons will help you find the right teacher who can help you reach your goals. Different music teachers take different approaches to their teaching.
E.g. If you want to invest in music lessons as a form of self-care, enjoyment and fun — it would be best to find a personable, warm teacher who takes a holistic approach to their teaching.
If you want to refine your musical skills to a incredibly high level, it will be best for you to find a teacher who is classically trained, and is able to push you to improve and refine your playing.
2) Be on the lookout for a teacher who’s personality fits yours
Remember that different teachers have different personalities, and it’s important to find the right student-teacher fit.
Experience and credentials are important to consider. But one of the more unnoticed things to keep in mind when finding the right music teacher is to see if there is a good personality fit for the both of you too.
You’ll probably feel a level of ease, comfort and familiarity if you’ve got the right match. Learning music can be incredibly rewarding, but it can be quite difficult at times too. It’s important that you know whether you need gentle encouragement, or tough love, and align yourself with a teacher who will give you what you need most to thrive.
3) Consider the teacher's teaching style
Each teacher has their own teaching style, and it's important to find someone whose teaching style matches your learning style. Do they use a structured curriculum or do they customize lessons based on your individual needs? Do they focus on technique, theory, or both?
The best teachers are able to take an integrated approach where they collaborate with students to know what they are passionate about, alongside working through structured curriculums.
Learning is always more rewarding when it’s driven intrinsically. Teachers who take a student-focused approach often find that students perform better, and find their lessons (and practicing) more enjoyable.
4) Look for good communication skills
A great teacher should be able to communicate clearly and effectively with you. They know when you need encouragement. They should be able to provide constructive feedback and explain concepts in a way that is easy to understand.
They should also be open and honest with you if they feel like you’re working on a piece that might need a little bit of a break (e.g. if it’s too complex and they can see that you’re demotivated). Great music teachers are intuitive in their approach and assertive in their communication.
5) Think about your logistics. Where is the music studio located? Can you find a time in your schedule that aligns?
Consider the teacher's location and availability. Are they located close to you? Do they have availability that works with your schedule? This can be the tricky part, as some of the best teachers’ schedules leave little flexibility as they are in demand.
And a kids have a lot of different extracurricular activities on after school too! It might take a little bit of shuffling, a little bit of patience and perhaps even a little bit of magic to find a time in the schedule that aligns for both you/your kids and your music teacher.
6) Schedule a trial lesson
Finally, schedule a trial lesson to see if the teacher is a good fit for you! This will give you an opportunity to meet the teacher in person, ask questions, and get a sense of their teaching style and approach. Remember that it might take a little bit of time to find a teacher who you “click” with. But it’s worth the patience and time.
Learning music isn’t like a concert you attend one time, it’s an on-going discipline and artistic investment that is best over a longer period of time. And you want to make sure that you’re working with a teacher who makes you feel supported, celebrated, challenged (to a healthy degree) and more passionate about investing time to practice.
Overall, finding the right music teacher can take a bit of time, research and effort, but it's totally worth it. It’s important to go the extra mile to find the right music teacher who can help you achieve your musical goals and guide you in your learning journey.
