So, I wanna be a teacher...

[embellisher]

I have been playing for 30 years, and have played many styles of music from country, to rock, metal, alternative, funk, punk, prog rock, pop, oldies, classic rock, urban gospel, southern gospel, contemporary Christian, etc.

I have a good grasp of theory, even though I am 100% self taught, with a little help from Guitar Player and Bass Player articles, and these forums.

My small town has a mom & pop music store, and they are looking for somebody to teach electric bass. I have only had 1 student, and that is Grace. See the thread in Basses for info on that.

So, I would like to try my hand at teaching, but want to do it the right way.

I need advice from all of the teachers out there.

What do I use for curriculum? Write my own lessons, or pick a good series of method book and use that, and 'embellish' it a little with my own experience and insight.

And, what does it take to be a good teacher? How do I know if I have what it takes?

Also, if I do this, and a kid brings in a CD wanting to learn a song by his bass hero, should I do that, or stick with formal lessons?

Any and all advice is much appreciated!

[N.F.A.]

Check your PM

[rythmicillusion]

I've taught guitar, bass and drums in a private lesson center for about 3 years now. The management is somewhat similar to your environment; you're essentially free to create the curriculum.

At first, I found this quite daunting. There are SO many pathways to learning an instrument and music, and so much to explore within each of those realms.

Considering that the vast majority of my students are tweens or teens and novices, I try my best to have them leave the lesson feeling happy and like they learned SOMETHING. I try to point out anything that could be potentially harmful (bad posture and technique mostly). I can become a bit of a disciplinarian if a student is REALLY motivated to learn something very specific.

To address your questions right on...

1) If you are fond of particular method books, they can really help provide structure. I like how they introduce topics slowly and have little musical snippets to keep the student motivated.

In terms of stuff that you create, you'll soon find what is necessary. For example, I have a routine for when a student expresses interest in understanding time...we start with pulse, then into subdivision, then into meter, always trying to keep it fun or at the least tolerable.

2)I can usually feel out when a lesson is going good and when it is not. One of those "give it a few weeks and you'll know what I mean" type scenarios.

You can also use outside sources. You might want a fellow teacher to sit in on a few lessons to observe for you, but then this can throw off the chemistry of the lesson. Recording and listening back to lessons might work if you ask the right questions.

3) As for learning from CDs...YES! You're growing your vocabulary, ears and chops all at once!

[derekd]

I have an M.Ed., run a biz that teaches sports and activities to kids, and have taught guitar p/t for a number of years. Recently have gotten roped into teaching bass to kids trying to make their MS and HS jazz ensembles.

I use my guitar teacher's method, which is very well laid out, but let the student pick the tunes we work with. Since the few bass students I have are specifically interested in jazz, Ed Frieland's book, along with Tim Ferguson's (who I have worked with, so familiar with it) are primary resources. The kids buy Ed's book to work from.

So for me, nothing gets taught without a tune for context, and really, don't care what tunes they want to play. You always can find a way to teach basic theory, technique and reading along the way. The reason I have acquiesced to teaching bass (not my primary instrument) is due to a lack of teachers in the area. I applaud your willingness to assist the next generation of players. Good luck with it.

[MalcolmAmos]

My background is teaching, however, not music. For what it is worth I offer the following:

You need a lesson plan of some sort. No need to re-invent the wheel, yes use a couple of the how to play books already out there. beginner, intermediate or advanced. Listen to what the student wants and then grab one of them as a guide. I bow to the music teachers on using the book itself with the student. My instructor had typed excerpts that he gave for homework assignments. They could have been original thought, or not. My point, you need some structure grab a lesson plan from the how to books that you like.

Kids are used to being lectured to and will accept a cookie cutter lesson. Adults, however, will want more say so in what they are being taught. Both want to be able to go home and say; "Look what I can do".

I leave the rest to the professionals.

Have fun.

[embellisher]

Thanks for the replies so far!

Anybody else got any input or advice for me?

[Sathington W.]

I'm a professional bass student.
From the viewpoint of a well versed student, all I have to say is this: bass (pun intended) your lessons on each individual student's goals. I've taken lessons from instructors with a strict curriculum, and lessons from those who accommodate my desires, and the latter is hands down the way to go. I get a lot more out of instructors who level with me and ask the question "what do YOU want to learn?" If a student is in it to become a serious musician, then I would assign some tasks, but for hobby, or perhaps because their parents make them, I would recommend teaching them song by song, definitely of their choice, and sneaking in followable explanations of the theory behind the music. They learn, and enjoy themselves.

[J. Crawford]

I still smile big when I think of the Grace thread, and story.. Awesome story.

Just remember, being a teenager, I know as a fact, that starting out by teaching a student a bunch of songs, then expecting them to just sit and learn theory wont work.

My teacher made me learn songs for about a year (I know, me and my parents didnt know any better), and the he expected me to learn theory in a week.

Start on a song, learn it, then teach the theory in the song.

If there are nya questions you have for a teenager who has taken various lessons for years, PM me. Im on here wayyy too much!

[EADG mx]

A huge question that seems to pop up here a lot

What do you think you should be teaching?

[Billnc]

Teach how music works, it's nothing more than chords, scales, arpeggios and rythm. Every student should be able to walk a line and play and understand chord changes. The student should be able to transpose to any key. Tabs are not a good teaching tool, the student should be able to read music. Armed with a few years study they will be able to play anything.

[beelzelboss]

So, as a student and not a teacher I've had both ways of learning. I learned guitar formal, I can read theory and play classical guitar. Took one year of lessons, as it was very structured around one year. (it was a class in school!).

For bass, I was taught by the typical, what do you want to learn how to play? The only time we didn't do that was for about the 4 or 5 lessons. That was teaching me correct technique and stuff like that, after that it was learning how to play songs I wanted to learn. Only every once in a blue moon thats what he did was teach me a little bit about timing to just understand it and major scales. That was it as far as theory. I like both ways, but it really depends on what they want. What happened with me is now later that I want to progress more with my bass playing I would like to learn theory... Self teaching is a lot harder than I thought.

Thats jus tmy advice though. It really depends on what they want.

~Craig

[electracoyote]

I have 25 students, my retention rate is close to three years, and I have a waiting list about 35 deep. Not bragging, just the facts. There is so much a good teacher should be able to offer. I don't focus on any one aspect, but I spread the lesson across the board. I insist my students younger than 17 develop formal music skills such as sight reading in standard notation, theory, scales, dynamics, etc. I also teach more intuitive aspects, developing your ear, playing your favorite song, tablature. It's interesting how those two dimensions can influence and support each other. A more intuitive player can learn formal stuff better, and a formally trained student can apply it to the more intuitive stuff. At any rate, it works for me, keeps my students interested and on their toes, and parents love me. I also have a cool system of rewards and encouragement for my students. With adults, I let them call the shots more. Most just want to play, they don't care about the long-term stuff like scales and modes. My adults have great work ethics, and the reward is more intrinsic for them. For the first time in their lives, some of my adults are real musicians who play for friends and family and end up joining bands. And there's the next component: Providing real-world applications. When students become good enough to play for friends and family, they should be encouraged to play in performance situations. I hook up with a local piano teacher and we have a yearly recital. This is an incredible motivator.

Get in there and be creative! With 30 years under your belt, you probably have a lot to offer. You'll need to explore the wide, wide world of text books, learning materials, and incentives. Build your reputation slowly, one student at a time. And always be the perfect example of patience. I have students that drive me crazy for one reason or another, but if I even hint at my frustration or disappointment, the word spreads. You are providing a service, these people are your clients, and you need to keep that relationship polite and professional, as it should be.

Good luck!