To teach lessons, or not to teach lessons..

[santucci218]

I work in a music store fixing guitars and basses and what not. I also do sales. I have worked here about three years now. I have a specific customer whom, since first hearing me play, has always asked me for lessons. Just today he came in for a quick neck adjustment and we got to talking. He brought in a little blues jazz book to show me and ask some questions. He left after the repair and our conversation.

Right before I closed the store today he called me and really stressed how much he wanted lessons from me. I told him I would think about it and call him back.

Let me put a few background notes in here.

-I am 21 years old
-He is in his 40's
-He has a small learning disability


The age right off the bat makes it a little awkward for me.

I obviously never taught a traditional lesson. I share my musical outlook with friends and such, but never give formal, set lessons. He seems genuinely interested in bass, but I feel his outlook on it is a bit, lost. He likes blues and such. I like progressive metal and classical and such.


What it comes down to is this. He really likes me as a person and musician. He likes the way I explain things. I feel that if he paid me 80 dollars a month, he would be happy with his results from the lessons. In that aspect, I do want to teach him.

The reasons I don't want to teach him are that I have never taught formally before. I don't know how to read music. I do not have a degree like EVERY music teach I ever had.

What do you guys think? Also, he took lessons with the bass instructor at my work, and became super frustrated because the guy just wouldn't relax. Again, he has a learning disability. It just takes him a little more time to get things. Analogies and such seem to help him, but this specific teacher didnt get that. He was trying to make him into the player he wanted him to be, instead of what the guy actually wanted to learn..

OPINIONS!?

[JimmyM]

ordinarily i'd say no, but since he has a learning disability and relates to you, maybe i'd consider it.

[MarkMcBass]

I havent taught bass formally either..BUT I teach A LOT of martial arts and have been doing it for years, so I know a thing or two about teaching. You seem like a damn good bassist so you probably should! But with my teaching experiences, I can tell you that what you DO NOT wanna do is try teaching on the fly. Make a lesson plan for the day before you show up at the lesson, at least a loose lesson plan with a few things you wanna go over. Trust me if you show up thinking "okay this is a beginner class, I can do this sh*t in my sleep, I can teach this stuff easy!", its not gonna happen. Youll end up freezing up thinking "hmm..I KNOW I wanted to cover blah blah but..I got my ideas mixed up and skipped something I shouldve taught before I taught him this.." or you may leave the lesson kicking yourself cause you JUST thought of something you shouldve covered and didnt think of it at the time. So defintely dont leave anything to chance, make an organized lesson plan..you always have time to change things a day before! Another thing, if he asks a question, first put him in a situation where he may have to solve the problem himself, then correct him accordingly (socratic method) ask more questions (that you know already) to him and he may find answers himself! If not you give them to him..you have him thinking hard though..which will help him remember things better! As for the learning disability..Ive taught adults and kids with ADHD and other disabilites as far as concentrating is concerned, youll have to be very patient. VERY patient! Youre gonna have to be ready to catch his focus again with something from left field..maybe teach something that may be cold and dry..suddenly throw him a fun game where he has to apply the lesson you taught him on the spot! Maybe a fun improv game where he has to use the technique you gave or the scale you taught (examples..) Like Id teach someone a rear naked choke for the first time, for example..if I just spent 10 mins REALLY cutting it down to the bare bones every little detail..some ADD guy may need more attention..so I may make him attack me from the back and try to catch me in it. Ill stop him easy..but hell have a hell of a time trying! Which makes him think harder about it..then maybe Ill let him apply it to me or someone else to be sure he has it.

Hope it helps..sorry so long haha but teaching anything is complex!

[varunkapahi]

go ahead and teach, you might love sharing what you know

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by santucci218

I feel that if he paid me 80 dollars a month, he would be happy with his results from the lessons.

This is the most important aspect of the teacher/student relationship: Your student is happy with the results, and you get paid. I think you are perfectly qualified.

Also, he took lessons with the bass instructor at my work, and became super frustrated because the guy just wouldn't relax.

This further emphasizes your qualifications. Students feel comfortable with you, not pressured, but they admire your approach and are motivated to learn. They pay you, you are happy, they are happy.

Don't over-analyze the concept. When I started teaching, I was a mediocre sight reader. Now, I'm not half bad. Just stay a page ahead of your students. You have the experience. You will become a better and more creative teacher in short order, but no one knows everything about private music instruction right out of the gate.

I say go for it. You might dig it and pick up a few more students. It's good money, and patient teachers are in demand. I maintain 20 students these days teaching privately from my home, and I have another 30 or so on a waiting list. My schedule is always full, I could teacher 40 hours a week if I wanted to, but I also do live and studio work.

Good luck with it!

[santucci218]

Originally Posted by electracoyote

This is the most important aspect of the teacher/student relationship: Your student is happy with the results, and you get paid. I think you are perfectly qualified.



This further emphasizes your qualifications. Students feel comfortable with you, not pressured, but they admire your approach and are motivated to learn. They pay you, you are happy, they are happy.

Don't over-analyze the concept. When I started teaching, I was a mediocre sight reader. Now, I'm not half bad. Just stay a page ahead of your students. You have the experience. You will become a better and more creative teacher in short order, but no one knows everything about private music instruction right out of the gate.

I say go for it. You might dig it and pick up a few more students. It's good money, and patient teachers are in demand. I maintain 20 students these days teaching privately from my home, and I have another 30 or so on a waiting list. My schedule is always full, I could teacher 40 hours a week if I wanted to, but I also do live and studio work.

Good luck with it!

you said you could barely site read. i just straight cant read, haha. I know thats like #1 thing teachers want to teach students. Knowing that I cant teach them that, I feel bad, ya know?

[Simo98]

What i'd do is, tell him you have never taught before but its something you are interested in, ask him if he wants to do a lesson with you for free and if its all goes well, continue paying for lessons. Also let him know that you will be teaching in a very relaxed style and won't be able to teach him how to read (and any other limitations you have)

That way you won't feel like you are ripping him off, and you will probably learn just as much as he will. You never know, you might be really good at it :P

[Beginner Bass]

I suggest getting a book for going over the basics. Mel Bay's Bass Elements is great for beginning.

[BluesWalker]

Maybe you can learn to read while you teach him.

[somegeezer]

Originally Posted by Simo98

What i'd do is, tell him you have never taught before but its something you are interested in, ask him if he wants to do a lesson with you for free and if its all goes well, continue paying for lessons. Also let him know that you will be teaching in a very relaxed style and won't be able to teach him how to read (and any other limitations you have)

That way you won't feel like you are ripping him off, and you will probably learn just as much as he will. You never know, you might be really good at it :P

+1

[the_hook]

First off don't let the age difference bother you. I had a kid come over to teach me some music theory, he's 20, I'm 47. Age meant nothing to me, it was more about absorbing what he was teaching me and then practicing during the week.

Definitely sit down and work out a schedule and plan of what you want to teach. But be flexible enough that when he says 'I don't understand this', that you can find another way to explain things.

I had one guy try to teach me stuff, he's taught for 20 years, his methods did not work for me, and he got all bent when I said to try another way. He wouldn't, so I terminated those lessons. I'm glad I did cause this new kid was amazing, I learned quickly with his methods and my knowledge really took off.

Funny thing is he never plays electric bass, he's a double bass major. So I didn't learn much electric bass technqiue from him, but I could live with that.

[santucci218]

Originally Posted by Simo98

What i'd do is, tell him you have never taught before but its something you are interested in, ask him if he wants to do a lesson with you for free and if its all goes well, continue paying for lessons. Also let him know that you will be teaching in a very relaxed style and won't be able to teach him how to read (and any other limitations you have)

That way you won't feel like you are ripping him off, and you will probably learn just as much as he will. You never know, you might be really good at it :P

This is a great idea, and I think I will take your advice.

Originally Posted by Beginner Bass

I suggest getting a book for going over the basics. Mel Bay's Bass Elements is great for beginning.

Originally Posted by BluesWalker

Maybe you can learn to read while you teach him.

Honestly man, There isn't much application for me to learn to read. Sure I could learn it, but me and my buddies aren't improv jamming out of a real book. It's like like Trigonometry. I would learn it just to learn it, and then it would just kind of rot. Don't get me wrong, I bet in some part of my life it will be worth it to learn with a good teacher, but I don't really have the money for that right now.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by santucci218

you said you could barely site read. i just straight cant read, haha. I know thats like #1 thing teachers want to teach students. Knowing that I cant teach them that, I feel bad, ya know?

Yeah, my sight reading experience prior to teaching was bass clef piano. But it didn't translate to bass guitar very well at first, it was an adjustment and learning curve. I had students who had been in public school band programs who could read better than me.

But I could still play better, so I still had lots to offer.

And as time passed, my reading got better. It's like OJT, you're getting paid to learn and stay a page ahead of your students.

And it's like eating an elephant. You can only do one bite at a time. I highly recommend anyone serious about teaching (and being taken seriously) to eventually bone up on their sight reading.

My adult students rarely want to learn to read. They're all about chops, riffs, and TAB. I outline the benefits of reading, but in the end, I'm not their dad. As adults, and as my employers, I let them dictate on that point.

With young beginners, I insist on making standard notation a part of each lesson and their home practice routine.

But again, this is my approach based on experience. You gotta get in the pool if you want to swim! You'll figure it out. Start with one student and take it from there.