Taking Lessons, Through A Music Store Or A Private Teacher?

It would depend on the quality and qualifications of the teacher...not the place in which he/she teaches. Generally in guitar stores the "teachers" are part of the staff. They may have little or no teaching qualifications. This does not necessarily deem them to be bad teachers. It would depend on what your goals are. The other thing about guitar stores is that more than likely the teachers are guitarists who also happen to teach bass. This too, does not render them bad teachers, but IMO it's better to get a BASS teacher as apart from a guitarist who teaches bass on the side.

If it was me, I would seek out a good BASS teacher, regardless of where he/she teaches.

 

Use your social network (Facebook, musician friends, talkbass, etc.) to ask around and find the BEST teacher in your area. I would be asking questions like, are there any music schools or conservatories nearby? Who are the top gigging local pro players? Which teachers have your friends had good luck with? Are there amazing teachers elsewhere in the world who teach internet lessons over Skype?

And a talkbass tip: if you tell us where you live (for example by filling out your profile) then maybe one of us knows a good teacher in your area.

 

Where doesn't matter as much as who. Make sure the teacher is a teacher, not a player just making a buck on the side. There's a difference. Ask around. Get references.

 

One of the better instructors I ever had taught out of his studio, however, on certain days he would travel to another town and teach out of the back room in a music store.

So like has been said, it depends on the teacher. My experience with music store instructors is not all that great...

 

It all depends on the individual instructor. Many good ones teach from stores. The location of the lessons has exactly zero correlation with the quality of them.

 

My experience with music teachers...
If you take lessons at a store, I find they are very rigid about time.
Your half hour is up, see you next week.
A teacher working out of his home seems to be less rigid.
As long as they don't have someone coming in after you, you can usually spend a few extra minutes, asking questions, getting to know each other on friendlier terms.
That is my experience anyways.
Glen

 

Note: if you go through a store that doesn't mean you have to just say "take me to your bass teacher" and accept whoever's there. Ask them to tell you who the teacher is and what their qualifications are.