It’s easier than you think to turn guitar students into excellent players and make a great living at the same time. Here are 3 ways to do it:
1. Create Specific Lesson Plans To Help Students Reach Their Goals
It’s a common mistake to use generalized lesson plans for all students. This fails because your guitar students all have unique musical goals and learning styles. Instead of teaching them with a cookie-cutter approach, learn about their specific goals during or before the first lesson. Then create a unique lesson plan for them to help them reach their goals and show them their progress all along the way.
Your guitar students become incredibly motivated when they know you are helping them achieve what they want AND you are showing them their progress consistently. This results in faster progress and a better reputation for you (=more students and more money).
2. Learn How To Teach Different Kinds Of Students
Every student learns in a different way. Some are easily discouraged by mistakes or become overwhelmed by the idea of challenging practice. These types need extra encouragement and tons of early victories to build their confidence. Other students already have confidence in their abilities and are able to practice tedious exercises when they know it will help them in the long run.
It’s up to you as the teacher to identify which student you are working with and teach them accordingly. Pay close attention to this aspect of teaching until identifying student types becomes second nature. The better you get at this, the faster your students will improve.
Additionally, some students may change over time, so it is up to you to watch for this and make the adjustment.
Tip: while teaching beginner students, make sure to avoid things like sight reading and music theory at the start. These students want to get started playing something musical as soon as possible (whether they know it or not). Helping them do this quickly builds their confidence and excitement for learning.
3. Master Teaching Beginner Guitar Students
Teaching beginners is critical for making big money in your guitar teaching business. There are more beginner students than any other student type. Once you master teaching beginner guitar students, you are able to teach more students, fill your teaching schedule and keep it full for many years.
Want to get good at teaching beginners right away? Begin by learning: how to teach chords.