Making the Most of Your Child’s First Guitar Lesson

Let’s be honest: everyone likes simplicity. In a perfect world, you could attend a guitar lesson, practice a bit, and always leave the classroom as a better guitarist than when you arrived. Unfortunately, reality isn’t quite that simple. Many variables are at play that affect whether or not you start your child’s progress off on the right foot, but there are a few easy steps you can take to ensure that you get save as much time and money as possible.

1. Choose your instructor wisely.
   Not all instructors are created equal. Many are good guitarists, but they do not know how to teach effectively. Others take a cookie-cutter approach to lessons, which don’t take into account your own individual goals. Choose an instructor who knows what you want for your child, and has the skills to help them actually reach those goals. This step is critical! Speaking of goals…
   

2. Know what you want from lessons before signing up.
   Do you want your child to be able to play with friends? To learn how to write songs? Are you simply trying to expose them to new hobbies to get their eyes off the screen? Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, your child will need to get proficient in different skill sets. Make sure you know what you want to achieve so the instructor knows what they need to be taught.
   

3. Reserve a consistent day/time for your classes.
   Research has shown that you are 2x-3x more likely to succeed if you stick to a schedule when it comes to your practice routine. Having a set day/time to meet with the instructor each week helps make students’ guitar practice habitual, which, in turn, helps get more progress, and make that progress come faster. Consistency is king.
   

Need help coming up with a practice plan that is right for your child?

When you are ready, contact me here and I can set you up with a free introductory session and, together, we can come up a plan that will help your child reach their goals as quickly and effortlessly as possible.

Play Loud. Be Heard.

Gavin F. Haley
Headmaster
Apex Guitar Institute