Does anybody want to learn the guitar?
Where are the students?
This is a follow up to an article I wrote a few days ago called, “We know the problem”. It seems that Rick Beato’s video truly touched a nerve with a lot of people, including fellow musicians and especially music teachers. Now, music teachers are making videos of that video!
The reason I am posting this article is to make aware to you, just how bad things are for everyone and anyone associated with either owning a music business, selling musical instruments locally, or teaching music. I have been a guitar/bass guitar instructor since 1996. I have no idea how many students I have instructed over the years - I’m guessing it’s well over a thousand. The declining interest in students wanting to learn how to play a musical instruments over the past 15-20 years, has been staggering.
A common reaction for a music teacher is to take on some or maybe even all of the blame for this decline - when in actuality, it has very little to do with the teacher. I struggled through this arduous journey several years ago when lost all but two students in a matter of a year.
Was it something I did or didn’t do? Am I just a sucky teacher? Did I accidentally piss off everyone? Are my rates too expensive? Is it the economy? Why isn’t anyone interested in playing the guitar? I had to eventually learn that times were changing, dramatically - and no matter what I did to recruit and keep students on a weekly roster - it was quickly becoming an exercise in futility. No matter what I did, I just couldn’t keep students scheduled.
Why wasn’t anyone practicing their lessons? This never used to be an issue twenty some odd years ago. It’s the same beginner lessons material I’ve been teaching all along.
I want to point out that right now, I have several amazing, loyal, diehard students who practice every single day of the week. These are my favorite students! They know who they are. I am exceptionally grateful that they have stayed on with me.
I have no idea what the answer is. I don’t know how to get more students. In a perfect world, I’d have at least 20-25 students scheduled every week. Believe me, it is NOT a perfect world.
I saw the following video this morning; and I just wanted to share it with you. This guy “Dave”, puts into words, much of what I have been saying all along. I’m sure every music teacher out there would love to know a way to fix this problem. Maybe we’ve been at the point of no return for far too long, and there simply is no going back to the way things used to be. That’s fine. I just want students who will dedicate themselves to their lessons, practice every day, have musical goals, and find the inspiration to help them become great instrumentalists.
I get what you’re saying- but I’m also hearing a lot of what might be called “oldthink”. No offense, but I’ve taken lessons for years and I’m one of those boomers who practices. Up to a point. If I’m not learning songs I want to play, and instead GIVEN songs that illustrate some technique my instructor thinks is important (and probably is, but…), I bring in my songs. My instructor is savvy enough to get it - “OK, let’s learn from what YOU’RE playing….”
The question thing is a red herring IMHO. No one knows what they want to achieve unless it’s “play like Mark Knopfler”. The answer is start small and build. What kind of music do I like? All kinds! Teach me the stuff that might be applicable to a wide variety. Be patient if I really hate barre chords and teach me ways to cheat, maybe I’ll feel bad about cheating and learn barre chords. The best thing my instructor did for me was say “You want to fingerpick? Here’s how.” And let me run with it.
A couple of semesters of music theory at a local community college helped immensely - you don’t have time in half hour lesson to teach music theory - they gotta get it somewhere. Not
preaching, I like your Substack - just want to give a student’s perspective. FWIW