Google Listings Can be Confusing.

It’s amazing to see people drawn in to low quality guitar lessons in the Stafford and Cannock areas by Google search engines.

Obviously Google is a great tool and it’s taken over all of our lives. When it comes to finding a service such as guitar lessons it is without question a great way to make contact with a guitar teacher.

What Google DOES’NT tell you is anything about the teacher themselves. All the information you are viewing and reading is handpicked by the person trying to sell you a guitar lesson. Think about it! You are being told how good these guitar teachers are by themselves. I know we have Google reviews but let’s face it, they tend to read as though they are written by friends and family. It takes effort to write a Google review, friends and family will go out of their way to help a course that’s tied to blood or friendship. Of course some reviews are real and are written by enthusiastic students of the teacher. That still counts for nothing though... the student doesn’t know any better than their current teacher.

So what SHOULD count then?

Real qualifications from one of the worlds best guitar schools are essential credentials. Ask at the enquiry point “what is your guitar specific education history “. A lot of guitar teachers won’t like that!

On top of the above other points to watch are teachers that play in a band as a second source of income. In a lot ( but not all cases ) this means they are struggling to make a living as a guitar teacher and have to gig to make ends meet.

Experience - this doesn’t always mean how long they have been teaching, but that can help, but WHO they have been teaching.

I have personally taught over 60,000 guitar lessons. That includes young players, pensioners, male and female, electric and acoustic, beginners and experts.

I have taught guitar in Schools such as Brewood CE (C) Middle School and many others.

I was fortunate enough to work in a government research centre for education, I was taught guitar at Guildford’s ACM by possibly the worlds greatest player Guthrie Govan. I regularly teach Berkeley and LA Guitar Institute graduates and I also love teaching absolute beginners.

As I look through the google listing of guitar teachers I see a lot of names that I have personally taught to play guitar or my students have. How many guitar teachers are there in Stafford for example? It’s getting to the point where it’s seen as an easy way to make extra cash but that is not fair on the guitar student. Guitar players are not after thoughts, this is a serious business. The wrong lessons could easily kill your desire to continue to player guitar and you are paying for privilege.

You do not need any qualifications to advertise as a guitar teacher. There are no exams to pass or any tests to take. The industry is not regulated in anyway whatsoever.

In my opinion you are not a guitar teacher unless you are properly educated, can play and teach to a world class level and care more about your students than an upcoming gig at the ‘Flying Horse’.

Scott Adams

0781 864 7517

razorwiresa@gmail.com