How to choose a teacher

Finding a teacher can be a daunting task. Finding the right instrumental or vocal teacher is not simply a case of choosing the person nearest to you with the most qualifications; you need to find someone you get on with, someone you trust to help you achieve your as yet un-explored potential.

It is common for teachers to offer a free consultation lesson and whether or not this is the case it’s important to talk through the practicalities of lessons as well as your goals with a teacher before you commit to lessons in the long term. Here are a few things to consider:

1. Does the teacher understand your goals and seem willing to work towards them too?
2. Does the teacher have experience teaching adult beginners?
3. Where is the teacher based and how will you get there or where will lessons be held?
4. How long do you need lessons to be in order to have enough time to make progress?
5. How much time can you dedicate to practicing and how long would the teacher expect you to practice for?
6. Can the teacher provide you with a rounded musical education including, for example, performance opportunities, inspiration for things to listen to, and music theory?
7. How much would lessons cost?

These are just a few of the things you might like to consider when choosing a teacher and we hope that this information helps you to feel confident in making that decision. In the end the most important thing is to have a good relationship with your teacher and to find someone who will be supportive of what you want to achieve whether that be Grade 1 next month, a diploma in 10 years, or simply to have fun whilst learning something new.

Find a teacher today

Good places to look for instrumental teachers are:

• The ISM
• www.musicteachers.co.uk
• http://www.localmusicteacher.co.uk/
• https://www.yourspacemusiclessons.com/ - lessons delivered by Skype
• Your local music hub