Annabel Chiarelli has a unique perspective on guitar teaching; as assistant director of Manhattan’s American Institute of Guitar, she’s constantly fielding calls from potential students and getting feedback from current ones about her faculty. But she’s also taken advantage of her work situation by studying with several of AIG’s faculty herself. The first thing many prospective students hope for, she says, is someone who is patient. Organization is another big request. “They want someone who’s going to listen to what they want but then take charge and have somewhat of a system, have things prepared,” says Chiarelli.
For herself, Chiarelli is interested in “someone who listens and isn’t out to impress me with their chops, spending half the lesson showing me how fast they can play.” As she explains, “I know they can play if I’m studying with them, so unless it’s to demonstrate something, I want them to get me playing.” She also values teachers’ ability to explain things clearly and notes a need to respect a potential teacher as a musician. “There has to be some kind of compatibility in terms of what we think is musical,” she explains.

Answering Specific Needs
Mike Henry, another Austin student, describes it this way: “My teacher brings a specific kind of knowledge in how to play fingerstyle guitar that connects with what I want to learn.” At the same time, if his teacher wasn’t so skilled at communicating those ideas, Henry wouldn’t have stuck around. “He’s one of those rare teachers who can hear what you want and then turn that into a lesson,” he says enthusiastically. “He can listen to a student and take them in the direction they want to go. More importantly,” he adds, “if the student can’t get it, he can figure out a way to redirect it so they do,” for example, by searching for a different way to explain things or trying a written explanation instead.
Sometimes a student is looking for something beyond musical compatibility. Kim Perlak, who is currently studying for her DMA (Doctorate of Musical Arts) in guitar performance at the School of Music, University of Texas, Austin, explains, “I came here because I had an injury to my left arm and I knew my teacher was a great technician who could help me get my hands back together. There were a lot of great teachers who were really expressive but not as good at that, not as vigilant about how technical things work. I needed that so I wouldn’t reinjure myself.”
The intensity of graduate-level studies can also lend the teacher-student relationship a mentoring or even familial quality. “Over time, it’s pretty amazing to have that kind of relationship with a teacher; it can be great and supportive, even essential at times,” says Perlak.
While not as intense perhaps, many students also cite the personal relationship that develops out of lessons as a plus. Seas notes that he and his teacher “probably spend 15 minutes out of each 50-minute lesson talking. She’s another musician,” says Seas, “so it’s nice to chat with someone once a week who’s on that level, who understands what it’s all about.” Ulrich points out that besides being “a great guy and really nice,” what she enjoys about her teacher is that “he’s having fun, we’re having fun, it’s not a chore for him.”
Ultimately, it’s essential to find a teaching approach for yourself that’s as individual as your playing. You may already have yours in place. But just as taste, tone, and timing never go out of style, neither do patience, preparation, and a positive attitude. n

Find Out What Your Students Expect
• Go over the student’s goals in the first lesson, then check back in with him periodically to see if they’ve changed.
• Ask her to compile a list of songs she wants to learn and work them into your lesson plan.
• Pay attention to the pre-lesson conversation. Did he say he's starting a band? Teach him some of the skills for that style of music. Is she working up a song to perform at an open mic or school talent show? Offer to help her with her arrangement.