You’ve signed up for guitar lessons in Atlanta, and now the day is finally here! Your instructor is on their way to your home to meet with you for the first time. You might feel it’s the first day of school all over again—you’re excited, nervous, and maybe even a touch anxious.
Guitar teachers everywhere would tell you that’s normal, even if you’ve had lessons before. If you know what to expect from that first session, though, you will be more excited and less anxious.
Here’s a brief rundown of what your first guitar lesson will be like.
Preparing for the Lesson
Before the lesson starts, you should have a few things prepared. First, you need a space in your home where you and your instructor can comfortably sit with the guitars. Any place works, but you should have a nice amount of space, and you shouldn’t be interrupted often. You may also need to put your pets away if they tend to bother new people.
Have your guitar ready, and you may want to get some water for you and your teacher. You probably don’t have any sheet music or other notes at this point, so you won’t need to have those on hand, but you should have a notebook and something to write with.
Meeting Your Teacher
When your teacher arrives, the two of you may spend a few minutes chatting and getting to know each other if you’ve never met before. They may ask you what you love about the guitar and why you want to learn how to play. You may even learn some things you didn’t know about the guitar from your teacher.
They may also talk to you about the different styles of guitar playing. This is important since learning to play rock is different from learning jazz or classical. These different styles require you to focus on different techniques, so be sure you discuss your favorite styles or what you’re looking to learn.
What To Expect During The Lesson
During your first lesson, you may not actually do much guitar playing. Try not to be disappointed—this is common with just about any instrument. It’s important that you learn the foundation of guitar playing before you move on to learning chords and full songs.
You can expect to go over the six strings on your guitar (or more, if your guitar has more strings, but generally beginners start with a six-string). Your teacher will also talk to you about the different parts of the instrument, including the strings, bridge, headstock, and neck. They may check the tuning of your guitar and talk to you about how to tell if the guitar is tuned.
Will I Even Get To Play?
It depends on what you consider “playing”. Your teacher will have you strum each string, and they might even have time to teach basic chords.
You might play a very basic song, but don’t expect too much. It depends on how much experience you have with instruments and music in general.
If you already know how to play another instrument, you may pick up the guitar more quickly than those who don’t have any prior knowledge of music.
Remember that it’s not a contest. You want to take your time with each lesson and make sure you fully understand it before you move on to something else. If you have any questions, even ones you’re embarrassed about, ask them. Your teacher is there to help you learn guitar, and they can’t fully do that if you don’t ask all of the questions you have. In fact, the last part of the lesson is likely going to be devoted to questions.
Book a Lesson Today
Now that you have an idea of what your first guitar lesson will be like, are you ready to book one? We provide lessons in the comfort of your own home, so you don’t have to go anywhere! Contact us today to learn more or to set up your first guitar lesson.
