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» Home » Biographies » Richard Provost » Rethinking Guitar Pedagogy

Rethinking Guitar Pedagogy

Published: 1997 Author: Richard Provost

I THINK we would all agree that the classical guitar has risen to heights never imagined twenty years ago. In addition to classical guitar being recognized by the leading music schools and conservatories throughout the world, the majority of major concert guitarists are products of these colleges.

One area that has not experienced the same growth is the teaching of amateur players, both pre- and post-college age. Why, in spite of the work being done in this field by a number of dedicated and talented teachers, are we not seeing the same growth and development as in the college area? While there are many reasons, a major one is that we have never fully identified the components that go into successful guitar teaching for all levels and aspirations.

Several years ago a former student, Renee Korwan, wrote a paper for a Philosophy of Education class dealing with three stages of learning and their application to instrumental music. Instead of using the traditional beginner, intermediate and advanced classifications, she reclassified them: fundamental, transitional and self-actuating. In addition, she outlined the major objectives, goals, and levels of responsibility between the teacher and student for each level. Reading this paper I was struck by how easily this concept could be adapted to guitar teaching and how it could greatly clarify a process that for too long has remained a mystery.

How can this concept aid in the development of teaching pre- and post-college guitar? We know what to expect from graduates of a performance program, but what should we expect from amateur players? College guitar teachers are amazed at the disparity of training that their entering freshmen receive. Some who have been studying a number of years have a large repertoire but no knowledge of technique or musicianship. Others have reasonable technique but no repertoire. Why is this happening? Obviously the student plays a role in this scenario. We can’t teach someone who doesn’t want to learn or is not serious about studying. But what about the serious student who enters music school with poorly developed skills? In this situation, the teacher may be more to blame than the student.

As we know, teaching and performance are two separate skills that are not always mutually inclusive. A good performer is not a good teacher until he has looked at how he developed his skills and learned how to teach these skills to others. Often, teachers of precollege students aren’t really clear regarding their expectations of students. Many precollege teachers are dealing with students of varying degrees of ability and motivation. If this weren’t enough, they often must teach a variety of musical styles. This, in itself, can make life difficult for the teacher. How do teachers of other instruments deal with these issues? My experience is that they have a clearer understanding of what to expect from their students and the skills they need to acquire. In order for guitar teachers to fully understand and evaluate their expectations, they need to examine the skills and knowledge possessed by amateur players of other instruments.

Cities and towns around the world have a large number of community orchestras and bands comprised of musicians who learned to play their instrument while growing up. These are not professional musicians but instrumentalists who play well and are capable of learning music without the aid of a teacher. This is also true of many adult pianists who can accompany choral groups and play the occasional classical selection for friends or musical groups. This is generally not true of amateur classical guitarists. Is it because of the teaching they have received or is it for other reasons? In examining how other instrumentalists are taught, I discovered many techniques that could be applied to guitar teaching. I also found that, in addition to these techniques, applying Ms. Korwan’s concepts would also improve classical guitar teaching. The following overview and approach was developed from this examination, and is one that I and former students have found to be beneficial in teaching not only amateur guitarists but guitarists aspiring to a professional career.

FUNDAMENTAL STAGE (BEGINNER)

The objective of the fundamental stage is to establish a strong musical and technical foundation for future learning. Within this stage there are six categories that need to be addressed:

technique
rhythm
practising
theory
interpretation
performance

While the role of the teacher is always important, this stage requires the most from the teacher. Since it can be assumed that the student has little knowledge of music, it is important that the teacher have a clear well-developed methodology designed to present and develop appropriate material in the previously mentioned categories. The role of the student at this stage is to practise daily and follow the teacher’s directions. Translating this into percentages, the teacher’s responsibility would be approximately ninety per cent and the student ten per cent.

The vocabulary used by the teacher in this stage is also important. In this stage, the statements should be clear and direct – i.e. The guitar is held…, Your hand position is…, etc. It is important in this stage to avoid statements that force the student to make choices before she is ready to evaluate the options. Giving the student too many choices usually confuses the student. Yes, there is variation in hand position between students; yes, there are variations in how the guitar is held; but at this stage, the student does not need to know this and also does not possess sufficient knowledge or experience to know what to do with this information. It is the teacher’s responsibility to teach the most appropriate technique to the individual student, not to allow the student to decide. The teacher must present only the information needed by this student to establish his basic technical foundation. In addition, this information should be given strictly on a need-to-know basis.

Technique The student in this stage needs to acquire a good foundation in the following areas:

sitting and holding the guitar
basic hand position
establishment of rest stroke technique
good left hand technique
free strokes. (arpeggios and chords. pim, pima, pmi, pami.)
basic reading skills. (first position)
learning to listen to himself/herself
appropriate repertoire, beginning with single-line melody and progressing to simple music written in two parts or simple bass chord pieces
integration and development of rhythmic skills

The above material is covered to varying degrees in all beginning methods. There are areas, however, that I have found often overlooked in teaching from these methods.

Sitting and holding the guitar is an acquired skill. I have had very few students establish a good sitting position after the first lesson. The teacher needs to constantly correct and reinforce the principles of basic sitting position. No easy task, particularly when working with pre- and teenage students, but a good sitting position is the foundation for a good technique.

The basic hand position, as with the sitting position, takes time to develop. It is important to remember that method books are designed for the average student. Some students take longer to develop a hand position than others. I feel that it is important not to push the student’s repertoire development at the expense of establishing a good hand position.

Developing good alternation between the index and middle fingers is often one of the most neglected aspects of beginning classical guitar study. It is important that the teacher provide the necessary fingering information to develop this technique. For some students, developing good finger alternation may be as simple as the teacher pointing out the odd repeated finger. For others, it may be necessary that all right-hand fingers be written in the music. As difficult as this may be for some students, it is far easier to teach it correctly at this stage than to address this problem in the more advanced stages. If one believes that good finger alternation is a necessity for future growth and musical development, then it must be learned at this level.

Establishing a good left-hand technique presents many of the same difficulties as developing the right hand. Students should be encouraged to play pieces with prescribed left-hand fingerings rather than using whatever fingering is convenient. As with the right hand, it is far easier to teach it correctly at this stage than to correct it at a more advanced level. 1

Listening to oneself is one of the more difficult tasks to teach. I believe that it is never too early to teach a student to listen and constructively critique their work. One way is to tape the student playing a piece that he plays well. Have the student listen to the recording and point out what he is doing well. Ask them how they practised to play at such a level. Starting by critiquing good performances develops confidence and knowledge for the student. This knowledge will enable them to identify problem areas in pieces more easily, Another way is to provide the student with a tape of the piece they are learning. A tape containing the piece played at several tempos allows the student to practise with the tape and, while playing, listen to how they sound.

Remember, even the best method is not perfect. Some students will need supplementary material, others will not. The pace that a student progresses at this stage is not always an indication of talent or ability but more of motivation and maturation.

Rhythm, when combined with pitch, provides melody. Pitch without rhythm will not create a good melody. Beginning students are busy learning a number of skills. As they strive to master sitting, hand position, note reading, and fingering, it is not unusual for them to forget about rhythm. Since much of the playing they do at this level is solo, it is also easy for the teacher to overlook minor rhythmic inaccuracies when many other aspects of the student’s playing may be excellent. Remember that this is the fundamental stage, and the importance of good rhythmic training is part of the playing foundation.

How is rhythm taught in the public school music programs? Students are taught to count the rhythms out loud and the teacher either counts along or taps out the beat while the student plays. While there is often resistance to counting out loud by guitar students, weekly reminders by the teacher, as well as the teacher counting along during the lesson, will quickly reinforce the importance of this skill. Another way is to make duet playing a part of each lesson. As soon as the student has developed the necessary skills to play simple pieces without stumbling, duets can be introduced. Through duet playing the student will quickly experience the importance of rhythm in music. The following are collections that work well with students at this level:

Pleyel, I. Six little Duets for Two Violins, op. 8, G. Schirmer.
Williams Grossman, J. Elementary Trios I.
–. Fifteen Easy Trios in First Position.
(Both are available from their author at 36 Seven Oaks Lane, Brewster, NY 10509, USA)

Practice in the fundamental stage is basic. Since all the pieces or studies are short, repetition of the piece becomes the basis for practice. The teacher, however, should take every opportunity to point out where repeating a particular measure or section would be more efficient than repeating the entire piece. This is also the time to show a student how to work on particular technical problems they may have in their pieces.

Theory is another often-overlooked part of beginning teaching. The pieces are short, not particularly complicated technically or musically – why does the student need to know theory? I feel that what we teach in the fundamental stage lays the foundation for what is to come. The sooner the student sees the relationship between music and theory, the better she will play. I introduce theory when the student begins to feel comfortable with the basic technical skills. Once the student feels comfortable with the instrument, it is easy to introduce basic scale construction. This doesn’t have to be a college-level theory course but a simple discussion of scale construction and how scales are used in melodies. If the material taught is functional and frequently reinforced, the student will feel as comfortable with theory as with playing. Also, it is not too early to begin to get the student to sing. Singing the melodies that they are playing on guitar will begin to develop their ear and more importantly begin to train them to hear how they want a piece to sound.

Interpretation The fundamental stage is also an excellent place to begin to discuss interpretation. The music is simple in nature, with clearly defined phrases and sections. I have found that when students begin to think musically at this level their playing improves dramatically. Since the phrase is one of the foundations of music, it should be taught in the fundamental stage. It is also easy to teach simple AB and ABA forms since they are used for most of the music played in this stage.

Performance It is never too early to learn to perform. Teachers often think that a student must be playing for several years before performance should be considered. Since performance is as much a skill as note reading, it is important to develop it at the same pace and time as other basic skills are being developed. In developing this skill, we must remember that performance in the fundamental stage must provide positive reinforcement for the student. The following are guidelines I have found helpful:

the student must always be well prepared to perform. He should possess the necessary technical control to execute these pieces with few errors
initial performances should be informal, either for several other students or parents and friends of the student
the pieces should be short: one to three minutes in length
the student needs to feel completely confident with what she will perform

The performance should be discussed at the lesson immediately following the performance. It is important that both the positive and negative aspects be discussed. Discussing only one aspect of a performance presents a distorted picture to the student. Also, discuss how to use what the student has learned through performance to improve the playing. Performing is a skill that takes time to acquire and will have its ups and downs. A well-prepared student can have a poor performance, but it is the teacher’s responsibility to put the performance in the proper perspective.

As you’ve been reading this article I’m sure that at some point you’ve thought, ‘I’m going to teach all this in a half--hour lesson?’ The answer is no. The length of the lesson should be based on the level of the student and the skills being taught. For the beginning student, a thirty-minute lesson is sufficient, but as the student progresses, that lesson time will need to be increased to forty-five minutes and eventually one hour.

TRANSITIONAL STAGE (INTERMEDIATE)

In the transitional stage, the student develops the skills that will allow them to reach full musical potential. In this stage, the student begins to assume a greater role in learning and more responsibility for their own growth. The teacher needs to provide a supportive environment that will allow growth to occur. This involves gradually giving the student greater responsibility for growth and learning in areas where the student is equipped to take responsibility. Are all students willing and able to take on this greater role? Of course not. Some are willing to assume more responsibility immediately, others need more time and nurturing, and some will never take complete responsibility. The teacher can only guide and assist the student in assuming a greater role in the learning process. One way of getting students more involved is by using a different teaching vocabulary. In the fundamental stage, the vocabulary consisted of clear directions with little flexibility. In the transitional stage, flexibility becomes the norm. It recognizes the need to encourage the student, with guidance, to find the best approach to reach their the goals. This can best be done by using what Barry Green (The Inner Came of Music, Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1986) calls awareness language. Instead of telling the student what is wrong with their right hand, ask them to focus on the right hand. If they are repeating right-hand fingers, ask them to focus on the alternation of i and m. This approach begins to develop a greater awareness of what they do when they practise and play. The increased awareness will make it easier for them to predict the results of their practice. Another effective technique is to ask questions. Instead of telling the student that there is no mood to their playing, ask them what mood they are trying to create. As with awareness language, this technique allows the student to learn not only what they need to do but equally importantly what happens if they don’t do it. During this developmental stage, the role of the student in the learning process becomes increasingly important. For the serious student, the ten per cent level of responsibility of the fundamental stage will grow to be ninety per cent by the end of the transitional stage. The less talented or motivated student may not reach this level, but any increase in student responsibility will only serve to further their development.

The teacher’s role also changes during the transitional stage. During this stage, the student develops and expands their technical, musical, and performance skills. As a teacher, it is important to remember that we teach well what we do well. While we all have our own strengths and weaknesses, it is important to work on our weaknesses so we don’t pass them on to our students. This is particularly important because while some of the teaching materials used in this stage have text, many provide little or no guidance to the teacher. It becomes increasingly important for the teacher of the transitional and advanced student to be constantly growing as a guitarist, musician, and teacher/performer. Being well read, attending symposia, workshops, and master classes are just some of the ways to continue to grow.

The objectives for the transitional stage continue to be centred around the same six areas that we previously discussed. They are:

technique
rhythm
practising
theory
interpretation
performance

While it would be nice to think that the student has mastered all of the elements taught in the fundamental stage, anyone with teaching experience knows that nothing could be farther from the truth. The fundamental stage provides the basic foundation for further growth. For this growth to occur, the foundation must be constantly reinforced and never ignored or taken for granted. An adult may have an intellectual understanding of the importance of alternating fingers by the end of the developmental stage but will need continual reinforcement of this technique to fully use it during the transitional stage. A five-foot ten-year-old with a perfect sitting and hand position developed during the fundamental stage will need to make adjustments to this position as he grows. Certainly this position will be inadequate when he becomes a six-foot sixteen-year-old. As obvious as these points may seem, they can be easily overlooked by the teacher working to develop repertoire, musicianship, and other skills. The following is a list of what I feel needs to be refined and taught during the transitional stage.

refinement of fundamental skills
introduction of free-stroke scales (depending on the student’s abilities, this may have been introduced in the fundamental stage)
learn two- and three-octave major and minor scales
work on scale studies
development of im, ia, ma, ami, & ima combinations in major and minor scales, both free and rest stroke
development of tone
development of accuracy
development of speed
advanced arpeggios & tremolo
development of harmonic, pizzicato, and rasgueado techniques
learn the entire fingerboard
continue development of critical listening
appropriate repertoire to reinforce technical and musical development
development of performance skills, i.e. memorization, programme planning, etc

While some of this material is found in method books, much must be introduced and taught using supplementary material. The following is a list of frequently used supplementary material. It is by no means complete. I apologize to the authors for some excellent material I may have omitted.

Scales and Arpeggios

Aguado, D. New Guitar Method, Tecla Editions.
Bogdanovic, D. Polyrhythmic and Polymetric Studies, Bèrben.
Carcassi, M. 25 Melodic Studies, op. 60, Zerboni.
Carlevaro, A. Serie Didactica Para Guitarra, volumes 1–4, Barry Editorial.
Chiesa, R. Technical Fundamentals, volumes 1–3, Zerboni.
Coste, N. 43 Studies, Zerboni.
Giuliani, M. Studi per Chitarra, Zerboni.
–. Studio per la Chitarra, op 1, Tecla.
Iznaola, R. Kitharologus: The Path to Virtuosity, Chanterelle.
Noad, F. 100 Graded Classical Guitar Studies, Amsco.
Pujol, E. Guitar School, volumes 1–4, Orphee.
Provost, R. Guitar Technique, volumes 1–3, Professional Guitar Publications.
Savio, I. Daily Technique and Velocity Exercises, Guitar Solo Publications.
Shearer, A. Slur, Ornamentation & Reach Development Exercises, Belwin Mills.
–. Scale Patterns for Guitar, Belwin Mills.
Segovia, A. Diatonic Major and Minor Scales, Columbia Music.
–. Slur Exercises and Chromatic Octaves, Columbia Music
Sor, F. Complete Studies, Lessons, and Exercises for Guitar, Tecla.
Stover, R. The Classic Arpeggio Book, Guitar Solo Publications.
Tárrega, F. Complete Technical Studies, Universal Editions.

Rhythm The rhythm skills introduced in the fundamental stage must now be reinforced and refined. It is easy, when teaching students at this level, to overlook rhythmic development. Serious high-school students are playing solo pieces at a good level, with the few rhythmic errors easily correctable. They are getting ready to audition for a college music program and attention must be focused on this important step. These appear to be good reasons to back off from working on rhythmic studies, sight-reading materials, or duets. Are we really helping the student when we do this? Anyone teaching at the college level will agree that rhythmic skills are the least developed skill in the entering college guitar student. This student is often rhythmically not equipped to function in an ensemble setting. In order to better prepare the transitional student, we need to place rhythmic development on the same level as technical and repertoire development. This is as important for the adult recreational player as for the prospective college student. Much enjoyment and learning occurs when a student can interact with other players of their and other instruments. Students at this level should be developing skills in reading all rhythms, including triplets. In addition, they should be learning to play pieces written in compound and changing meters. Musically this can best be done by playing duos, trios, and chamber music. The following are materials that my students have found helpful:

Bower, B. Bop Duets, vols 1–3, Charles Colin.
Dodgson & Quine. Progressive Reading for Guitarists, Ricordi.
–. At Sight: Sixty Sight Reading Exercises for Guitar, Ricordi.
–. 12 Transitional Studies, Ricordi.
Gariboldi, A. Six little Duets, op. 145, Cundy-Bettoney.
Kessner, D. Array, Belwin Mills
Eisenhauer, ed. Learn to Play Flute Duets, book 1, Alfred Publishing.
Rubank. Selected Duets, vol. 1, for clarinet. Rubank #13.
Starer, R. Rhythmic Training, MCA Music Publishing.
Moyse, L., ed. Think Easy Duets, for two flutes, McGinnis & Marx.

Appropriate guitar duos and trios from all musical periods. Again, these are just some of the excellent materials that can be used to develop a guitarist’s rhythmic skills to make them a better player/musician.

Practising In the transitional stage, practising needs to become more focused, efficient, and creative. The pieces transitional students play are longer and contain more than the one or two technical problems found in the music of the fundamental stage. As the pieces increase in length, they also increase in musical and technical complexity. Students in this stage need to learn to identify problems, drill difficult areas immediately, acquire a broader knowledge of music, and develop strong memorization skills, to mention just a few of the areas. The teacher needs to encourage the student to develop a strong foundation in these and other areas. I have found the following books to be helpful to both the teacher and student:

Iznaola, R. On Practicing, Chanterelle #738.
Provost, R. The Art and Technique of Practice, Guitar Solo Publications.
Snitkin, H. R. Practicing for Young Musicians, HMS.

Theory As we all know, theory is that subject that students either love or hate. As guitar teachers, the easy route would be to assign responsibility for learning theory to the student and theory teacher. Unfortunately, the quality of our playing is related to our knowledge and understanding of music theory. Therefore, we can’t sit back and let the other guy do it. As a guitar teacher, how much theory are we responsible to impart to our students? The answer is not always easy but the following examples might help clarify the problem.

In general, always be planning repertoire far enough ahead of your student’s progress to anticipate the theory needed to play the next piece. If the next piece you’re planning to teach your student is the Bourée from J.S. Bach’s Suite BWV 996, your student should know what an AB form is, how to mark phrases, the key of the piece and enough about counterpoint to be able to recognize imitation and sequences.
If the student is preparing for an audition to enter music school, the student must know key signatures, major/minor scales, intervals, and at least major, minor, augmented, and diminished triads. The teacher needs to either include this into the weekly lesson or direct the student to a qualified theory teacher.
Adults generally require enough theory to feel intellectually comfortable with the music they are studying. Some are motivated to become really involved with music theory and history while others want just enough to satisfy their curiosity. Again, this can be part of the weekly lesson or taught by a qualified theory teacher. Would I teach this all at once? No. Since the student is in the transitional stage, I would have previously taught her key signatures and major and minor scales. One week I might explain about form, the next week counterpoint. All, of course, would depend on the age, interest, and intelligence of the student. By planning ahead, I could gradually prepare the student for the next piece not only technically but musically. Also, I have found that this approach promotes enthusiasm for learning. This approach also fosters a healthy relationship between theory and the guitar, further developing the student’s intellectual and musical understanding.

If you are fortunate enough to be teaching for an organization that offers theory classes, you probably won’t have to do any of this work. My experience has been, however, that even in these situations student’s schedules are so full that they don’t have the extra time to take these classes.

The following are theory texts that can be used in the transitional stage:

Bye, D. Theory and Harmony for Everyone, Mel Bay Publications.
Clough, J & Conley, J. Basic Harmonic Progressions, Norton.
Curtis, W. First Steps to Ear Training, Hal Leonard Publications.
Duarte, J.W. Melody and Harmony for Guitarists, Universal Editions.
–. Every Musician’s Handbook, Amsco Publications.
Hamerik, A. The Musician’s Theory Book, Carousel Publications.
Hindemith, P. Traditional Harmony, books 1 & 2, Schott.
Lilienfield & Cimino. The Guitarist’s Theory Guide, Belwin Mills.
Piston, W. Harmony, Norton.

Interpretation I feel that teaching of interpretation must be considered equal to the teaching of technique and repertoire for a student to successfully complete the transition stage. If we look at other instrumentalists, we always find that the self-actuating student not only can learn and play pieces well on his own but also possesses a sufficient knowledge of music to play more than the notes. If guitarists are to reach this level, they must be taught the same interpretative skills as other instrumentalists. I feel that the following knowledge should be taught to all students in this stage.

various interpretative techniques needed to play complex phrases
performance of music written in the following forms: suite, sonata, theme and variations
the study of twentieth century music
the study of ornamentation used in all periods as it relates to the guitar
the study of different musical styles
the study of various types of expressive playing. i.e. drama, character, mood, etc
appropriate classical music for all instruments, not only classical guitar recordings

Suggested materials:

Donnington, R. The Interpretation of Early Music, Faber.
Heck, T. The Birth of the Classic Guitar and its Cultivation in Vienna as Reflected in the Career and Compositions of Mauro Giuliani, UMI Press.
Keller, H. Phrasing and Articulation, Norton.
Neumann, F. Essays in Performance Practice, UMI Press.
–. Ornamentation in Baroque and Post-Baroque Music, Princeton.
Santos, T. Heitor Villa-Lobos and the Guitar, Wise Owl Music.
Schneider, J. The Contemporary Guitar, Berkeley Press.

Performance If you believe that performance is a developable skill, then the transitional stage is the most important time in the development of this skill. During the fundamental stage, performance development essentially focused on building the student’s confidence. For confidence to continue to grow, the student and teacher must work to integrate into the student’s performance the practice, memorization, and interpretative skills being developed during the transitional stage. I have found that many of the performance problems encountered by students in this stage are a result of the lack or poor integration of these previously mentioned skills.

Another set of problems that occurs during this stage is the emergence of the student’s musical personality. The emergence and development of this personality is extremely important if the student is to continue to grow. This personality development may cause the student to try to achieve more than is realistically possible for their level. It may also cause the student to ‘play safe’ and only concentrate on hitting the notes rather than making music. In either situation, the student’s self-confidence begins to suffer. Questions arise concerning their reasons for studying an instrument, whether music is a viable career option, or whether they’ll ever be able to perform a piece to their satisfaction. The teacher must assist the student in working through these issues if their musical personality is to emerge. One of the best ways I have found is to share your personal experiences relating to these subjects. Another way is to encourage students to audit area masterclasses. Often these classes have a question-and-answer period where the student can not only ask questions, but more importantly, hear that other players have similar issues.

The teacher’s role is also to continue selecting the performance venues for the student. As the student progresses through this stage and gains confidence and experience, he will gradually be able to take on a greater role in selecting their performance venue. Entering the transitional stage, performances may be focused only on formal student recitals performed by students at the same stage of development. As the confidence and integration of related skills develop, the student may be ready to perform in programs with more advanced transitional players. Ultimately, as the student’s skills and confidence continue to develop, she may choose to perform for musical clubs, music societies, (e.g. guitar societies, etc), restaurants or full--length solo recitals. As much as possible, the progress must be gradual, with as few negative performance experiences as possible.

As part of developing a student’s performance skill, I would urge the teacher to focus on helping the student to:

apply the practice and interpretative skills being taught to performance
identify and correct weaknesses found in his or her performance
identify and develop his or her strengths
develop a positive attitude towards performance
share their love of music with the audience.

Students who have successfully learned the suggested material for the transitional stage will find themselves ready to assume an independent musical role, and, more importantly, have the confidence and skills necessary to enjoy a musical life either as a serious amateur or professional.

SELF-ACTUATING (ADVANCED)

Many of you reading this article may think that the self-actuating stage is reserved only for those students aspiring to professional careers in music. While currently the majority of guitarists in this stage are aspiring or professional guitarists, this need not be the case. The self-actuating stage is reserved for players who can musically and technically function at a reasonably high level without the need of weekly lessons. Looking back on my observations at the beginning of this article, I stated that there are a number of highly qualified amateurs playing other instruments who function independently in various musical groups. My belief is that if someone has been seriously studying an instrument for more than three years, they should be able to function independently at that level. I’m not saying that they can play more challenging pieces or develop new or more advanced techniques on their own (even though some can), but that they can learn new music and perform at their current level, independent of a teacher. A professional or aspiring professional, on the other hand, should be able to solve his/her technical problems and grow to their full musical potential. If they can do this, what then is the role of the teacher at this stage? Before answering this question, let us look at the difference between a self-actuating amateur and professional. The self-actuating amateur, for a variety of reasons, reached a point in the transitional stage where he stopped studying. He either continues to play or returns to playing the guitar at another time in his life. If he chooses to return to the study of the guitar, he usually returns at the level he left, transitional; but, depending on his talent, independent work, and previous training, he may return as a self-actuating student. The self-actuating student possesses the skills and knowledge to go it alone. Let’s look at what a teacher would do for such a student.

The role of the teacher for the aspiring or professional guitarist is that of a coach. If we look at the sporting world, we see batting, quarterback, skating, and swim coaches to name but a few. These coaches work with professional athletes to help maximize their talents. So too does the teacher of the self-actuating student. A Master’s student in performance is expected to bring in a higher level of completed independent work than an undergraduate. Likewise, a DMA candidate is expected to function independently at a still higher level than the Master’s student. People in these programs are capable of learning music on their own. They bring to the lesson their thoughts and ideas about the music being studied. The teacher discusses issues that the student may have overlooked or shares their experiences concerning repertoire, performance, or music with the student. While the same six areas of teaching previously discussed still exist, the teacher helps the student find the solution to problems they may encounter during or on the road to a professional career. What are some of the ways a teacher would help a self-actuating student?

Technique If you follow baseball, you know that even the best hitters get into a slump. The role of the batting coach is to help the player regain their batting form. Many of us know of top-level performers who have suffered tendinitis, muscle strain, or seemingly lost their well-developed technique. It’s not that they’ve lost their skill or don’t know what to do, but often have just missed some basic point that results in a physical problem. The teacher, in this developmental stage, would help the student regain their previous skills and/or find the reason for recurring tendinitis or muscle strain.

Rhythm and Theory I would like to think that a player in this stage would not have any rhythm problems and would possess the necessary theory skills needed to interpret the music she is playing. There are, however, musical genres that a performer might not have sufficient experience with that could present problems. Rhythmic modulation and modern notation are two areas that come to mind. Rhythmic modulations that occur in the chamber works of some contemporary composers may not have been studied or understood. The notational problems found in indeterminate or other avant-garde forms of music would also be something that not every performer would have learned. There are techniques and approaches that can be taught to make it easier to deal with these and similar issues.

Practising, as with the other skills used in performing, is constantly evolving. I have found, when working with students in this stage, that the practice issues focus around what practice techniques I may have found helpful when learning a particular piece or solving a particular problem. There is more of a dialogue between teacher and student and a sharing of ideas than an imparting of facts or procedures.

Interpretation As with practicing, a performer’s interpretation is constantly evolving. One just has to listen to the two recordings Alicia de Larrocha made of Albéniz’s Suite Española to hear this. Long recognized as the major interpreter of Albéniz’s piano music, de Larrocha’s two recordings, made ten years apart, show tremendous musical growth and depth. The teacher of this stage must have experienced this type of growth and evolution in their own playing and teaching to be of help to a student. This growth would encompass not only interpretative issues, but also technical issues that allow a particular musical expression to take form.

Performance issues generally focus on programming, career development, or anxiety. Again, the most helpful teachers are ones that are active in the field and have experienced and worked through these issues. No, you don’t have to suffer from performance anxiety to be able to help a student; but how knowledgeable will you be about the subject if you’ve never had to work through issues concerning performance?

FINAL THOUGHTS

As you may have surmised, not every guitar teacher will be capable of teaching students in the self-actuating stage. My belief is that guitar teachers should consider their own personality, preferences, playing, and teaching abilities when deciding which students to teach. Not everyone can work with young children. Those who can receive great satisfaction from this work. Those who can’t become frustrated and find little, if any, pleasure in teaching. The same is true for teaching teenagers, adults, or performance majors. This situation also exists when working with transitional and self--actuating students. It is important to recognize our strengths, weaknesses, and preferences.

In this article, I attempted to point out the complex nature of teaching. The profession has many rewards and pleasures, but can also be equally frustrating and unrewarding. If we work in the areas of our strengths, we will always find joy in teaching and our students will learn. When we ignore these areas, not only will we fail to enjoy teaching, but more importantly, our students will not realize their full musical potential.