8 Tips for Becoming a Highly Effective Private Music Teacher

March 19, 2023

Last year I started teaching at an amazing music store in Southwest Missouri, and it’s been a blast! Teaching was outside my comfort zone, but I’ve gained confidence along the way. While my skills aren’t perfect, I’d like to share some takeaways from my first year as a private bass guitar instructor.

Level Up Your Private Music Lessons with These Tips

Always have the student play during their lesson
Introduce music theory in small doses
Align lessons with your student’s skill level and goals
Find tools to supplement your lessons
Take notes
Seek advice from other private music teachers
Inspire and challenge the student
Be confident in your skills and experience

1. Always have the student play during their lesson

Sometimes it’s easy to get carried away with explaining a concept. Remember to keep the lesson interactive! If you’re teaching your student a bass line, demonstrate first by playing it… but don’t stop there! Have the student play it back to you or play it with them.

And don’t always give them the answer immediately! If they’re stuck, give them a chance to figure it out themselves before jumping in. The true magic of teaching music happens when you see a student apply the concepts you’ve taught them to overcome new challenges.

2. Introduce music theory in small doses

I’m fascinated with music theory and truly believe it deepens one’s understanding of music and their instrument. When I started teaching I would sometimes center a student’s entire 30-minute lesson around a concept like scales or intervals.

However, I quickly realized that theory-heavy lessons can cause burnout and confusion, especially for beginners. I can literally see their eyes glaze over if I start talking about music theory for too long! This was a tough pill for me to swallow and I had to remind myself that students take lessons to have fun and play music. Most want to learn how to play their favorite songs, and some want to learn how to write their own.

Incorporate music theory into your lessons in small doses. For example, if you’re working on Joy To The World with a student you may mention that the first eight notes of the melody are a descending major scale. With this approach you’re focusing on the music first while sprinkling in music theory concepts along the way.

3. Align lessons with your student’s skill level and goals

There’s no “one size fits all” approach to teaching.

Helping students establish good habits from the start is crucial. I tend to focus on proper right and left hand technique, major and minor scales, understanding the fretboard, and learning easy bass lines for beginners.

I’ve taught multiple worship bassists who play for their church’s band, so I’ll tend to put more emphasis on learning how to read chord charts/lead sheets and learning the Nashville Number System with them.

I had another student who played for his school’s jazz band, so we focused more on reading notation, soloing, and walking bass lines.

I’ve even had students take bass lessons strictly just for fun – they don’t have a desire to perform or start a band. They want to be able to play along with their favorite songs at home to relax and enjoy themselves. I’ll work with them on transcribing songs by ear and teaching how to read/write tablature.

4. Find tools to supplement your lessons

We seem to have endless information at our fingertips in this day and age, so why not use your smartphone to enhance your lessons? There are tons of tools at your disposal, and many of them are free – so take advantage!

Here are a few smartphone apps I use when teaching music:

SBL Groove Trainer (free). This isn’t your standard metronome app. While it does have a metronome and tuner component, it also comes loaded with tons of drum loops! Additional features include a drone note and “loop on/loop off” training to help your student develop their ear and internal timing. It’s a great app for teaching your students how to groove.
Harmony Cloud ($9.99). I don’t use this quite as often, but it’s great for ear training and improvising. Challenge your students, have them practice along, and they can track their progress as well. I would recommend this app for more advanced students looking to deepen their understanding of harmony.
iReal Pro ($15). This is a great practice tool that allows you to create your own chord charts and chord progressions. Not only that, but the backing track simulates real-sounding instruments to accompany you and your student.
Spotify (free or paid). I keep a running playlist of songs my students are working on. Great for staying organized and playing along with songs.

5. Take notes

Document what you worked on with your student each lesson. This is great for staying organized and lesson prep, especially if you have a large number of students.

6. Seek advice from other private music teachers

Seek support and advice from other private music teachers to learn from their experiences and build relationships. Consider attending conferences or workshops, joining online communities, and reaching out directly to other teachers in your area. Remember, you don’t have to go it alone!

7. Inspire and challenge the student

Music lessons are great for steering students in the right direction, but most of their learning and development will happen during their practice time between lessons. Always strive to inspire them and give them something they can work on at home.

8. Be confident in your skills and experience

You don’t need to have loads of experience to start teaching; I know folks who began teaching in their teens after just a few years of playing. If you are passionate about your instrument, love connecting with others through music, and can communicate musical concepts clearly and precisely, you’re off to a great start as highly effective private music teacher!

And while it certainly helps, you don’t need a music degree to teach private music lessons. For context, teaching electric bass isn’t my full-time job. I went to business school and work in digital marketing for a living, and I teach on the side simply because I enjoy it. In fact, I’m one of the few instructors at the store that doesn’t have a music degree! Keep in mind that I’m speaking from my own personal experience; other music schools may have different requirements for their private teachers.

Whether you’re an experienced teacher looking to refine your approach or just starting out, I hope these tips and insights have been helpful for you. Remember, teaching music is a continuous learning process. Don’t be afraid to try new things, seek advice from others, and stay curious about your craft to create a thriving teaching environment for your students. Happy teaching!