Finding a teacher

[CGBowhunter]

So I got my first Mandolin for Fathers day and my finger tips are already sore. But I have decided it would be in my best interest to find a teacher to get a good foundation to start.( I would prefer in person to start, Not sure the Skyp experience would work for me atthis stage)
I had a bad experience a couple years ago when I first tried to learn Fiddle and just signed up with the first instructor I found in the area. Things did not go well and ended in frustration by me and a who cares attitude from the teacher.
So my question is this, What are some things I should ask, or want to know about a mandolin teacher before I put down money for some beginner lessons?
I know there are basic questions " How long have you been instructing?" Have you instructed beginners before?" But I found that those don't really tell you much about the teacher. Any Advice would be helpful.
I am looking to play BG. I have a VERY basic foundation, mostly self taught from my time on the fiddle about music theory. Thanks

[sweed]

I like to try and figure out if theyre big mando heads. I mention things to them about mandolin cafe, the mandolin symposium, mike marshall's online school of mando, etc. and see if they know what i am talking about. I actually did this yesterday to a new teacher I met. He had never heard of the stuff (he was mostly a bassist and a classical guitarist) but he played classical mandolin alongside his friend with a guitar at weddings and such.

But at the same time he was quite helpful with the theory side things and I really enjoyed the lesson. I brought along my "getting into jazz mandolin" book and he really broke down alot of the concepts for me so that I could better understand what they were and WHY I should learn/play them. So though he might not teach me much with mandolin specifics (how to hold the instrument, picking and fingering techniques, etc. which I think I have learned on my own, or you can learn just by asking cafe members here) he was really helpful in offering me guidance with the jazz side of things (breaking down complex jazz chords, finding arppegios, soloing techniques). So I will be seeing him again soon.

This guy I saw at an office that was like a little conservatory. There were several teachers there and there were different offices where each instructor taught a variety of music. Atleast this way I knew I was participating in a legitimate business operation and this wasn't just some guitar player coming to my house to give me some lesson.

So also ask him to play something on the mando... that's a good way to see if he's any good! make sure he is also competent in the styles you wanna play (bluegrass vs. jazz, etc.).

i think you can guage after the first lesson if this is something you want to pay for. For me, during my lesson I kept grinning whenever he broke down some complex chords or concepts and the lightbulb in my head was going off. I was learning things I hadn't learned before and I quite enjoyed it. It complements everything else you are doing - studying with a book, jamming and messing around, taking mike marshalls online lessons, and meeting with your teacher once a week or every other week. That way every time you go back to the teacher you will have something new to talk about and something for him to gauge your progress. new ways to move forward.

[bmac]

I would think you could find some decent teachers in your part of the woods. I would agree that BG requires a teacher who plays BG however you are a relative beginner and it probably wouldn't do you harm to have a basic mando foundation and then specialize in BG. Finding a teacher you are compatible with is always iffy and I would guess most mando players will go through a few teachers before finding one which fits your needs exactly. The beauty of this site is that depending on your motivation you can learn as much, or as little you wish to without having to spend a dime.... But it requires significant self-motivation. I find the Skype (if that's the proper term) idea quite interesting and that should connect you with interesting teachers if you can't fine one locally.

[wsugai]

Take some time to make sure you know exactly what YOU want to learn before you start auditioning teachers. Trust your instincts and don't let a teacher dictate to you what you should be learning. A good teacher can help you get to where you want to go efficiently, but you need to be the one to decide where that is.

[Chip Booth]

Take some time to make sure you know exactly what YOU want to learn before you start auditioning teachers. Trust your instincts and don't let a teacher dictate to you what you should be learning. A good teacher can help you get to where you want to go efficiently, but you need to be the one to decide where that is.

How is a beginner to a discipline supposed to clearly understand what it is that they need to know? I teach people all the time who clearly need to learn things that they don't believe will be useful to them.

[CGBowhunter]

Well I took my Mando to the local Music shop to have them check the set-up. Looks like it needs some minor work and new strings. Which explains why my fingers are so sore after only a week. But it looks like they will have it for about a week. So I asked about a teacher there and they do have a couple folks at $30 a half hour for lessons. All provide instruction in a variety of stringed instruments including the mandolin.
I appreciate the feedback given, which of course has lead me to another question and I would appreciate your thoughts.
I had seen Mike Marshall's site and was thinking about it, but I thought having a few in person lessons to make sure things like form were OK would be a good idea. But I am wondering: Would I be better off doing something like Mike's online program for 90 days to get some fundamentals under my belt and then go to a in person instruction? Or do you think it is really necessary to have in person instruction? I am not so worried about the commitment to practicing, as I am worried about starting out developing a bad habit that I am not aware of and having to undo something later. Does that make sense?

[dfalkiewicz]

I have been with Mike Marshall through Artist Works the past 6 months, and just signed up for another 3 months. Cost is $90 for 3 months or $7.50 a week. Or you could spend up to $50 a week for private lessons.

Send me a private message, and I will tell you more about the program.

[Markus]

I think in person lessons are incredibly useful early on. Videos don't call you on something 10 seconds into playing. An instructor will. Technique might only need a half a dozen biweekly lessons before you are ready to go and really eat up other instructional media. But getting going with good basic technique saves relearning later ... just ask my poor guitar techique.

Best is to find someone who teaches adults and I would expect a mandolin teacher to have more than a single mandolin (or mandolin family instrument). And I say that as someone who owns one mandolin family instrument yet performs weekly.

I just went back for more lessons recently, three years after my intro lessons. In person feedback, being assigned materials I didn't ask for (yet open doors), and the discipline that having a date to master things by have made lessons a great investment for me.

Before it was technique. Now it's improv, tritones, and modes. Last night someone gave me a $5 tip after a solo. With my other band I had our banjo player look up and say 'wow' at our last gig.

Yes. Lessons from a good instructor may not be cheap but they can yield a lot of value. So can online, video, and books ... but a good teacher shows you how to diagnose your problems more than a book ever had for me.

[JeffD]

Get an instructor who is a mandolin player. Not a guitar player who "also" teaches mandolin. Goes along with finding out if your teacher is a mando-head.

[Markus]

Agree, Jeff. For technique you need mandolin technique, not dabbler-on-mandolin technique.

[CGBowhunter]

Thanks everyone for your input. I think my plan is to look for a instructor locally, but not rush into it. In the meantime, I will work on my Fundamentals and ask questions here for a bit. I will consider looking at some of the On-line options, like Mike Marshall's, as there seems to be a lot of good feedback on his program. I am hoping once I get my Mando back from the shop and it is set up correctly, I will see some improvement and find that the annoying buzz I was constantly getting on the 5th fret of D string, was more due to the incorrect set-up, than my form. Time will tell I suppose.