Question: When is the best time to teach guitar students to apply what they have learned to real music?

Tom Hess's Answer: Most guitar teachers take a 'linear approach' to teaching guitar.... that means they like to take the student through the learning process in a step-by-step sequential way. The linear approach to teaching guitar makes perfect sense 'if' we were teaching a machine... but we teach human beings who are imperfect, non linear in their thinking, subject to emotions and who have their own 'reasons' for playing guitar. For most students a linear approach doesn't work (for many reasons), yet teachers often try to force this logical (but very unnatural) way to learn and master guitar playing.

Since we are teaching 'people', it is best to teach them in the way which is most congruent with their mindset, emotions, imperfections, motives, ambitions, etc. Let me give you just one of countless possible examples to illustrate my point. The most frustrating thing a guitar player can go through is to be advanced in one area (let's say technique for example), yet feel like a total beginner in another area (songwriting for example). Imagine how your student will feel when he/she has all this great playing ability but can NOT use it in a creative way! If your student can't apply what he knows and has been taking lessons from YOU for a significant period of time, guess what? ... now he is frustrated with both himself AND with YOU as his teacher.

The solution to avoid all of this and to help your guitar students progress much faster and reach their goals is to use the Geometric Guitar Teaching Method®. Basically this means you do not wait until each step is mastered before moving onto the next step. I know this might seem illogical to some people at first, but the fact is, guitar students progress fastest when they learn to apply and integrate what they are learning AS THEY ARE LEARNING TO MASTER IT.... NOT afterwards. Try my Geometric Guitar Teaching Method® with several of your guitar students for a few months and you will see improved rate of progress in their guitar playing and overall musicianship.

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