Interested in teaching video lessons on this website? Simply contact us at: mail@beyondguitar.com. Prepare a sample teaching video that shows you at your best. Make it five to ten minutes on a subject of your choosing. We are open to all styles and genres.

Q: What if I only have a cheap camcorder?

A: You can make that work. Use a tripod. DO NOT have a person hold the camera - it will shake. Get as close to the camera as possible and speak clearly. Work in a place with no background sounds. Make certain that your guitar sound does not drown out your voice!

Q: I don't have editing software. Can you do that for me?

A: Yes. If you send us a file or a tape, we can edit it for you. Try not to say "Ummm" at all, because we can't edit that out every time you say it (we've tried - it doesn't work!).

Q: What should I wear?

A: Anything. But bright colored clothes against a dark background is a good place to start. Shirts with words and logos don't fare well, as your guitar will partially block them.

Q: How do I teach a class that has students of multiple skill levels? 

A: Although it is not easy, it is possible. As an instructor at Adrian College and Siena Heights University for 6 years, I discovered that there is a lot of psychology that goes into introducing people to the guitar. If you go too fast and teach concepts that are too hard, you breed discouragement among your students. But if you teach too slow and never push them, they grow lazy, bored, and dissappointed. So the best thing to do is some material from each level: easy, medium and hard.

1. Teach some easy rudimentary material that everyone plays together, such as a basic 1234 chromatic scale. Everyone is required to play it in unison. This takes the focus away from the fingers and onto staying with the group. Always start with this to build confidence.

2. Teach some medium level material that some pick up fast and others struggle a little to get, then stay on it long enough until there's only one person left who isn't keeping up. Then say "If you couldn't keep up, that's ok. Now you know exactly what we're going to play, so be ready next time."

3. Teach something that challenges the best person in class, but be clear that it is very hard and it is not a requirement. That gives the best person in class something to chew on, while letting the students with less skills "off the hook".  

Let's say that you progress through the material in the class at a rate that fits your slowest student. All the other students will be bored. Not only will this make the advanced students feel that their playing is superior (even if it isn't), it will make the slowest person in class feel like he is holding everyone else back, and that can be detrimental to his guitar future. In other words, he may quit because he obviously wasn't as good as everyone else.

On the other hand, if you progress through the material of the class at a pace that matches your fastest student, the others will grow annoyed, and perhaps envious.

If you were teaching each student privately, you certainly would have a specific lesson plan for each student. So why not do that in the class? You can go around the room one at a time and discuss the goal that you expect individual student to accomplish. It doesn't have to be the same for each person. Warning: for the first few weeks of class, only have your students play as an ensemble, then warn them that in 2 weeks, they will have to play something alone. Then warn them again when they have one week left to prepare and solo exercise. Only then should you have people playing alone in your class. Getting over the fear of playing alone is something you have to teach people.