How to judge a guitar tutor before you book
Most people find a tutor on location and price, then discover three months in that the teaching style doesn't fit. Here's what actually separates a good teacher from a mediocre one.
Drag the joint · eight checkpoints on the wall
The panel you slide: eight things to tick before you book
01
Listens before teaching
02
One correction at a time
03
Written practice notes
04
Explains the 'why'
05
Adapts when it isn't landing
06
Teaches your style, not theirs
07
Works with exam boards if needed
08
Welcomes a second opinion
The choice you make is really about fit, not qualifications
This page covers what actually separates a good tutor from a mediocre one, which questions are worth asking before the first lesson, and why qualifications matter less than you might expect. It's written for beginners, returning players, and parents arranging lessons for a teenager.
The rest of the page walks through a set of checkpoints you can actually use — some in the enquiry itself, some in the first lesson. Nothing here is a certificate test. It's a reading of the room.
What good tutors do consistently
Notes you leave with
A lesson that ends with paper beats a lesson that ends with applause
They listen to you play before deciding what to teach. Before a single exercise, a good tutor will ask to hear you — even badly, even for thirty seconds — because the first job is understanding what already works in your hands.
They give one clear correction at a time, instead of listing ten faults in the space of a minute. A list of ten things to fix is a list of nothing to fix; the student leaves overwhelmed and practises none of it. One correction, practised for a week, moves faster.
They write down what to practise, because a student who leaves without notes usually practises the wrong thing. Whether that's a page in a notebook, a message after the session, or a short voice note of the passage slowed down — the notes are the actual work.
They can explain why a technique matters, and where it shows up in real music. Barre chords aren't a punishment; they're what lets you play that song you said you wanted. Knowing the reason changes how hard the practice is.
And they adjust the plan when something isn't landing, rather than repeating the same explanation louder. If the counting isn't clicking, the answer is a different angle, not more volume.
Questions worth asking before you book
Any competent tutor will be happy to answer all of these. If a question feels unwelcome, that's information.
How are lessons structured, and what does the first month usually look like?
A tutor who can describe the first month in concrete terms — what you'll cover, in what order, and why — has thought about teaching, not just playing.
Do you teach the style I actually want to play?
A classical specialist may not be the right fit for someone who wants to play rock riffs, and a self-taught rock player may struggle to prepare you for a graded exam. Ask directly.
How are practice notes given, and is there follow-up between lessons?
Whether a tutor sends a short summary after each session, keeps a shared notebook, or asks you to bring your own, the routine is worth knowing in advance.
How do you handle a student who hasn't practised that week?
It will happen. The answer tells you whether the tutor treats it as normal (adjust the plan, work on something else) or as a personal disappointment.
Do you teach online as well as in person?
Matters most when your schedule is unpredictable. A tutor who teaches both can offer flexibility a single-format teacher can't.
When a tutor who prepares students for graded exams helps
Preparing for an exam changes the lesson balance — toward repertoire, sight-reading, and aural work — and it needs a tutor who has taken students through it before. If you don't want exams, a tutor who pushes every student toward a grade is the wrong fit, however well-qualified.
Exam board
Trinity College London
Widely recognised across schools and private teaching. A tutor who has prepared candidates can talk you through the graded pathway in plain terms.
Exam board
ABRSM
The long-standing classical route. Useful where a school or university course expects a recognised graded qualification on the record.
Exam board
Rockschool
The usual route for contemporary, performance-based grades. Good fit if rock, pop or blues is where your playing actually lives.
Online tuition versus a local teacher
Online lessons have gotten genuinely good, and for adults with tight schedules they often beat a convenient-looking local teacher. The format removes travel and widens your choice of tutor beyond your postcode. What you give up is physical correction of hand position, which matters most in the first few lessons.
A reasonable route for many adult learners: start online, and if you find the camera angle limiting later, look for a local tutor once you know what you need. Some students keep both — regular online sessions plus occasional in-person technique checks.
Trial lessons and first impressions
A first lesson should feel like a working session, not an audition. A good tutor will spend part of it finding out what you can do, not just talking about their own playing. That means asking to hear you, and adjusting on the spot when your hands do something they weren't expecting.
They'll ask what music you listen to, since that shapes the material. If you say you want to play one specific song, the good ones will find a simplified version and start there — not insist on three months of scales first.
They'll give you something concrete to take away. If a first lesson is mostly the tutor demonstrating, that's a warning sign, however impressive the playing. You're paying for your progress, not a concert.
Red flags worth taking seriously
- Won't explain the point. A tutor who can't say what you're working toward this month is teaching by habit.
- Promises a grade or a timeline before knowing how much you'll practise. Nobody can promise that.
- Cancels or reschedules often without notice. Once is life; three times in a month is a pattern.
- Teaches only from a fixed book and won't adapt to a song you brought in.
- Talks about their own career more than your playing.
- Never gives written practice notes — lessons that stay in the room don't travel home.
Any single one of these can be worked around. Two or three together usually means it's time to look elsewhere.
Matching style to your goals
The right tutor depends entirely on what you want. Four rough profiles — say which one you are in your enquiry and matching gets easier.
The strummer
A beginner who wants to strum along to songs needs someone patient with rhythm and chord changes — and willing to slow the counting down until it sticks.
The stuck intermediate
Someone who's plateaued and needs a tutor who teaches technique and music theory in more depth, not just more songs.
The exam candidate
A student chasing graded exams needs a tutor who has taken candidates through the syllabi before, and knows what the marks are actually given for.
The songwriter
Someone writing their own material may want help with fingerpicking and arrangement rather than lead playing.
Say what you want in your enquiry and it's easier to match. The studio will tell you if it isn't the right fit — that's a real answer, not a sales script.
What happens after you get in touch
Send an enquiry with your experience level, your goals, your instrument, and your availability. You'll get a reply with a suggested format and a plan for the first few sessions, plus answers to any questions you raised.
There's no charge for that exchange and no obligation to book. If the studio can't help, you'll be told so directly rather than signed up for lessons that don't fit. Prices are confirmed once the format and frequency are agreed, which is why nothing is listed on the site.
Reply window
Monday to Friday, 10:00–20:00; Saturday 10:00–17:00.
Studio
12 Denmark Street, London, WC2H 8LS.
Talk first
Call +44 20 7937 3425 with a question before you write.
Ready to talk through the right tutor for you?
Tell us your level, your goals, your instrument and your availability. We'll write back with a suggested format and a plan for the first few sessions — no charge, no obligation, and no pressure to book.