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Mark2 -> RE: Characteristics a flamenco guitar instructor should have. (Sep. 26 2016 17:52:22)
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I have been more successful at taking lessons than giving them. I think that is more a matter of my interest than anything else. I'd rather spend my time learning than teaching. My first flamenco teacher I studied with for five years. Too long in retrospect but he was such a charming guy, that I loved hanging out with him.
And his pedigree was impeccable, but I would have benefitted more from more variety. I was able to study with more guitarists later, and that was great. I think I learned something from every player I studied with, and have no regrets. They all had knowledge and insights that helped.
OTOH I had a guy call for lessons once and he had taken many flamenco guitar lessons over the years but his compas was not happening. I saw what he needed and we spent much of the lesson doing palmas with me trying to get him to hear the compas. Never saw him again......Another time a woman called and said she wanted to buy lessons for a friend who really wanted to learn flamenco guitar. She wanted to pay me for a half dozen lessons upfront. I told her that flamenco guitar is difficult, and that maybe she should give him two lessons and see what happens. A few months went by and the fellow calls me. I told him all he needs is a nylon string guitar. He says he doesn't have one. I say you need one, because you really can't play flamenco on a steel string. He sounded annoyed, and said he'd call when he got one. That was in Jan 2015, so I guess I got paid for two lessons that I didn't give. I felt bad about it because I didn't have the contact info of the woman to return the money. I thought maybe I should have told him to come over with the steel string, and I think someone who has the patience to be a teacher would have done that, and showed the man SOMETHING. But I'm a straight shooter, for better or worse. I have no time for a guy who wants to learn flamenco on a steel string, or a personality who thinks they are going to tell you how they want to be taught.
I've had more success teaching my daughters how to surf. In every cheesy surf movie, there is a scene where the teacher tells the student they will only teach them if they do everything they say, when they say it. It seems to work.
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