Questions & Answers with Neil Hogan #14.2

Q. What kind of differences should I expect at an acoustic guitar lesson compared with any other type of lessons from a professional instructor?

A. As a professional guitar instructor I have received a lot of calls about various kinds of lessons. I would have to say that I generally use the same approach whether a student has requested an acoustic guitar lesson, an electric guitar lesson, or even a piano lesson. Guitar principals are pretty much a constant, as there are many things that all music students must learn, regardless of the instrument they are working on.

With that said, I do remember an unusual story. I received a call from a twenty-something guitar player who was very specific in his request for an acoustic guitar lesson. He was very emphatic about the specific wording and needed to be seen immediately. He said he had a performance scheduled for the weekend and had to have an acoustic song to play. I managed to squeeze him into an available slot that evening.

When he arrived I was a bit surprised at his appearance He looked like he had just stepped of the set of a video shoot for a 1980s hair band, Whitesnake maybe. After a few minutes I realized that my fingerpicking arrangement of Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright by Bob Dylan was not going to cut it.

Luckily he ad brought a tape of an acoustic song by his favorite band, Extreme, More Than Words. It turned out to be a perfect fit and I developed a bit of an appreciation for a new style, the power ballad.

Other thought about specific lessons can be found at lessons acoustic guitar.