Is Your Guitar Teacher Inspiring You or Showing Off?

Inspiration or show-off?

There's a fine line when it comes to showing a beginning guitar student how a song goes, and having him or her interpret it as showing off. I've had students tell me I was showing off or trying to show them up, when actually I was playing the song fast enough that they would hear what it was supposed to sound like.

Does your teacher show off sometimes?

Absolutely! Most of the time it's when I'm asked to play something, maybe even on a different instrument. Students have asked me to play the banjo for them, or if they play banjo to play something on the guitar. Sometimes they're searching for credibility or checking to see if you really can play a particular song.


What's the problem?

The problem pops up when your guitar teacher does more playing than teaching. We're not talking about accompanying you, but rather playing instead of teaching. This happens a lot with teachers who are either inexperienced, lacking in self confidence or just trying to impress the student.


What should you do?

It depends on how comfortable you are with it. When I've been accused of showing off I explain why I played that song or passage in that way. I try to lead by example and make it clear that what I just played is for the benefit of the student. There are times when a certain technique or song has to be played at a faster pace for it to make sense. So, listen to what your teacher is playing, and if you have any questions or concerns about the motive behind it, just mention them and see what the answer is. Most of the time it will be played with every intention of instructing rather than showing off.