10 things I learned from teaching dobro for 10 years

Rob Anderlik · From: Chicago, IL

10 things I learned from teaching dobro and Weissenborn guitar for 10 years at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago

1. It's true that some people are naturally gifted musicians with a strong aptitude for learning to play an instrument. It's also true that some people fall on the opposite side of that bell curve, but the great majority of us are somewhere in the middle.
2. In the long run the most important factor in reaching our full potential is our own determination to succeed.
3. Very often it's the case that new students, especially older students, are not aware of their own self-limiting beliefs - "I'll never be able to play like that." etc.
4. Managing your emotions is an important part of learning to play an instrument. Most musicians feel a deep fear in the pit of their stomach at some point in the learning process. The payoff for overcoming those fears are called breakthrough experiences.
5. The best students do not rely on a single teacher for their musical education. They are self-motivated and find ways to educate themselves beyond the classroom.
6. A student's own exploration of the instrument is just as important as anything that a teacher can offer. There's something to be said for attempting to express the music you hear in your head vs. focusing solely on what a teacher might present to you.
7. Tablature is a great way to present information to students, but it can also become a crutch. Students who become dependent on tablature usually don't progress beyond playing in a classroom or at home.
8. Practice without performance really slows down the learning process. At some point you need to put the tabs/sheet music away and play in front of an audience or go to jam session and play with other musicians.
9. One of the most gratifying experiences a teacher has is when a student suddenly gets it and is able to play something effortlessly that they had been working on for months and months.
10. The vast majority of students overestimate what they can accomplish in a short period of time and underestimate what they can accomplish over a long period of time.

What's your perspective?

Jeff Garden · From: Center Sandwich, New Hampshire, USA

All good points, Rob. I also agree with something Jeff Newman said on the first day of classes years ago, "I'm not going to teach you how to play songs. Instead I'm going to teach you the building blocks so ultimately you will be able to play ANY song."

Tom Keller · From: Greeneville, TN, USA

Great post Rob. I agree with all your points especially the one about playing with people at some point. That's been the down fall of many a talented student.

Tom Keller

Dustin Kleingartner · From: Saint Paul MN, USA

Very nice post. Lots to think about.
I like hearing what other people have to say when they step back and look at the big picture (in terms of personal steel playing). In day to day practice you can get kind of lost in the weeds, so sometimes its nice to consider other people's perspectives on long-term goals and how to go about achieving them.
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Dom Franco · From: Beaverton, OR, 97007

I have had dozens of Steel guitar students, most of them gave up after a few months when they didn't progress fast enough.

On the other hand several of my musician friends (former bandmates) just picked it up and ran with it some far surpassing me in just a year or so.

My observation is that an accomplished guitarist can easily apply what they know to the steel and with just one lesson (I showed them how to tune it, and how to hold the bar etc.) They will quickly improve with practice.

Perhaps the steel guitar is better as the second instrument that you learn?
Dom
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Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

Great points, especially #10
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Mike OMalley · From: Virginia, USA

I'm a teacher, though I've never taught anyone how to play an instrument except casual "showing them some licks." I'm convinced, after years of playing with fairly high proficiency, that the big divide in music is between people who just want to know how it's done and people who want to make music, tell a story. I'm the former. I'm not a good musician though I'm a pretty proficient guitar and bass player. What good musicians have, I think, is not so much "talent" as a desire to speak through music. They want to play a song, not just learn how it was done. I see people who can barely play but are extremely "musical," if that makes sense: they are speaking, telling a story. People like that can very quickly make pleasing musical sounds out of the most rudimentary stuff.

I'm not expressing this very well. yes hard work, I totally agree, managing your emotions, focusing on the long game: these are crucial. But I think there's kind of a mental difference. I once heard it described as "id lock." Some people can express themselves in music much more easily, and those people can make music with a Diddley bow or a jaw harp or a cardboard guitar. I think this is not so much talent as "attitude."

Of course anyone who wants to be proficient, or say more than just one thing, has to practice hard--that's still true and always will be

Mark Evans · From: Colorado, USA

Rob Anderlik · From: Chicago, IL

Thanks everyone. These are observations from my experience teaching dobro and Weissenborn guitar the "old fashioned way" - in face to face lessons over a long stretch of time. I just wanted to share whatever I've learned from those experiences with my fellow squarenecker's.

Robert Allen · From: Tennessee, USA

This is from a business perspective. Seniors are the best students. They have time to practice, they aren't distracted by sports or other school activities, they have the money, their parents won't drive you nuts, and best of all they learn slowly so they'll be with you a long time.

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