Old School vs. New School: Which is Best for Guitar Instruction?

What's the Difference, and Which One is Right for You?

I want to shed some light on an area that a lot of people have questions about these days when it comes to music (especially guitar) instruction: whether "old school" techniques are better than "new school" approaches. First, though, we need to establish what we mean by those terms.

"Old school" refers to the use of more traditional teaching concepts that have been around for many years (dozens and dozens and dozens); it’s probably how a lot of music teachers today learned their craft, and certainly how essentially all professional music teachers learned their skills 50+ years ago. The old school method is very thorough and complete, but it can take a while to see much tangible results (especially results that are up-to-date as far as modern techniques, material, etc.).

"New school," or more modern, approaches generally focus on playing contemporary material and then incorporating musical concepts into the instruction as they occur (or become more necessary) in the music that the student is wanting to work on. The new school approach is more streamlined, but the risks are high for a student to shortchange their learning—sometimes in so substantial a way that they end up missing a great opportunity to learn a fantastic and rewarding skill.

So what way do I teach? Well, I’ve taken lessons from some of the most skilled and well-trained "traditional" players out there...like Dan Mitchell in Abilene, Texas, when I was going to school there (studying music education from a very traditional point of view, pedagogically speaking), and Carol Kaye (yes, THE Carol Kaye...check out CarolKaye.com for more info), who herself learned guitar from Horace Hatchett in Long Beach, CA, back in the late 1940s. My very traditional music education background is based on the solid foundation that I received from those legends—who themselves learned from some of the earliest greats—and also while I was at school.

And then I’ve also spent a lot of time learning on my own, following a more modern, "learn by doing" method...with tons of time spent practicing on my own, practicing with a band, and performing and/or recording (both solo and with a group). Plus, I’ve also taken lessons from other, more contemporary (but still classic) players, like G. E. Smith—the former music director for the Saturday Night Live band, who also toured for years with Bob Dylan and has played with some of the greatest names in music from the past 60+ years.

The way I see it, both the old way and the new way have a lot to offer. I think the best approach is to find the combination of old and new that works best for each individual student, to accomplish their specific goals...so both approaches are best, really, and that’s exactly what I offer at Stephen’s Guitar Lessons.

Give me a call (or send me a text) at VIP-PLAY-GTR (847-752-9487), or contact me through the website to set up your FREE intro lesson today!

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