What Difference Do the Acoustics of the Room (and Sound Quality in General) Make in My Guitar Lessons?
The answer: More than you may think, because run-of-the-mill, sub-par, or terrible sound can hinder growth and progress while a great sounding environment can aid and accelerate it.
When you decide where you're going to take guitar lessons, you'll probably think about a few things—how easy the facility is to get to, how much the lessons cost, whether they are available at the same time you're interested in taking lessons, and any number of other specific things—as you weigh one option against another. And while the acoustic properties of the facility may not overshadow some of the other factors when it comes to making that decision, it can be helpful to include that info in the overall picture—and you may realize just how much that info actually reveals about a facility in the process.
First, it's helpful to think about why you would want to have good sound where you take guitar lessons, and that's probably pretty obvious: the better the space sounds, the better the playing sounds, and so the more inspiring it can be. Better sound encourages more playing, which makes that playing better—which in turn sounds better, which perpetuates the cycle all over. This one thing isn't a magic formula, of course, but it is a factor (along with many others) and every little bit helps.
That is an important thing to note: that good sound in the lessons room is only part of the puzzle, it's just not necessarily one that stands out or immediately comes to mind when you think about the path to better guitar playing. It's one that a lessons provider has to set out to achieve, in most cases, and the ones that would be willing to go that extra mile generally also provide other great benefits as well. One could almost use it as a benchmark to separate lessons providers into those that have good-sounding facilities, and those that don't—and still be fairly confident that many other factors will align along those same divisions as well.
So what are some signs of good and bad acoustics in a lessons facility? Well, you can really trust your ears here: if your playing sounds better at your lessons (meaning, the tonal qualities of your playing—not the accuracy or emotiveness so much as whether the sound has a pleasant tone/character or not), whether it's because the amp or other gear that you're playing through is superior or the acoustics of the space are better, either way it's a positive reflection on the lessons provider. If you hear lots of distracting noises—other students in their lessons, or perhaps customers out on the sales floor trying out a new instrument, conversations, a public address sytem playing music and/or communications from the staff— it may make you wonder why the lessons provider thought that sort of environment would be conducive to learning and developing new skills...and it may make you wonder what else you're missing out on with that lessons provider.
It generally does take effort, time, and money (and/or other resources) to improve the acoustics of a space, and that isn't something that you can easily see a measurable return from; so, as a result, such an investment can be a really hard sell for a lessons provider that is laser-focused on their bottom line. But if the lessons provider is concentrating on delivering the best instruction, in the best environment, then it's only a matter of time before that lesson provider starts improving their room acoustics—knowing full well that every time a student likes the sounds of their own playing even just a little bit more than they otherwise would have, then they have served their client admirably in that department because that student is now inspired to play more. Everyone who knows anything about playing music knows that's the one thing that someone can do to be certain that they'll get better: play their instrument more.
The room here at Stephen's Guitar Lessons isn't just a guitar lessons space; it isn't also a retail space, like if you were to take lessons at a music store. But the other purpose that it serves is as a post-production audio facility, where I edit/mix/master (most often I'm mastering when I'm not working on something lessons-related) and therefore have even more of a need for an accurate and pleasant-sounding room. I've put a good deal of effort into making this space sound as good as it possibly can, and the student gets to reap the benefits.
And even with online lessons, I've gone to great lengths to be sure that the audio is high-fidelity and as clear and full as I can make it. That way the student has their own sound, that they've grown accustomed to in their space, plus I'm able to come through with a clear and natural sound that helps to promote a comfortable—and therefore a better—experience for each and every student at Stephen's Guitar Lessons.
I've played for decades—since the late '80s—and I learned from some of the best players and teachers around. I studied music education in college, I've spent countless hours playing guitar (in practices, rehearsals, jam sessions, live gigs, recording sessions, and other musical environments), and I've given thousands of lessons to hundreds of students, online and in person, since I started giving lessons professionally way back in 2010. I've studied countless method books and instructional materials—more than many players—and I'm even in the process of writing my own method book; most of the exercises and instructional material I use are basically excerpts from the method book I'm working on (and the music for the songs that we go over in lessons is often tabbed by me, but if I didn't create the original I always customize it for my individual students).Ready to get started? 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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