For the past couple of months I’ve been teaching a student named Jenn who is in Boulder temporarily to take an 8-week class. The class goes from 8am to 6pm, and we have a guitar lesson once each week in the evening. Unfortunately, that schedule doesn’t leave her much practice time, which means that she is having a hard time assimilating the lessons and being ready for new material. So are the lessons worthwhile?

We’ve found a solution, to make these lessons as accessible when she returns home as they are now: videotape. Last night, Jenn brought a camera to her lesson and videotaped me going through all of the material that I’ve presented in each lesson. I explained and demonstrated all of the exercises, rhythms, fingerpicking patterns, and songs that I have written down for her each week. Now when she goes home, she can have total recall of everything we’ve covered, and the ability to see, hear, and even play along with everything we’ve done. She can take all the time she needs to study and learn the material. And if she has questions from time to time, I’ll be available by email to answer them for her.

I’ve had many students make audio recordings of their lessons in order to aid their recall of what we’ve done together. Videotape is an even better medium for this. I recommend it for everyone who is taking guitar lessons, and welcome it in my studio!