The biggest problem that I (and a lot of others) have with private teaching is organization. The best tools in this regard are a Dayminder-type appointment book and a receipt book with carbons. The Dayminder is to note when a student is having a lesson. I usually write down the student's name and phone number next to the time slot in case I have to get in touch with them for some reason or another. The receipt book (w/carbons) is to keep a record of payments for the student and also the IRS (ouch!). With both of these in place, you can easily keep track of your schedule.

There are three options for private teaching: educational institutions, music stores and privately at your house or the student's house. While most colleges and university programs require a Bachelor's degree at the least - and many require a Master's degree - for even a part-time adjunct faculty position these days, don't forget High Schools, Middle Schools, and Private Academies and Prep Schools as sources of students as well as lots of large churches. Contact the music directors at each of these and let them know that you're teaching privately. Sometimes you can even arrange to meet students at their facilities for lessons.

You should have some sort of amplifier that will accommodate two basses. One excellent choice is the Nemesis Silver Series line. These amps have two channels so you and your student can both plug in, and also a set of RCA jacks to accommodate a CD/MP3 player or drum machine. That way you can control the level of yourself and your student as well as play CDs if you're working on learning a song or the drum machine if you're practicing groove and timing.

Even if you do the majority of your work on 6 string basses or 7s, it's extremely useful to have one 4 string (you can get an inexpensive one and that will do fine) for teaching. Nothing quite makes a beginner's eyes cross as quickly as trying to find notes on his 4 string while his instructor demonstrates the music on a six. You want to keep the threshold of frustration low as possible for young students and having a bass that has the same amount of strings as theirs helps in this regard.

With a little bit of diligence and persistence, it's possible to build a good part-time business giving private lessons in secondary schools, high schools, and churches. The main thing that you need to foster is a consistent schedule for both you and the student's sake. We'll talk more about how to do that as well as the different aspects of teaching in music stores and privately out of your home in the next column.

Peace and Low Notes,
Roy C. Vogt
Nashville Bassist
Bass Instructor, Belmont University, Nashville, TN

Print This Lesson | Return to Lesson Index

Roy's Bio | An Interview with Roy | Visit Belmont U. | Visit Roy's Website