Guitar Teacher Up Tempo Music Lessons Sioux Falls, SD Job Details Part-time $35 an hour 21 hours ago Qualifications Guitar playing Full Job Description About the

Role:

We are seeking an innovative and enthusiastic guitar teacher who believes in teaching music the exact same way we learn our native language: by listening and "speaking" (performing) before learning to read and write. Rather than starting beginners immediately with sheet music or tablature, our program focuses on helping students deeply internalize music so they can play by ear, improvise, and become independent musical thinkers.

Key Responsibilities:

Teach "Sound Before Sight": Guide students to build a rich internal listening vocabulary by teaching them to understand and perform music by ear before introducing written notation or tabs. Lead "Off-the-Instrument"

Activities:

Incorporate singing, chanting, and fluid body movement into lessons. By having students sing melodies or bass lines (chord roots) and physically feel the groove before picking up the guitar, they internalize the music first and treat the instrument as a natural extension of their musical mind.

Foster Creativity and Jamming:

Treat improvisation like a musical conversation. Encourage students to create their own music, transpose familiar folk or rock songs, and arrange pieces from their very first lessons.

Teach Functional Harmony:

Help students hear and understand how different chords work together to build a song (such as "home" and "away" chords), rather than just having them memorize isolated chord shapes.

Promote Healthy Technique:

Teach tension-free playing by ensuring students breathe naturally and avoid physical rigidity while playing. Help them use their whole arm and body in a relaxed way rather than focusing solely on isolated finger movements. Introduce Reading with

Comprehension:

Transition students to reading standard sheet music and tablature only after they have developed the physical playing skills and the ear to truly comprehend what the symbols sound like.

Qualifications:

Strong ability to play by ear, improvise solos, and hear chord progressions on the spot. Comfortable singing, chanting, and using body movement as core teaching tools (you do not need to be a trained vocalist, just willing to use your voice!). Open-minded and willing to step away from traditional, reading-heavy guitar method books to embrace a "sound to notation" philosophy.

Pay:

$35.00 per hour

Work Location:

In person