I teach every student differently according to his or her own level, interests, and age. This allows each student to emerge in their own right as a musician.  There are certain basic concepts and skills that every guitarist should have, such as holding the guitar ergonomically, knowing the names of the strings in a standard tuning, basic theory concepts like chords and keys, reading music, and so on. However, even among these basic concepts and skills, I stress different elements according to each student’s individual needs. It has been my experience, both as a teacher and as a student, that information tends to be better retained as soon as it is necessary to actually make music. In this way, students can play the music they want to play as quickly as possible, while using each new piece of music as an etude for a new basic concept or technique which is vital to their own personal development. Eventually, each student will come to know all of the basics through exploring their own interests, and at their own pace. In this approach, abstract concepts are reinforced through playing, and playing is facilitated by greater knowledge. Most importantly, this approach retains the fun of learning, since each student’s goals move as close to them as possible. As no one has an unlimited amount of time to practice, I have found this approach to be the best for the student, as it makes the most out of any practice time. What is best for the student is best for me.