If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking about starting guitar lessons but you’re not sure what happens when you actually show up to your first guitar lesson. Maybe you’re wondering if you need to practice something first, or if you’ll be put on the spot. Let me walk you through exactly what happens.
Your first visit is part conversation, part lesson.
I set aside 45 minutes for us to meet. No test, no audition, no pressure to impress me. This is your chance to meet me, and my chance to meet you. We’re both figuring out if this is a good fit. But you’re also going to walk out better than when you walked in. If you’ve been playing for a while, I’ll spot things we can improve right there in the session. If you’re brand new, you’re going to play something that actually sounds good before you leave. Either way, it’s not just a conversation — you’re getting something out of it from day one.
You don't need to prepare anything.
This is the part that surprises most people. You don’t need to practice a song to play for me. You don’t need to “get good enough” before you come in. I need to see exactly where you are right now — not some polished version of where you wish you were. If you’ve been playing for a while, I want to hear what you actually sound like on a normal day. If you’ve never touched a guitar, that’s completely fine too. I need to know what you know and what you don’t so I can build a plan that makes sense for you.
Bring your guitar.
I’d like to see the instrument you’re playing. Part of getting you set up for success is making sure your guitar is a good fit for you — and sometimes it isn’t, and that’s worth knowing early. If you’re coming straight from work and can’t bring it to our first meeting, I do have one you can use for the intro session. But if you can bring yours, bring it.
If you don’t have a guitar yet, I can point you in the right direction — call me at 440-477-8405 and I’ll help you figure out what to get before we meet. Owning your guitar before your intro session matters because you will need to practice on the instrument you’ll actually be playing. It’s not just something you’ve always wanted to do anymore. You have a guitar. You have skin in the game. You’ve already taken a big step.
If you're a complete beginner, you're going to play something.
This is the part I enjoy the most. When someone walks in who has never played a note, I get them playing actual music before they leave. Not scales. Not exercises. Music. We go over the basics — how to hold the guitar, where your hands go — but that takes less time than you think. And by the end of those 45 minutes, you’re playing something that sounds like a real song. The look on people’s faces when that happens is one of my favorite parts of teaching. Most people don’t believe it’s possible that fast, and then they hear it coming out of their own hands.
We'll talk about how lessons work.
Once we’ve played a little and I have a sense of where you are, I’ll walk you through how I structure my classes, my schedule, and the different lesson packages I offer. I keep my scheduling flexible because I know life doesn’t always cooperate with a rigid weekly time slot. There’s no hard sell. You’ll leave with all the information you need to decide if this is right for you.
What happens after the intro?
If you decide to move forward, I already have a plan in mind for you based on everything I learned in our session. You’re not starting from scratch on day one of actual lessons — I’m already ahead of you.
From day one, you’ll know how to play with other people or along with recordings. That’s not something I save for later — it’s built in from the start. If a song is over your head right now, I’ll show you how to simplify it to the point where you’re playing along with the band. If you already have the basics down, I’ll show you how to make it more complex. Either way, you’re making music, not just running drills.
And here’s something most people don’t realize — it’s sometimes important to know what was played on the record, but it’s way more important to learn how to be creative. To have the choice — if you want to play it like the recording, you can, but you can also add a little bit of your own stamp on it. Most people assume creativity is something you either have or you don’t. It can be taught. That’s a big part of what we work on together.
From there, everything builds in layers. Each skill connects to the one before it, and nothing gets thrown at you before you’re ready for it.
The intro session is free and there’s no obligation.
About The Author
Brian Fish is a professional guitarist who has been dedicated to helping other guitar players in Northeast Ohio pursue their musical dreams since 1994. He’s passionate about guiding others on their musical journey! He is the Guitar Playing Transformation Specialist, instructor, mentor, trainer, and coach at
Guitar Lessons Geauga.
Brian has also assisted people from around the globe in developing a solid sense of timing and enhancing their creativity through the fantastic rhythm course, “Ultimate Rhythm Mastery,” available at MusicTheoryForGuitar.com.
If you live in Geauga County / North East Ohio, Guitar Lessons Geauga can help you become the player you’ve always wanted to be.