Music teacher, coach, or tutor: What’s the difference?
Photo by Yan Krukov from Pexels
Music teacher, coach, or tutor: What’s the difference?
If you want to sing better, should you look for a voice teacher, a vocal coach, or a music tutor? They’re not all the same!
I give private lessons in singing, piano, and organ. Does that mean I’m a teacher? Or am I a music coach, or a music tutor? These words may be used interchangeably sometimes, but to me, they mean distinct things. (I live in California, in the United States, and these are my perceptions of how each of these terms are used by the musicians around here.)
Musicians and aspiring musicians need to know which kind of professional will be the best choice to help them reach their goals. Which do you need, a teacher, a coach, or a tutor?
If you want to build skill, particularly with an instrument, you need a teacher.
“Teacher” is often the general term for anyone who provides one-on-one music learning of any kind. A teacher is the most full-service of music educators. Lessons with a teacher build your musical knowledge as well as your playing or singing abilities. A teacher helps you learn how to sing, play, and (usually) read music and shows you how to practice, as well as explaining everything you need to know about technique, theory, performance practice, and music history. Teachers will assign you repertoire to work on. They may also assign technical exercises, practice methods or regimens, or even written homework. Unlike coaches or tutors, teachers will find or create performance opportunities for you. You’ll benefit much more from trusting a teacher’s expertise and letting your teacher tell you what you should work on, rather than trying to direct your own course of study.
If you already sing or play fairly well and want someone to help you give great performances and stay motivated, you’re looking for a coach.
Music coaching focuses on developing and polishing your performance abilities. Vocal coaching, in particular, is extremely popular and beneficial. A coach acts as an advisor, guiding your artistic and technical choices, and giving you feedback on the effectiveness of your choices. Your coach is as concerned with building you up psychologically and emotionally as they are with getting you to play or sing well. Coaches don’t teach you technique or information or help you learn songs from scratch. They typically don’t choose your repertoire for you or tell you how to practice or what to learn; rather, they address your questions and give you guidance on whatever music you bring to them. Whereas a teacher or tutor works with you regularly on an ongoing basis, coaching is generally offered a la carte. You might have a one-off session with a coach, or you can make appointments to see your coach as needed.
If you’re taking a music class, learning music theory, or if you need help learning and practicing music for a performance, you should find a tutor.
Tutoring is typically more scholastic than lessons or coaching. The term is most commonly used in connection with music theory, but it might also refer to assistance with practicing pieces of music. A singer who can’t read notated music, for example, might have a tutor to teach them their notes when they learn a new piece. Tutoring is usually supplementary to a class, although it could be supplementary to private lessons - for example, if a student is preparing for an exam or audition that includes both performance and written portions, they may work with a coach or teacher and a tutor. Theory tutors may do all their work verbally or on paper, or the voice or instrument may be used for practical application of concepts. Tutors might give you homework, but they don’t assign you repertoire to play or sing.
Linguistic choices are always a bit subjective, but most musicians recognize distinctions between teaching, coaching, and tutoring. To answer my opening question, I generally refer to myself as a teacher; although I do offer coaching and tutoring as well, my lessons are primarily what I described as a teacher’s manner of instruction. If you’re looking for a professional to work with you on music, knowing the typical uses of these words will help you ask for exactly what you want.
Read more from Labyrinth Music Blog:
How long do I have to take lessons?
Open letter to the struggling student
Do singers need to read music?
The Practice Sandwich will keep you from quitting music lessons
