As a self-taught guitar player, one of the first things I can tell you about bridge is that sessions with a teacher can be immensely useful to your playing.
How can the self-taught student know what they don’t know yet – and subsequently, what they should be working on to improve their game faster?
It can become limiting if you are self-taught at a skill forever.
Should you find a teacher?
Always, yes, and at least once in your lifetime playing bridge.
A handful of sessions with a teacher can open up a whole new world of abilities; this is true even if you already know basics or intermediate concepts of bridge playing.
Here are 4 tips to find the right bridge teacher for you.
1. View their free content
An increasing amount of teachers upload sample lessons or video tutorials that are available for free.
If you think you’ve seen a suitable bridge teacher, check out their free content first where possible. It’s a good idea to get a feel for what teachers have to offer.
2. Read a book (or two)
If you have a favourite bridge writer, it might be time to check out their website: a great deal of writers are also full or part-time bridge teachers who provide their skills to players.
If you see a bridge book by a teacher you’d like to take lessons from, read the book(s) first.
Just like tutorials and website lessons, it can give you a clearer idea of this specific teacher and their approach.
3. Get in touch (& ask questions)
Once you’ve looked at lessons and content from a potential future bridge teacher, it might be time to get in touch with any questions.
If there’s something you want to know regarding their lessons or approach, send them a message and ask.
The majority of bridge teachers welcome questions from prospective students, and are more than happy to answer them.
4. Schedule a trial lesson
There are many bridge teachers who offer trial lessons, sometimes on specific events or open days – and other times, as a temporary look into lessons through their websites.
A trial period or lesson can tell you whether you’ll like what else the specific teacher has to teach.
Best of luck!
Have you found your next bridge teacher yet?