Services

Are you...

• An adult who is trying to figure out the best way to get started with the guitar?
• A parent looking for quality guitar instruction for your son or daughter?
• A guitar player or musician feeling stuck on how to develop new skills or improve your current abilities?

You or your child can not only make great progress with the guitar but allow the guitar to become a positive part of your life. You may have modest goals of playing some of your favorite songs, or be very ambitious and want to achieve a high level of musical skill. Whatever your goals are, whatever your level is, improving on an instrument is incredibly rewarding, and the process can often be just as enjoyable as the result.

In my teaching practice of almost twenty years I have helped many people of all ages make great progress with the guitar and reach their musical goals. Many of my students and former students have gone on to study music at college, record albums, and tour the country with original music. I also work with plenty of casual hobbyists: busy professionals who want some more music in their lives.

If you are considering guitar lessons for yourself or your son or daughter, click here and we can set up a free introductory session.

Adult Beginners

Adult beginners often believe that they don't have enough talent to begin with, or that it's simply too difficult to start learning an instrument after childhood. These are myths! If you have 20-30 minutes a day to spend playing the guitar, and you have the right instruction for what to do, how to do it, and in what order, you can definitely get over that "beginner's hump" and start playing some great music.

In teaching guitar to adult beginners I recognize that everybody is different. I customize the process for each individual, always considering goals, personal needs, learning style, and practice time available, among other things. 

If you're an adult who wants to learn how to play guitar, click here so we can set up a free introductory session.

Kids

I know that kids need a process to be fun and rewarding in order to get hooked, so over the years I've come up with a lot of different methods for getting kids as young as 5 years old to keep making great progress with the guitar, year after year, and staying motivated and excited the whole time.

I want all my  younger students to develop their technique and general musicianship to a point where they have their own musical identity and personal appreciation for music. In my lessons it's not just about learning to play a few songs, but to develop musical skills that will serve my students well throughout their whole lives, long after the lessons are over.

I encourage a lot of communication with parents to make sure their child is enjoying the lessons and clear on how and what to practice. Working with a student of any age requires paying a lot of attention to their learning style and what motivates them, but this is more challenging with a child who might not be able to verbalize these things for himself. I see myself as being part of a team with the parents, with the goal of guitar becoming a fun and meaningful part of the child’s life.

If you'd like to get your son or daughter started with guitar lessons, click here and we can set up a free introductory session.

Intermediate and Advanced Lessons

Often experienced guitarists come to me because they feel they are in a rut, either technically or creatively. Maybe they feel like they play the same things over and over again, so they want to dive into new territory. Or maybe they feel like they are limited in their abilities and aren’t making the progress they know is possible.

In my lessons with experienced players I focus on breaking larger, complex subjects into clear and manageable parts, allowing the student to get closer to their goals in tangible steps. I also provide students with simple methods to track their own progress. 

I also know how frustrating trying to improve can be when practice time seems limited and there seems like so much to learn. I try to provide a lot of coaching on those areas as well, so motivation stays high and practicing even very difficult material is still fun and rewarding. Even for serious guitarists dedicated to improving their craft, progress does not have to be miserable torture!

Topics of more advanced lessons may include:

• ear training
• improvisation and soloing
• systems for understanding the entire fretboard: intervals, scales, and arpeggios
• understanding the relationships between notes, scales, and chords and how to access different options for improvisation
• voicing chords and voice leading - being able to be creative and dynamic with chords, rather than playing the same standard handful of open and barre shapes
• technical improvement for speed and accuracy
• advanced rhythmic concepts and time keeping
• reading music and working with lead sheets
• fingerpicking
• arranging for solo guitar
• songwriting and composition
• arranging for a group

If you'd like to get started with advanced guitar lessons, get out of your rut, learn new skills, and make great progress on the guitar, click here and we'll set up a free introductory session.