About
OUR TEACHING APPROACH: We implement a revolutionary approach of learning guitar based on each student's individual playing goals and use customized teaching techniques to help them reach those goals as quickly as possible. By knowing what to learn, what order to learn, as well as practicing for maximum results, students are able to learn and reach their playing goals much faster.
WHERE OUR GUITAR CLASSES TAKE PLACE: Commercial teaching studio located in East Mesa.
STYLES TAUGHT: Rock, Blues, Classic Rock, Country, Metal, Jazz (Our programs are based around popular music styles not classical guitar)
PLAYING LEVELS AND AGES: We teach all playing levels beginning to advanced ranging in age from 8 - 80+.
GUITAR TECHNIQUES TAUGHT: Lead guitar, Rhythm guitar, Open tuning, Fingerstyle, Slide Guitar, Vocal Accompaniment, Performance, Improvisation, Jamming Skills, Reading Music, Music Theory, Ear Training, Scales and Exercises, Song Writing, Recording and Production, Guidance In Equipment Selection
YOUR FIRST GUITAR CLASS WITH US WILL MOST LIKELY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:The student's musical and playing goals are uncovered and thoroughly documented. A series of diagnostics are given to determine the student's current playing skill. Playing starts if at all possible to relay the fact that anybody who can walk, tie their shoes and text can play guitar.
A GUITAR PROGRAM/CLASS WITH US WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: Students are presented material (sometimes before their lesson). That material is discussed and questions are answered. The material is applied to the student's specific playing situation and goals. Students are taught and trained how to practice for maximum effectiveness. Steps are taken to integrate the material into the student's skill set as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Basically, a SEE, REVIEW, PRACTICE, DO and MASTER learning strategy is applied to facilitate faster results than other forms of learn like youtube or self teaching.
THE QUALITIES WE LOOK FOR IN IDEAL STUDENTS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: A student who is passionate about playing and being a self-sufficient musician. Students who possess this foundation are more likely to understand the value of consistent, congruent and continuous practice and how these qualities relate to their growth as musicians in the long run. Also, students who have a solid vision of their playing goals experience results much faster than students who "just want to see where guitar leads."
Our goal as a school is to create highly competent and self-sufficient musicians as quickly as possible. Passing the gift of true musicnaship on to the future generations is a huge passion for us. Tools like Youtube are amazing, but they don't impart functional music skills like learning by ear, improvising solos, interacting with other musicians in a band setting, reading music, writing music, performing with confidence, etc. Most players today are stuck copying Youtube tutorials or playing mechanically using tabs instead of creating music by hearing something in their head and then instantly playing it on their instrument. We want to bridge the gap between technology and functional musicianship.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
YOUR FIRST GUITAR CLASS WITH US WILL MOST LIKELY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:The student's musical and playing goals are uncovered and thoroughly documented. A series of diagnostics are given to determine the student's current playing skill. Playing starts if at all possible to relay the fact that anybody who can walk, tie their shoes and text can play guitar.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Without properly trained instructors, a lot of lessons can be more about trial-and-error at the expense of the students. At East Mesa School of Guitar, our instructors are continually being trained in modern teaching techniques ensuring our students get the best instruction and reach their goals as quickly as possible.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
We offer many different learning formats that depend on student playing levels, goals, budget and time constraints. We talk through these options with each new candidate to make sure they get the best possible solution to obtatin the results they desire.
How did you get started teaching?
The East Mesa School of Guitar originated as a favor for a friend. The owner was asked to teach a family friend’s son how to play guitar. At the time he had been playing music for 25+ years, but had never considered how satisfying passing on the gift of music to others would be! That one experience gave birth to a lifelong quest to help others reach their musical goals.
Since then, we’ve trained hundreds of players and invested countless
hours learning the latest teaching and training techniques so our students can learn faster and experience massive results.
This unique mission, passion and learning approach has enabled East Mesa School of Guitar to continue growing and keep music alive for future generations to enjoy!
What types of students have you worked with?
We've worked with total beginners to professional players. Also, we've succesfully mentored and trained players starting as young as 8 all the way to 87. It's never too late to get started:-)
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
We recently help an 87-year-old woman realize her dream of playing guitar! Now that was an amazing experience and we hope to make many more stories like hers a reality!
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Always look for the most experienced instructor or school you can find. How do you know they are experienced? Well, you can ask them, but we all know where that could lead.
The best place to start is by checking their website. Does the information presented make sense? Does the information help you understand more about the journey of learning an instrument? Does the site present reviews from past students? If so, do these students seem like they received the results they wanted? Be very cautious of sites that only talk about how great the instructor is without any past student reviews to back it up. Experience is everything - especially when your musical education is riding on it.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Use the following tips as a guide to asking better questions:
1. When first calling take price out of the equation. You may be saying, "What!?" We understand how you feel. However, the price of instruction has very little to do with the RESULTS you receive. For instance, little Johnny down the block may only charge $10 a lesson which sounds like a great deal, right? But what if little Johnny doesn't have a clue how to properly teach and train someone to play guitar? You're basically paying him to do on-the-job-training using a trial-and-error method. It could take years before you see tangible results. ON THE OTHER HAND... If you have a well trained, experienced instructor who understands what your frustrations are and how to quickly fix them you will reach your playing goals in a fraction of the time it would've taken little Johnny. Which is a better deal in the long run?
2. This leads to the question of all questions: Ask the teacher about their teaching experience. Specifically how long they've taught and approximately how may students they've taught during that time. 3 years is an absolute minimum and at least 100 - 150 students gets them through some of the trial-and-error phase.
3. Ask what style of music they are most comfortable teaching. If they answer "all styles" don't be impressed. If they answer the style you want to learn, continue the conversation...
4. Ask if they have a specific teaching strategy to help you reach your specific goals. If they talk about taking it lessons by lesson, or "playing it by ear" as you go, or "winging it" they don't have a strategy in mind. They probably plan on asking you what you want to learn each week and then holding you hostage while they DON'T show you how to be self-sufficient as a player. It sounds harsh, but we constantly talk with people who have wasted thousands of dollars on lessons and gained very little functional musical skill.
There are many other questions, but these should provide a great starting point. Remember you're investing in yourself (or a loved one) and should expect a great return on that investment.