Matt Knelman

My teaching approach:

I have almost 10 years of teaching experience and I am an alumnus of Berklee College of Music. I am a fun but serious teacher and have taught students from ages 7 to 57. I would say I am not your conventional type of teacher and I don’t have one specific book that I base your lessons on. I draw from my extensive experience as a teacher and performer to give you a unique and fresh approach to learning the guitar that many teachers just can’t offer. I want my students to be inspired, positive learners and fearless players. I will make you a better musician not just a better guitar player.

My influences are:

There are so many. I began playing guitar when I was 7 and grew up on 90s alternative music like Weezer, Nirvana, and The Smashing Pumpkins. Then I slowly began to discover classic rock through my parents like The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. Then I found Stevie Ray Vaughan and fell into a world of blues like Derek Trucks and Clapton and then I backtracked to the old blues players like the three Kings, Buddy Guy, and Muddy Waters. Then I attended Berklee and discovered a world of contemporary music that blew my mind such as Julian Lage, Esperanza Spalding and Hiromi Euhara.

My guitar lessons take place in:

The teacher's studio or the student's home

Guitar lessons typically take place on these days and hours:

I teach everyday Weekdays: 2pm-8pm Weekends: 9am-5pm

Guitar Techniques:

Lead guitar, Rhythm guitar, Open tuning, Fingerstyle, Slide Guitar, Vocal Accompaniment, Performance, Improvisation, Jamming Skills, Reading Music, Music Theory, Scales and Exercises, Song Writing, Recording and Production, Guidance In Equipment Selection

Your first guitar lesson with me might include the following:

The first lesson is always different depending on the student's ability. First and foremost it is about getting to know the student. "What music do you listen to? What are you here to accomplish?" Then we begin to set some goals. Although, I believe that in the first lesson it is most important to get a student playing. Jamming is a great way to assess the student's playing ability. I also give a quick test to see what fundamentals the student has down and what the weaknesses are.

A guitar lesson with me might entail the following:

I will develop and personalize your lessons based on your goals and guide you toward becoming the guitar player you envision yourself to be. Learn to play everything from your favorite songs on the radio, to improvising over a Jazz Standard, to playing that epic solo you always wanted to play. Every player is different and I am here to help you pave your own path.

The qualities I look for in an ideal guitar student might include the following:

My ideal guitar student is excited and passionate about learning guitar and music. My ideal student is not afraid to ask questions, not afraid to fail, and not afraid to explore the instrument beyond the scope of the our lessons. Its also nice when the student values practice and respects the instrument for all of its beauty and power.