Beyond Basics Guitar With Paul Shumsky

At the first lesson, I ask a few questions to get a clearer idea of what the student has done with guitar up to this date and where they'd like to go, what skills they would like to improve or add. We take a couple minutes to play a simple blues together or standard tune if they know one so I can observe their current technique and musical choices they make as they play. Since I've been teaching for decades, it doesn't take me a long time to determine the areas in which the student could use some help and where it would be best for us to start out.

I have a degree in Jazz Guitar Performance from New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.  I also spent 4 semesters at Berklee College and a few summers at the Eastman School of music. I have studied with a handful of great masters of jazz and the guitar. I have played thousands of gigs of all types, from small coffeehouses and bars to Boston Symphony Hall. I have deep teaching experience having taught thousands of students over three decades. I love teaching and mentoring my students and so enjoy seeing them develop.

Lessons are $50 per hour. I don't offer 1/2 hour lessons because I don't think that's enough time for the student to have a good learning experience. I keep my rate reasonable so most can afford it. Some of my students take biweekly lessons to help make it more affordable.

I started teaching as a teenager after I noticed I had something to offer others.

Beginners to pros. Students looking to get ready for music school. All ages, although at this point in my teaching career, I mostly just teach adults.