Lessons // Guitar Lessons Near Me // Guitar Lessons Skokie

BLUE GUITAR ZONE

5.0 (9)

1 hire on Lessons.com

2 employees

11 years in business

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Skokie, IL 60077

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9 Reviews

5.0

Kevin Francis

My instructor, Kevin started with me 6 months ago as a beginner and I cannot believe how quickly I progressed with his gentle, yet well informed teaching method. It feels wonderful to be able to play songs you enjoy!

2021-07-13
Iram Shah

Great teacher with patience and skill. Learning with him is easy

2021-05-14
Will Jenson

When I started taken guitar lessons with Kevin, I began seeing improvement in my playing almost immediately. I went from not being able to play a bar chord, to learning how to play some of my favorite songs. Since then, I have been extending my knowledge on music theory and slowly conquering the major modes with Kevin's help.

2021-05-09
Keith Brodie

Kevin is a great musician and instructor. During COVID, he made he transition from live person instruction to online seamlessly. My guitar skills have significantly improved since I started taking lessons from Kevin. Great teacher! Highly recommended!

2021-05-04
Paul Zulkie

The key to Kevin's success is the combination of his talent and patience. He is comfortable with so many genres of music and Kevin can listen to just a few bars of a recording and then play along. Kevin demonstrates what I need to know in an understandable way even in a remote teaching environment. He never looses his cool even when I screw up badly. Kevin has taken me to the next level by pushing just hard enough for me to try new things.

2021-05-04
David Lively

I'm learning a huge amount about how to play up and down the fret board in a logical way. By learning the theory in a very practical way, I'm gaining proficiency with various modes, and as a result I'm significantly improving my overall guitar playing. Additionally, I'm learning songs that Kevin suggests (which are very helpful in applying the theory) along with my own suggestions. Getting better every week!

2021-05-03
Marshall Ross

Kevin is patient but persistent in his objective of teaching the right way to do things. He works to prevent bad habits early and inform the lessons with a clear sense of music theory. My playing has progressed at a pace I couldn't have imagined before working with Kevin.

2021-05-03
Stefan Cucuz

He is a great guitar teacher. His knowledge of theory and other things is superb. Definitely the best teacher I've ever had and one of the best players I've met. If you want to progress as a musician I'd definitely go with kevin.

2021-05-03
Florina Antonia

My on-line lessons with Kevin Toler at String Theory are engaging, fun, and inspiring. His style of teaching has really helped my guitar playing 10-fold. I am already anticipating the next lesson with him

2021-05-02

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FAQs

What is your typical process for working with a new student?

I introduce myself and try to make the student feel comfortable asking about his/her musical and other interests, goals etc. I then begin our first lesson with assessing what skill level my student is at and what I think would be the best way to design their program.

With students who are new to the guitar, I usually begin our lesson with finger exercises, warm-ups and simple melodies, to make fretting (pushing down on the string to meet the fret) the instrument easier. Then, I start him/her reading and playing songs using chords and scales and simple tablature and diagrams. Usually, in no time they will be playing more of the songs, and music they enjoy listening to.

Using my method, students are not required to read staff in the beginning, but will instead, learn how to read tablature, charts, and diagrams, as they are easier to read, write and communicate, while also teaching how to recognize note values and symbols.

What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?

Attended mi.edu in Los Angeles, California.

Skilled in music education, songwriting/composition, music production, sound design and guitar.

Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.

30 Minute Online Guitar Lesson - $35.00

45 Minute Online Guitar Lesson - $45.00

60 Minute Online Guitar Lesson - $65.00

How did you get started teaching?

I started studying guitar at 11 years old, then started teaching guitar as a teenager privately at home, and at a local music store in Chicago, IL. At 20, I moved to Los Angeles, and enrolled at Musicians Institute ( mi.edu ). While attending school, I worked as a session/studio guitarist, and taught guitar privately.

What types of students have you worked with?

Beginning-Intermediate-Advanced Students of All Ages.

Describe a recent event you are fond of.