Jimmy Cimermancic Guitar
About
I teach very flexibly, catering to both your wants as a student and any problem areas that you may or may not be aware of. Rather than drills and formal theory, I focus on making playing guitar feel like... playing.
If you are a beginner, a typical starting point with my classes is learning an enjoyable new song immediately. Through this, we can discuss the new techniques, chords, and anything else of interest, but the focus is on getting you playing something you like.
From there, we can start to dabble in improvisation. That may sound scary at first, but it is consistently my students' favorite part of lessons after a couple tries. Playing any instrument at a high level is like having a conversation with the music, and improvising is just adding more of your voice to the conversation.
About me: I am a fingerstyle acoustic guitarist who has played guitar for 25 years. I have been part of bands ranging from indie to blues to prog metal. My first guitar was a Squire Stratocaster, but I switched to acoustic after learning how to play guitar percussively. Now, I mostly play solo fingerstyle. I started teaching guitar in 2014, and have had students ranging from very beginner to high intermediate.
A couple of my performances:
https://youtu.be/JVxr5cGfGVQ
https://youtu.be/HpOPUqIKOKU
Specialties
Musical styles
Guitar style
Has instrument
Years experience
Able to read music
Lesson length
Student's age
Photos and videos
No reviews (yet)
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I will get a feel for your ability level (zero and up) and then we will learn a new enjoyable song immediately. We use the song to explore techniques, chords, scales, improvisation, etc. later, but I want you to want to play. In my experience, first teaching theory or technique causes boredom, confusion, or frustration more often than starting by playing. Those things are important, too, but actually wanting to sit down and practice is the best way to make steady progress.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
One time lesson:
$20 / half hour
$30 / full hour
$60 / two hours
How did you get started teaching?
What types of students have you worked with?
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
As an avid cyclist, I had a great time cycling through the mountains of Taiwan with a friend this past September. It was a big challenge, but the view from the top was worth it.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Look for someone who you enjoy learning from and who motivates you to play. That might be me, and it might not- everyone has their own style. But find someone that makes you look forward to the lesson, not someone who makes you feel like it is an obligation.