Vic Rawlings Guitar Lessons

My teaching approach:

Beginning with the very first lessons, while learning the music you are interested in, you will learn proper instrumental technique. All of what you hear comes from hands, and that is where we begin. Intermediate and advanced students that come to me often benefit from these fundamentals lessons also. You will also learn the how and why of creating music. As we progress through the music you like most, you will learn what the musicians who made it needed to learn in order to make it: what they were most likely thinking as they were making it. You will learn to listen as a musician does.

My influences are:

Many and varied, starting with everyone I've played with and what I've heard. In no particular order: Nigel Tufnel, Albert King, Kerry King, Roscoe Holcomb, Glenn Tipton, Scotty Moore, John Lee Hooker, Poison Ivy of The Cramps, KK Downing, Booker White, Neil Young, Lightnin Hopkins, Thin Lizzy-era Gary Moore, Link Wray, Malcolm and Angus Young, James Burton, Jeff Hanneman, Don Rich, Roy Nichols, Merle Haggard, Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, James Williamson of The Stooges, Billy Zoom of X, Echoes-era David Gilmour, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Ramone, Tommy Tedesco, and anyone you're interested in.

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 am available to teach Monday through Thursday from 9am until 10pm. I favor early afternoon and morning times, but understand that most people need the evening hours. If students have the flexibility to come in the off-hours, I encourage that. I almost never teach on Fridays or weekends but occasionally make exceptions.

Guitar Techniques:

Lead guitar, Rhythm guitar, Open tuning, Fingerstyle, Slide Guitar, 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:

A beginner's first lesson always starts with me asking the student what they want to learn- what they want to be able to do with the guitar. I then introduce the student to the basic techniques the style they are interested in requires. I present the easiest applicable chords or maybe a melody that matters to them. I use tablature and chord diagrams for this. If a student has playing experience, I also ask them what they want to learn, and we progress in a similar way. I ask these students to play something for me or we play a little together.

A guitar lesson with me might entail the following:

Lessons are directly based on the student's needs. I typically ask the student how things are going and if there is something in particular from that week's practice sessions that they have questions about. From there we talk about the music and technique. I give students a passage they can approach and teach them an effective way to learn it physically. Typically the next step is to explore useful ways to apply what was learned to other musical situations. I teach only what theory is directly important to performance and the creative process. No useless stuff. Everything is based in reality.

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

Anyone who wants to learn- we can work from there! I ask students to be very active by naming the music they want to learn, so my ideal student has articulated musical interests or an area they want to explore. I can always create a general course of study as well. I always have recordings to recommend to students to expand their sense of music. A crucial part of my development continues to come from exposure to new, unexpected music. Some of my best music teachers have been friends who are record collectors and DJs.