Kris Hayes Music & Audio

My teaching approach:

I began teaching music in 2006 while attending the Conservatory of Music at SUNY Purchase College. After graduating Magna Cum Laude, then playing as a national touring musician, I taught at the JCC of Mid-Westchester in Scarsdale, NY and the Institute of Audio Research in Manhattan before focusing on private instruction full time. I now boast a sizable body of students, totaling in the hundreds since I began, in multiple states.

I taught in-person in Westchester County and The Bronx, NY for 15 years, and now offer online lessons anywhere, as well as select in-person in Western North Carolina in Henderson County.

My influences are:

Brian Baker (Bad Religion/Dag Nasty/Minor Threat), Stephen Egerton (Descendents/ALL), Tad Kubler (The Hold Steady), Jonny "Two Bags" Wickersham (Social Distortion), Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello & The Attractions).

Guitar Techniques:

Lead guitar, Rhythm 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:

The introductory lesson is used to get a grasp on the student's interests and abilities. Each person is different, so getting to know what a student's strengths and weaknesses will be as a player is crucial from the get-go. It allows me to assess how lessons will be conducted and structured, and what supplemental material will best fit the student.

A guitar lesson with me might entail the following:

Young adult & adult lessons focus on learning material of the student's choice, incorporating learning by ear, and writing lead sheets and tablature. It is strongly suggested to round out lessons with a bit of reading notation, as it lends itself to techniques found in other material, though not all students choose to do so. Young children are given a foundation of music beginning with basic versions of chords, as well as learning to read melodies.

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

The ideal student of any kind, guitar or not, is one who is there to learn and enjoy. The combination of both is critical to success!