Ryan Pearson Guitar Lessons

My teaching approach:

Playing guitar since age 7, I am comfortable sitting in with jazz, rock, and funk bands. I studied classical and jazz guitar at the University of Northern Iowa (2011), and music production and engineering at the SAE Institute of New York (2014). I also compose and write my own songs and love to sing as well. As a music theory nerd I love to share as much of my formal music knowledge as the the student is comfortable with. However, teaching guitar is more about instilling a life long passion for the instrument. Every lesson is tailored individually with the hope of being fun and engaging.

My influences are:

John Scofield, Ben Monder, Paco de Lucia, Pepe Romero, Jimi Hendrix, Derek Trucks

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 Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday afternoons.

Guitar Techniques:

Lead guitar, Rhythm guitar, Fingerstyle, Vocal Accompaniment, 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:

I usually start beginning students off with some basic left hand technique to bring awareness to the buildup of tension and release in the hand. More advanced students often need some help here and sometimes have already developed bad habits that can lead to pain and problems with the wrist. Technique is often what distinguishes student ability for me, rather than chord and scale knowledge. Good, effortless technique is what I look for in my best students.

A guitar lesson with me might entail the following:

Learning songs is the most important and fun way to approach a lesson. Different songs offer insights into chords, scales, and melodies. Students should develop a songbook or repertoire that they can always come back and draw from.

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

My ideal guitar student is someone passionate about music, eager and open to learn, and driven to get better through practice.