Spencer Gurley Guitar Lessons

My teaching approach:

I like to work with each student to develop an individual lesson plan, and then use a variety of printed and online materials and resources during lessons to help guide instruction. For jazz and rock, I create backing tracks that students can take home and use. I also (with student's permission) encourage recording of lessons, which I provide. I am comfortable teaching students who learn via musical notation, tablature, and/or by ear.

My influences are:

My biggest influences in my playing are: Jimmy Page, Pat Metheny, Guthrie Govan, Jimi Hendrix, Steve Howe, Larry Carlton, Daniel Gildenlow, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Robert Fripp, and George Harrison. My teaching is inspired by the many incredible guitar, bass, history, theory, and composition that I have had throughout my life, from age 4 until the present. Each one has taught me about how to form a partnership which yields the most benefits for both student and teacher.

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 teach guitar between 5pm and 8:30pm on weekdays, and between 11am and 8pm on the weekends.

Guitar Techniques:

Lead guitar, Rhythm guitar, Fingerstyle, Vocal Accompaniment, Performance, Improvisation, Jamming Skills, Reading Music, Music Theory, Scales and Exercises, Song Writing, Guidance In Equipment Selection

Your first guitar lesson with me might include the following:

Firstly, I have a detailed conversation with the student about their goals for the lessons and what they would like to get out of my instruction. I also like to make an agreement of commitment on the part of both the student and the instructor. I then ask the student to play something that they are comfortable with (if they have previous experience), and may ask for a student to sight-read either music notation or tablature. I also encourage students to try their hand at soloing over a blues on the first lesson (or even singing a solo) to assess improvisation ability.

A guitar lesson with me might entail the following:

The initial lesson usually entails hearing the student play (if they have experience), going into detail of what the student would like to learn, and then developing a curriculum plan to span several lessons. In each lesson, I start by reviewing scales and other material from the previous lesson, as well as go over the reasons why the scales/practice are relevant to the students' goals. The rest of the lesson is more specific to each student, but may include playing along to backing tracks/duets with the teacher, analysis of songs, technique instruction, and completion of other student goals.

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

My ideal student's primary motivation to take lessons is to become better at an instrument that they love to play. I expect my student to make a commitment to practice material taught that fits within their schedule and their interest. My ideal student has clear goals of what they would like to accomplish, so that we can track improvement and progress together and ensure that the student is continuously benefiting from the instruction.