Rachel Loss-Cutler-Hull Guitar Lessons

My teaching approach:

My goal is to help each of my students become the best musician possible. I'll provide technical and interpretive instruction, as well as instruction in reading music (as necessary) and in music theory (as desired). I'll teach you not just what to do, but why to do it; I believe technique exists to serve the music, not the other way around. I've played guitar since 1989, and taught at Eastfield College in Texas 2005-2015. I have earned an MM in Guitar Performance. I also write music from time to time. I've played with string players, wind players, vocalists, and other guitarists.

My influences are:

As a guitarist, my teachers Robert Guthrie and Dr. Madriguera. As a composer, I admire Leo Brouwer. I'd like to claim Stevie Ray Vaughan, but we play different styles of music (but I think there's something to learn from his mixture of technique and heart).

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:

Weekdays, generally 2:00-6:30 PM, but variable.

Guitar Techniques:

Open tuning, Fingerstyle, Vocal Accompaniment, Performance, Reading Music, Music Theory, Scales and Exercises, Song Writing, Guidance In Equipment Selection

Your first guitar lesson with me might include the following:

If you already know how to play something, I'll ask you to play for me. If you have prior experience with music but not necessarily guitar, I will ask you basic musical questions to gauge what you remember. If you are starting from scratch, we'll jump right in to the learning part.

A guitar lesson with me might entail the following:

In a typical guitar lesson, the student and I choose music for the student to learn (from sheet music), and work on technical and interpretive aspects of playing within the context of that music. I'll teach exercises needed for honing the efficiency of the right and left hands, and we'll often use those for warm-ups. Depending on the needs of the student, we'll work on technique (including sitting position and the position of the hands), interpretation, rhythm, sight-reading, harmonic analysis (and other music theory topics), and performance and practice philosophy.

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

My ideal guitar student: 1. Loves music 2. Loves guitar 3. Asks questions as they come up 4. Has an inquiring mind and is eager to learn 5. Practices at home