About
My teaching approach: I teach popular styles except classical, hiphop, ethnic and flamenco. Guitar playing is FUN. My teaching style is to find songs you want to play, and inject necessary concepts into the process of learning it. Includes music theory and technique. I use ear training, chord diagrams, tab, even standard notation. Bring songs or use my library. My background is in bands, in living rooms, and in the studio. So I can teach you to play by yourself, with others or in bands. My influences are: The British Invasion and folkies got me going in the last 60's - but I've been in bands since then, learning whatever was popular in each decade. I don't have a single guitarist or bassist that I idolize. If I had to name a few names though, James Taylor, Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, James Jamerson, Jim McGuinn... My guitar lessons take place in: The teacher's studio Guitar Lessons with me take place in the following areas: Lincolnia in Alexandria Guitar Techniques: Lead guitar, Rhythm guitar, Fingerstyle, Improvisation, Jamming Skills, 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 ask questions. If the student is brand-new, we use Progressive's beginning guitar book, and spend the rest of the first lesson going through the basics (parts of the guitar - how to tune it, how to use a pick, how fingers play notes, how to read chord diagrams and how to make chords) They go home with specific parts of the book to practice, plus hopefully some simple popular tune to work on. With non-beginners, we spend the first lesson discovering "holes" in their understanding, and building up a plan for filling those holes using songs/music they are hoping to expand into. A guitar lesson with me might entail the following: First we go over what you've worked on and learned in the past week - and what questions you have. Then we pick a new song or a new topic and learn aspects of it - the chords, solos, theory in that song. For beginners, this would be the next lesson(s) in the beginner book. Beginners can learn from popular songs in the 2nd portion of the lesson as well. Students leave with information to work on remembering and possibly tab to practice and chords to learn and practice. The qualities I look for in an ideal guitar student might include the following: Students are 15 and older (exceptional 14 or 13 yr olds case-by-case) - there is no "too old". Ideal students are doing it because they want to make music on the guitar. Motivated to understand the instrument and making music. Able to practice during the week.