Joseph Miller Guitar Lessons

My teaching approach:

When learning an instrument, I believe that the most important thing to have (and keep) is enthusiasm! Learning happens easily and quickly when we are enjoying the process. It is therefore important to me that my students are advancing toward the goals that they personally have, regarding what they want to play. I am certified to teach Suzuki Guitar and hold an Bachelors of Music from University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

My influences are:

Classical Gods: David Russell, John Williams, Aniello Desiderio, Stephan Rak Rockers: Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Roger Waters, Django Reinhardt, B.B King

My guitar lessons take place in:

The teacher's studio or the student's home

Guitar Lessons with me take place in the following areas:

My Studio in Bellingham, Students' homes in Bellingham or Seattle

Guitar Techniques:

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

Your first guitar lesson with me might include the following:

In the first lesson I think it is important to see where the student is at technically and discuss what types of music they would like to explore. This will help to direct how the next few lessons go and what aspects of technique and theory are concentrated on.

A guitar lesson with me might entail the following:

Lessons will generally begin with playing to warm up, I often jam out on a 12 bar blues with students. Then, review of previous material and techniques we are working on. Every week is different, but depending on the student's goals will include a mix of: Technique, Working on Songs/Pieces, Improvisation, and Music Theory (Chords, Scales exc).

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

The ideal student is motivated to improve and to practice. They also arrive on time for lessons with their guitar and current pieces.