Chris Walczak Guitar Lessons

My teaching approach:

I have been a professional guitarist, bassist, composer, songwriter, recording engineer, and private instructor for over ten years. From 2008-2012 I taught classroom Music Theory and Composition at Rice University. I'm an avid performer as well: classical guitar recitals, touring in bands, and many professional recordings. My teaching approach is based on you. In my years of experience, I've found that there are countless reasons for taking music lessons. As your teacher, it's my job to understand what you're looking for, your goals, and I how I can meet your expectations.

My influences are:

There is great music and there are great players found in absolutely every style or genre. I have been influenced by many musicians and thinkers in many different phases of my life. I grew up surrounded by rock, pop, metal, country, alternative and hip hop. There was a distinct time period in which I was all about virtuosity, practicing five hours per day. There was a jazz phase. There was a singer-songwriter phase. There was an electronic music phase. I've saved all of my influences in a vault and they stay with me always.

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 Monday-Friday from 11am to 9pm. I will schedule lessons on the weekends for those who cannot meet during the week.

Guitar Techniques:

Lead guitar, Rhythm guitar, Open tuning, 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:

The first lesson is about getting to know you a bit. Of course I want to know what your musical goals are, but I also want to know what you're passionate about, what kind of music you love, and what I can do to help. That way I can know the best path to get you where you want to go and make it exciting and enjoyable for you. After ten years of teaching privately and teaching in a college classroom for two, believe me, I can assess your abilities and tap into your strengths! If you are just beginning, I can help you get over those first hills and into some real music very quickly.

A guitar lesson with me might entail the following:

We take a few moments to talk about how the work went for you over the week. Any breakthroughs? Any setbacks? What was enjoyable and what was a struggle? Are we going in a good direction, or should we shift gears? Then we dive into what we're doing. It might be a song or a few songs we're working on. It might pure technique. It might be that we're just covering the basics. We might be writing music together or improvising together. Our direction is up to you, and I'll help shape our lessons effectively. In the second half of the lesson, we'll break new ground and establish next weeks goals.

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

I have no ideal guitar student. If it's one thing I have come to understand, it's that each of us thinks uniquely, learns uniquely, expresses ourselves uniquely, and approaches music uniquely. It is my job to meet your needs, help you get where you want, and to know your pace.