George F. H.

General Info

• Certified Music Teacher

  Certified Music Teacher

  Our rigorous hiring process requires a completed application; an interview with our professional recruiting specialists; personal and professional reference checks; and annual criminal background checks for the duration of each teacher's employment with us.

  
• Background Check Complete

  Criminal Background Check

  In order to ensure the safety of our students, all teachers undergo a thorough criminal background check, which includes: Social Security number trace, multi-state criminal search and a nationwide sex offender registry search.

  
• Levels: Beginner to Advanced

• In-Home Lessons: No
• In-Studio Lessons: Yes
• Ages: 5 & up

Subjects Taught

Bass Guitar, Guitar, Singing, Classical Guitar, Music Performance, Music Recording, Music Theory, Songwriting, Ukulele

Education

Cleveland State University - Liberal Arts - 08/93 - 06/98 (Bachelor's degree received)

Specialties

Methods - Guitar: Alternate Picking, Sweep Picking, Fingerpicking, Hybrid Picking, Tapping, Theory/Applied Theory, Strumming Mechanics, Acoustic and Electric Playing, Sight Reading, Tab Reading, Song Teaching, Tone Production
Bass: Slap, Fingerstyle, Pickstyle, Sightreading,

Styles/Genres: Metal, Rock, Pop, Metal, Some Classical, Country, Folk

Lesson Details

My teaching method is very practical and customized to every individual. I do not believe that you can use the same style with every student because everyone learns differently. With any instrument I teach, I usually approach things from a three-part method, technique, theory, and application.

Examples of technique:
Beginners :
Guitar - how to hold a pick, hand placement on the neck, how to palm mute, amp settings to achieve different tones, etc.
Bass - right/left hand coordination, ... proper right (or left) hand technique for fingerstyle playing.
Vocal - resetting the body and preparing it for singing, proper breathing technique, vocal warmups, etc.
Advanced:
Guitar - sweep picking, fingerstyle, hybrid picking,etc.
Bass - pop/slap method, picking, harmonics, etc.
Vocal - vocal warmup routine / stretching, how to achieve dynamic range, extend your range, control and power, pitch control

Examples of theory:
Beginners:
Guitar - knowing what note you are playing on the guitar, names of chords and different ways to grab them, finding the same notes in different places on the neck.
Bass - similar to guitar.
Vocal - relating notes you are hitting with your voice to a guitar or piano; intermediate ear training.

Advanced:
Guitar - Chord building, scales and improvisation, arpeggio shapes and application to song structure.
Bass - Chord theory learning, key building, scales and application.
Vocal - how to find harmony, key building, study of how vocal lines relate to chord patterns, improvisational technique.

Application:

Beginner:
Guitar - finding three favorite groups and or songs of the student and setting achievable goals to play music that they enjoy. Depending on the level of the student, just like Guitar Hero, there is usually an 'easy' way to play a song which will sound very close - and an 'expert' way, or album accurate way to play the song. Again, this approach is customized to where the student is and the difficulty of material they want to learn.
Bass - similar to guitar
Voice - singing songs by the student's favorite artist.

Advanced:
Guitar -This is where the customizable approach comes in. Everything ties together here. A student, for example that wants to learn a lead from a Stevie Ray Vaughn or Metallica tune may some of the skills required to play it, but may have to work on bends or vibrato. This is really where everything comes together.
Bass: Teaching not only the exact bass lines in student chosen songs, but tying together the theory of why that player chose the lines they did.
Voice: Instruction of where the voice fits into the mix of range, power and personality.

I also do hybrid lessons (guitar/voice, bass/voice, guitar/bass etc).

After 3-6 months, as long as the student is practicing, they should be able to play/sing some material they chose, have a basic understanding how the neck of a guitar/bass is set up or for vocal, be comfortable with knowing how their vocal mechanism works and have better control/command of their tool. All this depends on if the student is an absolute beginner of has been playing/singing for a few years.

As far as materials I ask students of ANY instruments I teach to bring a HARD cover binder with about 30 sheets of looseleaf in it. With every lesson, I enter the date into the binder and the student will walk away from the lesson with 3-5 very achievable goals, which will be entered into their binder.

For guitar/bass students: a CHROMATIC tuner & metronome. Korg and Boss make some nice units that combine these features into one device.

Books:
Guitar
For young students - Mel Bay Children's Guitar Method 1 & 2
For older students - Mel Bay Mastering the Guitar 1A
Also highly recommended for ALL guitar students - The Guitar Handbook by Ralph Denyer

Bass:
Mel Bay's Electric Bass Method 1 & 2
For slap style - Slap Bass Lines by Joe Santerre

Vocal:
No books besides the binder required, but if you

Read More »

« Read Less

About

I've been playing guitar and singing professionally for about 20 years. As a family man and father of two, I also I earn my living and support my family with music. I have a very student-driven teaching style, work with students of all ages, with focus on helping the student achieve his or her individual goals, small or large. I try to keep the lessons fun but focused at the same time

I bring a balanced and personalized teaching style to my lessons, based on a well rounded education and ... wide range of real-world life experience. I have a B.A. in Liberal Arts and have performance experience on many different fronts, from local rock cover bands to Top 40, from acoustic soloist to fronting a nationally touring Metallica tribute.

I come from a musical family - my father is also a pro musician. The biggest thing I've learned as a teacher of guitar, bass and voice is teaching the instrument has only made me a bigger student. The learning process never ends and that is one of the great things about music.

No matter where you are with the instrument - a beginner picking it up for the first time, or a seasoned pro of 10 years that just needs help "putting it together," I believe I can help you to get wherever you want to go.

Read More »

« Read Less

George F.'s Photos

George F.'s Videos

Average Rating