Private lessons with top Saxophone instructors near Long Beach, CA

All ages, all levels, various styles including: jazz, classical, commercial/contemporary music

Tired of being frustrated by the pace of self-teaching or is your child bored with the progress in school band class? Are you an adult who never played an instrument but are really interested in learning a wind instrument? Not able to express yourself creatively or don't really understand why your favorite songs or styles of music work? Do you want a more hands-on way of teaching with personalized plans just for you? Learn how to play the Saxophone with Michael! Michael teaches a variety of instruments and subjects in the woodwind family: - Saxophone - Clarinet - Flute - Improvisation - Music Theory - Jazz Studies Michael creates versatile and fun lesson plans that incorporate learning your favorite music while teaching theory, improvisation, note reading, songwriting, or any other interests! He has an easy-to-follow, fun, but yet structured and thorough plan designed for results to help the student reach their goals, rather than imposing an one-size-fits-all plan just from lesson books! Michael teaches anyone from kids to adults and seniors and encourages all students to be creative while really understanding the music they play. Michael incorporates classical and traditional music into lesson programs alongside modern styles to create diverse and interesting repertoire!

Gordon L. began playing music at a very early age but didn't begin to learn the saxophone until he was in fifth grade. Gordon's interest in music grew when he began to work sound systems for bluegrass bands and eventually he started to experiment more with music. Soon after he would pick up guitar which would spark his interest in further pursuing his playing of music. After he bought a guitar, Gordon would practice relentlessly, sometimes for as long as 12 hours a day. This passion for music allowed Gordon to go to a summer rock band camp in San Diego where he learned everything you need to know about touring, playing in a band, making a music video etc. When Gordon reached his senior year of high school he attended Perpich Center of the Performing arts in Golden Valley, Minnesota. While he was learned he took classes in ear training and music theory. He also took a Taiko drum class while he was at Perpich. Along with learning new musical concepts, Gordon also learned how the music business works which got him more interested in marketing the bands he performed in. Gordon also was able to take guitar lessons at Macphail in Minneapolis under the apprenticeship of James Allen. Gordon went on to Mesabi Range Community College where he received his Associates Degree. While there he played saxophone in the Community Band and guitar in bands he started himself. Gordon also took a banjo class, piano class and a music history class at Mesabi Range Community College. His main focus in the past years has been working with bands doing studio work, mini tours and CD production/marketing for those groups. After Community College, Gordon went to Evangel University in Missouri where he continued to study Guitar and Saxophone while picking up more woodwind and string instruments. Gordon took private guitar lessons and attended a Guitar Master Class at this college. He also attended Missouri State University where he learned about theory and composition. He also played Saxophone in the jazz band. While he attended school in Missouri he relentlessly continued to play in multiple groups live and recorded a Ska/Reggae CD (guitar and saxophone tracks) with the band Bringers of the Dawn. Gordon can fluently play and teach Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Clarinet, and Saxophone. Gordon is also willing to teach harmonica and banjo to those interested in learning. Gordon also has knowledge of several other cultural instruments with a background in piano lessons from high school and college. He got superior and excellent ratings at musical competitions for voice and saxophone in high school where he performed songs such as the Hungarian Dance #5 and Beautiful Dreamer. Gordon loves all genres of music and enjoys learning every style he can in order to improve his musical instruction. For the moment Gordon is pursuing songwriting particularly in the field of cultural music. Focusing on the students immediate musical needs, Gordon is able to encourage students to set goals in order to efficiently practice, concentrate and focus during the lesson time. Gordon is very patient with every student so that they refrain from becoming frustrated, overwhelmed or intimidated. Realizing the importance of music, Gordon makes sure that every student leaves each lesson having learned something new.

If you want playing the saxophone to feel as natural as singing in the shower, then this is the course for you! I teach all levels of students from beginner to advanced, with a heavy focus on transcription and ear training. Everything in my curriculum is designed to make playing easy, natural and fun. Whether you want to play like Charlie Parker or learn all of the Beatles' greatest hits, we'll work together to help you make the music you've always wanted to.

I am a professional musician passionate about sharing the joy of music with others. I specialize in beginner to intermediate students of all ages. I teach students how to practice and why to practice in order to help them fall in love with the saxophone! Typical lessons involve scales, sight reading, and a piece that the student chooses. If you like having fun and learning about different kinds of music send me a message!

Students start with the Rubank book for Saxophone. Later we will add the Universal Sax method and move all the way up to Ferling Studies, along the way we learn to sight read and our scales. We work on both classical Sax solos and on jazz, learning to improv.

I will teach you the fundamental basics as well as some tricks I learned from various artists I've played with. We will be using the Jamey Abersold books, Bob Mintzer books, and some of the tunes in the fake books. Also we will work on scales. I will also teach you how to write and compose your own music using my background music I send you.