Barnesville, MD Guitar Lessons

Strum and play chords; read and play notes. Sing, write songs and appreciate guitar music of all kinds including flamenco, classical and popular musiic.

I not only focus on reading, technique and theory but how these subjects relate to the music you listen to.

I believe music is a language and is understood best in context of of what music you enjoy on a daily basis, that way you can play along.

I like to structure my lessons around the student, focusing on their goals and aspirations.

I teach all levels of guitar in the areas of rock, blues and jazz, but I really focus more on the musical skills need to play guitar in any style. These include a thorough chord vocabulary, experience playing rhythm guitar, and a complete progressive study of scales and their use in improvisation (lead guitar) starting with pentatonic scales and progressing to major scales, different forms of minor scales and modes. All scales are learned in multiple positions and the student learns to perform with them in any key. In every lesson the student and I play exercises and study materials together to make actual music from the materials being studied.

Guitar

While teaching bass is my specialty, I've been teaching guitar for 4 years and have amassed quite the collection. The overwhelming majority of my students at the shops I teach at take lessons on guitar, so most of my time is actually spent teaching guitar. In lessons, we'll cover basic chords, scales, and rhythms, as well as some introductory music theory so the student knows why they're playing what they play.

Theory - To develop your independence.
Scales - To develop your fret board navigation.
Exercises - To develop your technique.
Chords and progressions - To develop your rhythm.
Compositions - To develop your style
Out-of-class projects - To develop your knowledge.
Weekly Progress Reports - To monitor your improvement.

PLUS!!! - Over 2,000 original recordings from AC/DC -- ZZ Top WITHOUT GUITARS!!! - To develop your applications of various skillsets.

Whether you're just starting out or are trying to get your chops to a professional level, I have a comprehensive guitar method that is customized to the goals, needs, desires and musical tastes of every individual. My approach is centered on the idea that there is more than 1 right way to learn and that it should be fun. After 14 years of teaching, I believe most in finding the musical elements inspire and motivate my students, and building from there. You WILL learn to play the way YOU want!

My guitar lessons are unique because I teach technical guitar skills by way of teaching classic guitar songs. Whether you are interested in learning Classic Rock, Spanish Guitar, or today's hits, you will take away not only a repertoire of your favorite songs, but the skills needed to sightread new songs on your own. For beginner students, we will work to identity songs that are both of interest to you and meet the needs to teach you pertinent skills. For intermediate to advanced students, we will work through songs you wish to learn while working through other genres to increase your musical exposure. Overall, my lessons are driven by your interests while subtlety incorporating the proper technical skills.

Beginning your journey into acoustic guitar? Looking for help or motivation to get to the next level? I have been playing professionally for 5 years and would love to help you achieve your goals in music. Send me a message and tell me what you would like me to do for you!