Garrett Park Music Lessons

ks better than the spoken word because it doesn't have to be understood to be effective."

In some instances, music works better than the spoken word because it doesn't have to be understood to be effective. Although many musicians agree that music is a "language" it is rarely treated as such.

Many of us treat it as something that can only be learned by following a strict regiment under the tutelage of a skilled teacher. This approach has been followed for hundreds of years with proven success... But it takes a long time. Too long.

Think about the first language you learned as a child. More importantly, think about how you learned it.

"You were allowed to make mistakes."

You were a baby when you first started speaking and even though you spoke the language incorrectly you were allowed to make mistakes - and the more mistakes you made, the more your parents smiled!

Learning to speak was not something you were sent somewhere to do only a few times a week. The majority of people you spoke to were not beginners, they were already proficient speakers. Imagine your parents forcing to only speak to other babies until you were good enough to speak to them! You'd probably be an adult before you could carry on a proper conversation.

To use a musical term, as a baby you were allowed to "jam" with professionals.

If we approach music in the same natural way we approached our first language, we would learn to speak it in the same short time it took to speak our first language.
Proof of this can be seen in almost any family where a child grows up with other musicians in the family.

Here are a few keys to follow in learning guitar or bass:

In the beginning we embrace mistakes instead of correcting them. Like a child playing air guitar there are no wrong notes.

Allow young musicians to play and perform with accomplished musicians on a daily basis.

Encourage young musicians to play more than they practice. The more they play, the more they will practice on their own.

Music comes from the musician, not the instrument.
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2) RockSmith 2014 becomes your personal accomplished musician or band for you to play in a daily basis as it monitors how you play, dynamically adjusts difficulty to your skill level, then slowly introduces more notes and phrases until you're playing your favorite songs note-for-note. Lead Rhythm and bass lines.

Rocksmith 2014 teaches you fast and effectively by letting you plug any real guitar or bass directly into your Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, Windows PC or Mac.

The Rocksmith Method will first make sure you can PLAY the instrument.
You will play your favorite songs.
You will learn a new technique every month.
Rocksmith is designed to match the way your guitar is laid out, so there's no need to interpret tablature or learn sheet music to get started.
Have strings on your guitar? You'll see strings on the screen....

You'll need a game console, a screen and a electric guitar or bass. It's non negotiable.

If you don't have it. I will provide you with a loaner system until you catch up.

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3) A dedicated and passionate Teacher to tie everything together and keep you on track.

The early you start, the better. Kids age 6 or up are my best customers. They don't have adjust to anything other than to get their little fingers around a guitar appropriate to their size.
For young adults and people that tried play the guitar the old fashion way, here's my advise:

You will need to take a step back... or maybe two steps. Let me show you a better way.

These 3 things changes everything in how to learn or teach guitar. This is just to start the journey. I won't even mention custom songs or our musician club for you to perform your songs.

"If music is a language. You should never stop talking."

Remember that a language works the best when we have something interesting to say.
Many music teachers never find out what their students have to say. We only tell them what they are supposed to say.
A child speaks a language for years before they even learn the alphabet.
Too many rules at the onset will actually slow them down.
In my eyes the approach to music should be the same.

After all, music is a language too.

Let's Play & Grow Together.

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Private guitar and bass lessons are designed for students to progress at their own pace. Private lessons will follow the same RockSmith Journey structure. In a private guitar or bass lesson, the teacher has the opportunity to help the student individually for the entire lesson time, and structures each lesson personally for the student depending on their skill level and goals.

The Essentials/Techniques Plus:

Tuning
Strapping up
How to hold a pick
Plucking strings
Accents
Slides
Chords
Power chords
Double stops
Barre chords
Arpeggios
Notes Chords Scales

Shifting
Fretting
Sustains
Palm mutes
Slides
Bends
Tremelos
Hammer-ons
Pull-offs
Natural harmonics
Strumming patterns
Unpitched slides
Fret hand mutes
Improvising and jamming
Vibrato
Scales and modes
Changing strings

Additional Bass Techniques:

Fifths
Roots
Slapping
Popping

Advanced Players:

Double stop, Oblique, and Compound Bends
Two hand tapping
Articulation and phrasing
Pinch harmonics
Extended harmonies
Hybrid techniques
Advanced chords

and piano. We can do this as a split one hour lesson, or alternate weeks. We will also work on ensemble playing by playing together.

NOTE: I CANNOT PROVIDE IN HOME TEACHING WITHIN MONTGOMERY COUNTY

h the Canton and Firelands Symphonies, and appeared as a guest principal with the Canton Symphony for their March 2018 Masterworks Concert. During her studies at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, she was principal of the Oberlin Orchestra, and performed in the orchestra at Chicago Symphony Center as a part of their 150th-Anniversary tour. At Oberlin, Amanda appeared frequently as an ensemble-member for faculty concerto recordings. She has appeared in the Schikele Bassoon Concerto and the Augusta Reed Thomas Bassoon Concerto released on the Oberlin and Naxos labels on the album Full Moon in the City. She has also appeared in recordings of the Carter Flute Concerto and the Trigos Guitar Concerto No. 1 (forthcoming releases). In addition to her orchestral opportunities at Oberlin, Amanda has attended the Pierre Monteux School and Festival, the Miami Summer Music Festival, and the Bach Institute at Emmanuel Music.
To supplement her love for performing, Amanda has also been active in the field of Arts Administration. Co-founder of the Oberlin Flute Association, Amanda spent two years bringing prominent flute artists to Oberlin. This included advertising in the Cleveland area, managing a strict budget, and organizing all details of the artists’ visits. She also worked at the Oberlin Concert Productions office as assistant director and program editor, and was administrative assistant with Oberlin Conservatory Summer Programs. She is currently a staff member in the Peabody Career Services office, providing professional development support for students at Peabody.
She has recently graduated from Oberlin College and Conservatory, where she received a Bachelor of Music in flute performance and a Bachelor of Arts in biology as a part of the college’s double-degree program. She is currently pursuing a Master of Music at the Peabody Conservatory, under the guidance of Marina Piccinini.

mphony in D.C., where we perform concert pieces for wind ensemble. I also teach at the Levine School of Music, which is very exciting since I studied there as a teenager! Thanks for your interest and I look forward to working with you!