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Music Theory

Like most guitarists, I had always wanted to play the guitar as a little kid. Luckily, my parents finally caved to the request (ok ok, incessant begging) and I began my guitar journey at the age of 11. After now 26 years of playing and 17 years of teaching, I am excited to share my experience and thoughts about how to learn music and guitar.

My journey with the guitar has taken me from the electric rock of Jimi Hendrix, to the shredding of Joe Satriani, then the otherworldly sounds and speed of Al di Meola, and, finally, to the broad world of classical guitar, Flamenco and world music. Over the years, I have compiled a set of skills, techniques, and theories from all corners of the musical globe to help teach students the fastest path to guitar mastery.  My goal is to show you how to master the fundamental skills of guitar in order to play in any style and ultimately create your own music.

In this class, you will learn why knowing basic music theory will help you play, learn and remember songs. It is also a good starting point if you want to improvise down the road. Music theory often gets a bad rap from people - musicians and non-musicians alike. We hear the word 'theory' and think of long-winded explanations, textbooks, worksheets, and complicated formulas. We also think of it as a set of rules that we have to learn in order to make music work. In truth, music theory is as simple as knowing our ABCs and counting up to 13 (at most). 

Theory as Easy as ABC and 123 - Why and How to Learn and Apply Music Theory in Your Practice

Classical Guitar

Mandolin

Bluegrass Guitar

Flamenco Guitar

Country Guitar

Blues Guitar

Acoustic Guitar

Guitar

Ukulele

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Guitar Teacher

I teach privately in-studio and online. Lessons include guitar (all styles) and mandolin. Teaching is a great way for me to make a difference in someone's musical life and hopefully spur the next generation of musicians and music lovers.

Music Teacher

English

Experienced classical guitarist, mandolin and ukulele player and teacher of 20 years available for eager students of all experience levels and ages! I structure my lessons so students learn what they want to learn, while also building a strong foundation of classical and jazz theory. I specialize in classical, jazz, world, and rock music theory and improvising. Theory is a great tool for adding variety and spice to your playing, improvising and compositions.

I very much enjoy my lessons with Justin! He's obviously a very talented guitarist but also a very talented educator. He just has a great way of keeping things relaxed but also inspires me to push my limits in an enjoyable way. 

I just had  the best first class, such an intuitive, smart, patient and upbeat music teacher. I can't wait to commit to learning more!!

Will do a follow up, but if the other lessons are as fun and informative as the first, it'll be another 5 star review for this intuitive, patient, enthusiastic and intelligent, and generous teacher. He lives up to all of his good reviews and made me feel like I could do it.  GREAT online, classroom experience.

Justin is a fantastic guitar teacher!! I had been playing guitar on and off since I was a kid before I started lessons with him, but always felt like the previous couple of guitar teachers I had had always just told me what to do (the chords or stumming pattern for a particular song, for example) and I was looking for an instructor to help me increase my musicianship so I would not always need to rely on others to figure out how to play the songs I want to play.

Justin really helped me with this and I can see great improvement in my ability to figure out strumming patterns (on my own, just by listening to the song I want to play). He also knows EVERYTHING about music theory, and applying the concepts he taught me are really improving my understanding of guitar, and music in general!

Justin is very personable and nice, and at the same time also very honest and direct, which makes for a highly effective instructor. He will continually push you to improve your guitar playing and performance ability, and you will see results! I highly recommend him! Thank you, Justin :)

Justin paid attention to my interests, and made the first lesson easy, approachable, and fun.

Justin is a terrific teacher! So knowledgeable about music, and about teaching and learning. Learning a new instrument as a beginner is challenging, but Justin is encouraging and meets you where you are. So much fun and so exciting! Great stuff!!!

Justin is teaching me music just not how to play the ukulele.  Really appreciate his individual approach which incorporates my learning style. When needed, Justin picks up when I need a change of strategy.  I am a very very beginner and have learned so much so far.

I "shopped around" for a great teacher on this site. 

For many new lesson takers, not only do you have no clue about your instrument, you aren't even sure what makes a great teacher!

So here are some things to look out for in a first lesson:

Your teacher should be personable and interested in your musical experience and taste. Ask them what they like! You might hear something you want to learn.

If you mention some level of experience, they will ask you to play something you either know or have been working on. This is important!

Then, preferably, they will ask why you have chosen your instrument and what you want to be able to do with it (i.e. do you want to play in a band, or just play your favorite songs for your family gatherings).

All of this allows you to relax and not worry too much about performing too much during your first lesson.

More importantly, it gives the instructor a clear path on how to work with YOU. The more they know about your current level, the better your experience and learning progress will be.

For absolute beginners, I would hope that they have a simple melody for you to learn right then and there by watching and playing with them. 

Well, Justin knocked it out of the park! And then some.

He showed that he is willing to customize teaching to your style, as well.

I learn by ear, so he knew how to use that as an advantage for learning the fretboard and notes. Instead of giving me a paper with chords on it, he challenged me to use my knowledge and play around more thoughtfully to figure out what the names are for notes and chords I'm already playing.

Please, don't hesitate to work with Justin. The price is beyond fair! Especially since other teachers in the same price ranges are between 2-4 stars.

Thanks, Justin!

I wasn’t sure how an online music lesson would go, but a Justin was excellent! I learned several key things that I can practice over the next week to advance my playing skills. Thanks, Justin!

Justin M adjusts his lesson plan to accommodate my questions and listens to my learning needs.  Truly appreciate his teaching style.

Just finished my first lesson. We set some clear goals and a logical approach to learning the instrument. Very personable, put me at ease right away. Looking forward to next class

Keeps me engaged and is honest about where I need to improve .  I love the combination of learning how to play and learning about music.  Very clear instructions and makes it fun.

Justin has a unique and much appreciated balance of knowledge/skill and humility/approach-ability. I'm grateful.

Justin is the 100% Best Best Best. So patient, and picks great songs to learn even for true beginners like myself. I can't say enough good things about him

Theory as Easy as ABC and 123 - Why and How to Learn and Apply Music Theory in Your Practice - Music Theory Class

About Justin M.

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