Music Theory with John M.

In the 1950's, I started listening to popular children's songs, i.e., The Wizard of Oz, and singing along to my collection of Rock n' Roll records. In the 3rd grade, I took drum lessons with a local jazz drummer at a music store and had piano lessons at 11 years old. In 1964, I learned how to play some popular 60's tunes on an electric guitar concurrently with playing drums with a local garage band. I performed at a local battle-of-the-bands outside a department store and for a private birthday party. During most of my college years, I practiced guitar taking lessons occasionally. In 1974, I began playing with a four piece band at various private functions around Sonoma County in Northern California. Later, I joined various Top 40 bands for the next 10 years performing at the local dance spots. Later, in 1983, I performed with a band on short notice at the fairgrounds for an outdoor concert in San Jose, CA. In 1989, I began teaching a student guitar in Reno, NV and enjoyed it so much that I decided to begin professionally teaching after moving back to Sonoma County in 1990. From 1991 until 2005, I taught hundreds of students from 5 years old and up how to play guitar, bass, drums, piano and voice coaching to students of all ages as a private instructor from my home in Windsor, CA, and occasionally at a student's home. I also have taught a beginning guitar class at Hillcrest School in Sebastopol in 1992 in an after-school program and a beginning and intermediate guitar classes at the Petaluma, Sebastopol and Windsor Community Centers. I continued to teach guitar classes for Windsor Adult Education and two GATE classes in alternative rock guitar fundamentals at Rincon Valley Junior High and Herbert Slater Middle School in Santa Rosa, CA. For Santa Rosa High School, I had a large number of students that I did a guitar demonstration as part of a blues guitar workshop. *** Lesson Details *** I teach all the music fundamentals from learning how to read musical notes to how to read tablature. I cover various guitar techniques, ear-training, and the Caged System of learning scales. I utilize current teaching methods from the web, guitar instruction videos, YouTube demos, instructional cassettes and CDs. I use beginner/intermediate programs including "Electric Guitar Primer" by Bert Casey. *** Studio Equipment *** Piano *** Travel Equipment *** I have everything I need to take with me. I can arrange to provide the student with an acoustic guitar for use during the lesson, but they will need to rent or buy a guitar for practicing on. *** Specialties *** I teach lead/rhythm guitar (both acoustic and electric) in the styles of Rock, Blues, R&B, Funk, Metal, Country, Folk, Alternative and Contemporary. I can also teach music theory, ear training, musicianship, harmony, improvisation, arranging, composing, and vocal coaching. I know and have performed over 500 songs. I have also taught basic rhythm, drums, bass, and piano techniques.