Lesson Details
Guitar
- Levels Taught:
- Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Michael teaches
About
- Teaches students:
- Ages 10+ and special needs
- Teaching since:
- 1999
My name is Mike, and I have been teaching the guitar for over 20 years. I have helped hundreds of musicians develop their skills. As a performer, I have played in many bands, and shared the stage with performers such as Imagine Dragons, Train, Blues Traveler, Camper Van Beethoven, and countless others. In addition to teaching music and rock ensemble to the students at the University of San Francisco, I maintain an active schedule of teaching, performing and recording. My most memorable musical experience was playing "Imagine" on my guitar for His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in 2003.
My teaching philosophy is that if you understand the instrument, you can play any style of music you choose. The more you dedicate yourself to learning the fretboard, the more freely you can express yourself musically.
Private instruction includes everything from basic chording to advanced theory and technique, with a focus on the mechanics of the instrument. Topics covered include rhythm and technique studies, chord and scale theory, chord progressions, songwriting, musicality and performance, and improvisation. These topics are studied at a rate commensurate with the studentʼs ability.
Experience
Guitar Instructor
Aug 2001 - PresentGuitar Teacher
Jan 1995 - PresentEducation
Bachelor Of Arts Psychology
Sep 1988 - Mar 1992Affiliations
American Federation of Teachers
Aug 2010The American Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for our students, their families and our communities. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through the work our members do.
+ Read More16 Reviews
Write a ReviewMike is an excellent guitar teacher with a well thought out and easy to approach plan for new players. His passion, depth of knowledge, and talent are plain to see. He combines that with a real aptitude for teaching.
Mike is great! Friendly, knowledgeable, positive, takes good notes that are helpful to refer back to later, and seems to adjust to whatever level student you are.
What a find Mike has been. Friendly, fun, knowledgeable, Mike is a great teacher. I have been playing decades and Mike is helping teach me a boat load of new things, even in the first few lessons. I can't wait till the next one.
I've been a student of Michael for almost three months now and all I have to say is he is a great teacher! Not only he is friendly and thoughtful, he is also encouraging about in the way how you'd like to learn. I strongly recommend him!
Mike is smart, friendly, and will push you. He's full of great advice and will cater to your skill level, fill gaps where they are needed and help you grow more confident as a guitarist, musician, and performer. I really enjoyed working with him and he's a truly great instructor.
Michael has been great so far. Teaching me all of the major and minor chord inversions as well as working on the circle of fifths.
Michael is an excellent teacher with an easygoing personality - highly recommend!
Michael is an incredible teacher! He's very patient and good at making you play things you didn't realize you were good enough to play. He has a very obvious love for music and the guitar, and his enthusiasm is contagious.
Great first lesson!
Great teacher. I've been playing guitar for 14 years and I'm still learning a lot for Michael
Mike is a knowledgable and passionate guitar teacher. He cares about theory, musicality, and expression. I've looked around for a great guitar teacher for the past year, and certainly found one in Mike. I highly recommend him if you're looking to start playing the guitar, or if you hope to move on to the next level of playing.
+ Read MoreI'm an experienced guitar player who was looking for some new exercises that might be better learned in person rather than online. Michael gauged my skill well and gave me some fitting things to work on.
Mike is a great and experienced teacher! He is so patient and encouraging! He knows many mini practices to improve personal skills. He teaches me to understand music, rather than playing straight from a sheet.
I have some prior guitar experience so one class with Michael is enough for me to realize that he is great teacher. He has obviously been doing this for a while and he knows how to set the pace based on my level. We covered a lot of ground, and set up a good set of practice exercises. Looking forward to my next class.
+ Read MoreMichael is an absolutely excellent instructor. I am a complete beginner and Michael explains things clearly and succinctly. He went through enough music theory to give me a good baseline to continue learning, but also balanced it with immediate practical skills. After 2 lessons, I'm already working on learning my first songs. Michael is both an outstanding musician and a great teacher.
+ Read MoreMike is a great teacher! He answers all of my questions (and I have a lot!) with patience and enthusiasm. I really look forward to lessons and feel like I'm getting a great foundation in how to play guitar and understand how music works.