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Blues Guitar with Nathan D.

North Wales, Pennsylvania

4.9
(27)
Background check
Teaches online
Teaches all skill levels
Age: 7+
Speaks English
Teaching since 2014
Communication Studies and Web Technology

    Guitar is my specialty. Improvising, 12-bar standards, bends, licks, and way more.

    6, 7, or 8 string, anything and everything guitar is my specialty. If you wanna shred like Stevie Ray, I can show you! I can teach improvisation over 12-bar blues and other blues patterns and scales, as well as teach the history from Robert Johnson to B.B. King licks and beyond. Electric or acoustic welcome. We will cover the parts of the instrument and why everything is so darn important (like how to stay in tune!). We can perfect your guitar's signal flow, pedals, and amplifier settings, too! All kinds of styles from simple note picking and open chords to whammy bar techniques and amp feedback. Want to learn basic rhythm? lead? fast strumming? how about making those big chords without making your hands hurt? I can help! You'll be jamming along with your favorite songs and with friends in no time. I typically will teach and write guitar using tablature instead of standard sheet music. These are a simple set of lines and numbers that are much easier to read, and once learned will instantly give you access to thousands of songs. Also I can show you how to play with a capo or slide, fingerstyle or pick. If you want to learn grunge or sing deep, I can show you how to play in lower tunings as well! I can give tips on playing live or being in a band, as well as marketing yourself. I can also tell you what apps and programs to try, or websites and videos to watch. If you don't desire to be the world's fastest, then I will not bore you with countless finger drills and complex scale practice runs. We don't have to dive head-first into theory or technical terms if you just want to learn a few songs. You let me know what is comfortable. Here's a breakdown of points I can teach: pick techniques (types of picks, holding, positions, attack areas, hybrid picking/wrist techniques, slides, scrapes, nut scrapes) tuning (maintaining, alternate, open, dropped, capo) proper technique (posture, instrument length/scale, using your strap, position, hand positions) volume swells and related techniques pickup selections tone changes chords (open/CAGED-method, barre (closed), power, intervals, inversions, positions, voicings) intervals scales (chromatic, pentatonic, harmonic, exotic/foreign, pattern/designer) theory (keys, sharps/flats, basic composition, song patterns) note length slides bends (forward and reverse) whammy bar (fixed vs. floating, dives/pulls, chirps, floating tremolo tuning, intonation, and maintenance) one string techniques string skipping linear techniques quarter-step techniques slide guitar harmonics (natural, harp, artificial) tapping (closed, open, multi-string, multi-finger) sweeps effects (how to chain them, using chorus, reverb, delay, flange, phase, compression, envelope, equalizer, harmonizer, talkbox, wah whammy pedal, etc.) string pushing style/mood changes recording yourself "jamming" with others playing in front of an audience and other performance notes parts/maintenance/repair

    Instructor details

    Location:
    Student's Home
    Student's Home
    Teaches Online
    Teaches Online

    Teaching Hours

    Monday
    7 AM-1 PM
    Tuesday
    7 AM-5:30 PM
    Wednesday
    7 AM-2 PM
    Thursday
    7 AM-1 PM
    3 PM-5:30 PM
    Sunday
    10 AM-3:15 PM
    Times are shown in your local timezone (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
    Pricing
    45 minutes
    $32
    60 minutes
    $37
    90 minutes
    $47
    120 minutes
    $57

    About Nathan D.

    4.9
    (27)
    Hello! I've been giving private lessons since 2014. Since my teen years I've taught bandmates and friends how to play songs (both originals and covers), as well as instructing various techniques on instruments. I do my best to demonstrate proper technique and posture to help eliminate bad habits that lead to discomfort and potential injury. I teach guitar, bass, drums, vocals, and harmonica. All of which I've played for over 25 years. (I'm happy to split lessons if you also want to learn multiple instruments!) I studied music theory, composition, and tech in both school and university, and continue to do so during my spare time. I have had a few years of guitar lessons under several teachers, covering rock, metal, and classical guitar training with sight reading. I am an ASCAP songwriter with a history of working part-time for an independent A&R company, and have a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies with a minor in web technology from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. I am primarily involved in rock, pop, and heavy metal, but have experience in many other genres. I listen to and play all kinds of music! Classical, soul, country, jazz, electronic, dance, etc... I believe there's much to learn in all of them! Anything my students listen to or want to learn is fine by me! I enjoy teaching in a way to help other players love their instruments. I believe the first goal is to give it your own voice, and then continue to gain the expressive means to make it an extension of your mind and body. I will encourage you to grow your roots as you see fit. There's no embarrassment in being coached how to crawl, fall, and then walk before learning how to run. Your goals will be self-discipline, resisting hesitation, and finding the will to tread the paths to improvement. If you stay interested, the instrument will grow with you, and continue to be a companion. However, you ultimately need to have fun to stay on path! I tend to laugh a lot when I teach and encourage you to do so as well. Laughing relieves our daily stress and associates positive attitude towards your instrument. We all make countless mistakes every day, but playing a wrong note should just feel silly, not bring you anger or frustration. If you become flustered at a song, it's probably not important to flawlessly master it this minute, but to learn from the parts that are attainable and enjoyable. So unless you have a gig or recital, we can come back another time! I will gladly help you maintain your instrument and can do repairs to almost anything regarding drums/guitar/bass, saving you money from costly repair shops! If you are interested in recording, I can demonstrate how to use various programs to both record and edit songs, then how to mix and master them. I can teach you how to get a "recording musician" mindset, and how to work and perform in a studio environment. I'll also give tips on playing on stage, working from local gigs all the way to the professional level. I have a more detailed resume available. You can also request a sample outline/lesson plan in regards to your skill and instrument. I am Covid vaccinated. Thanks for reading, hope to hear from you soon! -Nathan
    ReviewsWrite a review
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    4.9
    27 Reviews
    Andy
    Online
    Instructively informative. Good tips for learning the instrument. It's a pleasure learning from him.
    Posted Apr 11, 2024
    Greg
    Online
    Nathan is great. Very patient and knowledgeable. Will definitely be continuing.
    Posted Apr 4, 2024
    Greg
    Student's home
    I have two boys taking lessons from Nathan, 1 drums and 1 guitar. They both really enjoy working with him. They’ve both had lessons with different instructors over the years and Nathan ranks right up there with any instructor they’ve had. Nathan works well with all levels and has been incredibly helpful!
    Posted Mar 4, 2024
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    Experience

    Owner

    Feb, 1996 - Present

    Pure Water Studios

    Duties include: audio recording, production, and engineering, editing, mixing, mastering, signal flow, composition and conversion of audio/video/image formats, MIDI systems, applying principals of audio and acoustic techniques and adaptive correctional technology. Since 1996, leads and heavily participates in recordings at personal studio. Also performs semi-actively in Philadelphia, PA and its suburbs. Experienced teaching dozens of other guitarists and bassists original compositions and cover songs for both live performance and recording sessions. Original music has awarded song placements in music catalogs including Songs With Vision, Crucial Music, and DSM. Currently works with act Yuki Yuki Yasumi. Also writes and records original material under pseudonym Jack Tradesman. Sample books resourced for lessons: Guitar Exercises for Dummies Blues Guitar for Dummies Art of Kirk Hammett Art of Joe Satriani Steve Vai 30 Hour Workout Rock Guitar Secrets Drums for Dummies Music Composition for Dummies Music Theory for Dummies Listen (Kerman/Tomlinson, 4th edition) Introductory Musicianship (Lynn, 5th edition) Miscellaneous Berklee School of Music lessons Digital Recording for Musicians for Dummies Excerpts from my personal lesson manuscripts

    Education

    High School Degree - Music Emphasis

    Sep, 1996 - May, 2000

    North Penn High School

    Bachelor of Arts

    Sep, 2000 - Dec, 2005

    West Chester University of Pennslyvania

    Communication Studies and Web Technology

    Sep, 2000 - Dec, 2005

    West Chester University of Pennsylvania

    Affiliations

    American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers

    Sep, 2006

    The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than 480,000 US composers, songwriters, lyricists and music publishers. The ASCAP is committed to nurturing music makers throughout their careers.

    Languages

    English

    Native Proficiency

    Private Lessons

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