Guitar with Pablo C.

“Pablo is a certified TakeLessons instructor specializing in beginner to intermediate guitar, bass, and banjo students, offering lessons in genres that range from funk, reggae, jazz, hip-hop, blues, rock and more!” ABOUT PABLO: Having completed my B.A. at Florida International University with an English Major and Education Minor, specializing in early education and elementary music instruction, I have spent time in the last couple years working with younger students and studying instructional techniques for reaching younger ages as well as students with special needs. However, I still feel equally comfortable teaching both children, teenagers, and adults with a fun and personalized approach to learning music and mastering instruments. Throughout my lessons, I also offer helpful insights into the challenges and benefits of today's rapidly growing community of local musicians by providing my students with useful insights that can help to refine their musical ambition and overall goals while also identifying and addressing any factors that may present an issue in their long-term music goals and ventures. As a member of several local bands, I'm eager to offer a very useful insight into the social dynamics within a band and a better understanding of the elements that are conducive to healthy and long-standing friendships amongst band members. The first instrument I learned formally was piano and after realizing that my interests weren't in line with the music styles in the lessons assigned to me, I eventually switched to guitar and began applying the basic musical concepts I previously learned on piano. Having endured the common frustration of being taught music that didn't match my interests, I've come to value the importance of a customized learning experience that effectively bridges the songs and styles that students are excited to learn with the fundamentals required to attain the goal of becoming a well-rounded musician. *** Lesson Details *** Every music student must first encounter a period of learning where the amount of dry information they're absorbing tends to out-weight the amount of entertainment they gain from its practical application. The ideal goal is to instill students with enough energy and determination to endure through that initial period and onto greater and far more entertaining assignments that apply the previously established fundamentals of music while advancing toward composition and performance. While not every assignment can be as fun as playing a great song, it's still important to learn music while always making strides toward playing a favorite song or melody. Through the careful assessment of my students' interests and objectives, my friendly and laid-back teaching style assures students that personal enjoyment is a prominent and attainable part of the learning process. By presenting creative and unique ways of incorporating useful knowledge and technique with entertaining music, I motivate students to continue exploring music well past the initial instruction stage. My guitar lessons typically focus on elements that may apply but are not limited to funk, reggae, jazz, hip-hop, blues, and rock. Students will learn to master the essentials of basic chords in 'root position' while also learning simple melodies on one or two strings. Additional lessons explore diverse chord voicing, dynamics with distortion and other effects, blues progression theory & improvisation, performance essentials, useful tips on music equipment, key elements of song composition, blues and rock lead guitar styles, speed and dexterity exercises, reading tablature and chord charts, and alternate tuning techniques. *** Studio Equipment *** While at my home studio, I can provide use of amplifiers, an upright piano, keyboards, electric & acoustic guitars, electric & acoustic bass (not upright), banjo, and wireless internet access. *** Travel Equipment *** When traveling to a student, I can provide an amplifier, keyboard, guitar, bass, or banjo if necessary but students are expected to eventually have their own instruments. *** Specialties *** *Teachers marked as a Student Favorite have taught a minimum of 25 lessons and have received the highest feedback rating from students. I specialize in teaching beginner to intermediate students how to read chord charts and TAB sheet music for guitar, bass, and banjo while exploring how to play using various types of guitar chords (such as power chords, barre chords, open chords), incorporating distortion and other effects, playing with a guitar pick, playing the blues, improvising melodies, making up your own songs, picking with your fingers, and experimenting with alternate string tuning that actually make the guitar easier to play!