Private Acoustic Guitar tutoring lessons Arlington, VA.

If you are ready to take your guitar skills SERIOUSLY then stop wasting time and money on teachers who don't fully understand the instrument themselves. My name is Russell and I have been playing guitar professionally for 20 years and teaching music and producing records for over 10. I have worked with artists such as Mac Miller, Sean Kingston, Lifehouse, Disney's Caityln Taylor Love and have composed music to 100s of your favorite TV shows! Want to learn to shred? produce? write? dive into theory?

David enjoys teaching students from all different backgrounds and levels of proficiency. Whether you are just starting out or a virtuoso shredder in the making, he is happy to teach you! Over all, he is fairly laid back, as long as you practice. He usually combines work with reading off of the treble clef (what he likens to "eating your vegetables." You may not want to do it, but it will make you a healthier musician!) with learning more popular songs (or songs the student says they would like to learn) through tablature and chord charts, depending on the style of the song.

David is also very pro music theory. He usually incorporates music theory into the curriculum in conjunction with the material already being discussed. He is also very knowledgeable about composition/songwriting, and if the student is interested in learning more about this area, he is happy to share what he knows!

My classes are very flexible when it comes to what the student wants. On the first class, I give the student the choice of controlling our lessons materials about what they want to learn. Or the student can choose to let me control our classes, in which I will bring my own materials and ideas in which we should work and will go through the whole academic process of learning music.

I teach you to be a musician, not just an instrumentalist. There is a huge difference. I give you material to learn while doing my best to make it fun as well. I teach you the basics and build on that foundation. You can learn the material as fast or as slow as you want. However, it is not a canned approach because every student is unique and your learning styles reflect that. My goal is your success, truly!

I will teach you what you want to learn! Whether it's specific songs and material to reading music and music theory, I will craft a plan for you to get you on the path that you desire!

I'm friendly, easy going, and very experienced in both teaching and performing!

Guitar lessons can include (but is not limited to):
-basic chords in first position and strumming basics
-advanced chords in other positions
-flatpicking basics
-advanced flatpicking techniques (cross-picking, speed and agility)
-basic and advanced fingerpicking techniques and styles
-learning to accompany yourself while singing
-learning to play with other people
-participating in jams
-basic of chord theory and structure
-reading music OR reading tablature OR learning by ear (or all three)