Springfield, VA Acoustic Guitar Lessons

ed her to a plethora of new genres and from there she developed her own style. Piano-wise her primary focuses are the romantic and baroque era, especially Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin. Vocally, her styles branch musical theatre, opera, pop, country, and on occasion touches on jazz. She has made the effort to learn as much as she possibly can about music, the different ways to play, to sing, while still keeping true to her own style. She hopes that her students have that same drive and be open to learning all sorts of music!

Since I travel for some lessons, please double check with me to make sure that I can travel to your lesson in a timely manner.

*** Lesson Details ***
I love to have fun, but I believe that in order to do so, you must know your stuff. I shall provide the resources for you to learn, and all you need to bring is your brain, eager to soak up information so that we can make music!

*** Studio Equipment ***
Living room: Piano, mirror

*** Travel Equipment ***
I expect them to provide a piano for piano lessons, and I can provide an instrument for voice lessons. I will find the books or media the student may need, and expect the student/parents of the student are responsible for the costs.

ks better than the spoken word because it doesn't have to be understood to be effective."

In some instances, music works better than the spoken word because it doesn't have to be understood to be effective. Although many musicians agree that music is a "language" it is rarely treated as such.

Many of us treat it as something that can only be learned by following a strict regiment under the tutelage of a skilled teacher. This approach has been followed for hundreds of years with proven success... But it takes a long time. Too long.

Think about the first language you learned as a child. More importantly, think about how you learned it.

"You were allowed to make mistakes."

You were a baby when you first started speaking and even though you spoke the language incorrectly you were allowed to make mistakes - and the more mistakes you made, the more your parents smiled!

Learning to speak was not something you were sent somewhere to do only a few times a week. The majority of people you spoke to were not beginners, they were already proficient speakers. Imagine your parents forcing to only speak to other babies until you were good enough to speak to them! You'd probably be an adult before you could carry on a proper conversation.

To use a musical term, as a baby you were allowed to "jam" with professionals.

If we approach music in the same natural way we approached our first language, we would learn to speak it in the same short time it took to speak our first language.
Proof of this can be seen in almost any family where a child grows up with other musicians in the family.

Here are a few keys to follow in learning guitar or bass:

In the beginning we embrace mistakes instead of correcting them. Like a child playing air guitar there are no wrong notes.

Allow young musicians to play and perform with accomplished musicians on a daily basis.

Encourage young musicians to play more than they practice. The more they play, the more they will practice on their own.

Music comes from the musician, not the instrument.
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2) RockSmith 2014 becomes your personal accomplished musician or band for you to play in a daily basis as it monitors how you play, dynamically adjusts difficulty to your skill level, then slowly introduces more notes and phrases until you're playing your favorite songs note-for-note. Lead Rhythm and bass lines.

Rocksmith 2014 teaches you fast and effectively by letting you plug any real guitar or bass directly into your Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, Windows PC or Mac.

The Rocksmith Method will first make sure you can PLAY the instrument.
You will play your favorite songs.
You will learn a new technique every month.
Rocksmith is designed to match the way your guitar is laid out, so there's no need to interpret tablature or learn sheet music to get started.
Have strings on your guitar? You'll see strings on the screen....

You'll need a game console, a screen and a electric guitar or bass. It's non negotiable.

If you don't have it. I will provide you with a loaner system until you catch up.

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3) A dedicated and passionate Teacher to tie everything together and keep you on track.

The early you start, the better. Kids age 6 or up are my best customers. They don't have adjust to anything other than to get their little fingers around a guitar appropriate to their size.
For young adults and people that tried play the guitar the old fashion way, here's my advise:

You will need to take a step back... or maybe two steps. Let me show you a better way.

These 3 things changes everything in how to learn or teach guitar. This is just to start the journey. I won't even mention custom songs or our musician club for you to perform your songs.

"If music is a language. You should never stop talking."

Remember that a language works the best when we have something interesting to say.
Many music teachers never find out what their students have to say. We only tell them what they are supposed to say.
A child speaks a language for years before they even learn the alphabet.
Too many rules at the onset will actually slow them down.
In my eyes the approach to music should be the same.

After all, music is a language too.

Let's Play & Grow Together.

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Private guitar and bass lessons are designed for students to progress at their own pace. Private lessons will follow the same RockSmith Journey structure. In a private guitar or bass lesson, the teacher has the opportunity to help the student individually for the entire lesson time, and structures each lesson personally for the student depending on their skill level and goals.

The Essentials/Techniques Plus:

Tuning
Strapping up
How to hold a pick
Plucking strings
Accents
Slides
Chords
Power chords
Double stops
Barre chords
Arpeggios
Notes Chords Scales

Shifting
Fretting
Sustains
Palm mutes
Slides
Bends
Tremelos
Hammer-ons
Pull-offs
Natural harmonics
Strumming patterns
Unpitched slides
Fret hand mutes
Improvising and jamming
Vibrato
Scales and modes
Changing strings

Additional Bass Techniques:

Fifths
Roots
Slapping
Popping

Advanced Players:

Double stop, Oblique, and Compound Bends
Two hand tapping
Articulation and phrasing
Pinch harmonics
Extended harmonies
Hybrid techniques
Advanced chords

ve gone on tour twice before. I specialize in electric bass and music theory, but am quite comfortable teaching beginner to intermediate guitar.

late 2013. Playing mostly in small bars, coffeehouses, and private events/parties. And in August 2016, I started teaching guitar. Took a total break from playing music.

To get back into the groove of things, I started my own by doing online concerts. I also started recording music videos for and doing social media lives. I still love to record and working on finishing an album.

I still teach guitar and I’m blessed to be playing in the worship band at The Cause Church in Elkridge, MD. My style is indie folk; and I play a mix of originals and covers. My main singing influences are Gwen Stefani, Karen O from The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Fiona Apple. My main music influences are Death Cab for Cutie, The White Stripes & Modest Mouse.

ry, composition and improvisation, I feel that my students receive a rich and eclectic musical foundation. After teaching student for over 25 years, I have a lot of experience in guiding students to reach their highest potential. I encourage individuality and a positive learning environment. I am available to teach from my home studio just outside the Washington, DC area or via live online lessons.

Some of the musical styles I regularly teach: Flamenco, Gypsy Rumba, Rock, Metal, Blues, Jazz, and Classical.

- I specialize in rock, pop, blues, and funk styles. I teach drum set lessons to students age 5 through adult! I help students learn their favorite songs and can teach beats, fills, note reading, improvising, and fundamentals.

I love teaching lessons and sharing music with eager students. Music should be fun, yet it teaches the value of hard work and the rewards that come with it. I look forward to meeting you and helping you achieve your musical goals!