Bass Lessons in Montvale, NJ

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Ukulele Music Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I have been playing and studying music for over 40 years. By the time I entered high school, I had enough skills as a guitarist to join a band with several older students who were playing at dances and other local events. At this time, I started to take formal guitar lessons with a respected local teacher. I learned to read music and became interested in classical guitar. After high school, I attended County College and studied music theory and piano, and majored in classical guitar. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

I like to divide my lessons in two parts: first we address the most formal aspects of the lesson, most of the times using a method book or given hand-outs or whatever relevant material was suggested to the student; the remainder of the lesson is dedicated to work on the students choice of a song or anything less formal suggested by myself. This scheme for lessons might be different regarding the level and commitment of the student, but it is in general the outline I use. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar

Everyone has a talent for and comfort level with communication. Music is simply another form of the same though universal and like all art forms, so much more can be expressed with so much less. From an early age we become comfortable with verbal and physical expression. Music is no different; we just don't learn to speak the language as a matter of course. It is a discipline that can be defined, understood and put into practice. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Ukulele Music Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I like to lay a foundation for what musical notes are and how they relate to the instrument. If we're on guitar I will draw a piano keyboard and give the student the guitar string names and make them figure out the rest of the notes. Then I teach them what chords are and, now that they know their way around a fretboard, they can build the chords themselves. While most students aren't total beginners and won't need all of this groundwork to be laid by me, I've found that almost everyone has gaps in knowledge, more often than not when it comes to actual note names and the music theory behind the instrument. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Over the last 20+ years of teaching I have developed an approach of customizing lessons to suit every student. Since students tend to have widely varying degrees of experience as well as goals I have found that this is the best approach. I will always sit down with each student and together we can figure out what it is that they would like to do, and what is the most straight forward way is to get there. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Synthesizer Double Bass

For young beginners, I typically start with keyboard exercises and basic lessons in music theory fundamentals and ear training. Upon mastery of a few fundamental skills, students are introduced to a range of compositions that they can choose to learn to study and to play. For all my students at various levels, I assess their abilities and consistently challenge them to sharpen their skills.  Now i'm incorporating concentration, breathing, counting and stretching exercises. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Bass Guitar Synthesizer Banjo Ukulele Mandolin Double Bass

I find a combination of modern, jazz, and classical music can go a long way in helping students enjoy music and motivate them to practice and continue to learn. My students are encouraged to enter competitions, recitals, and college auditions, as well as composing their own material. This way they can feel good about their progress and stay motivated to continue learning. I am always looking to bring on new students regardless of skill level. Read More