Guitar Lessons in Arlington, MD

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Clarinet

I find that the most important thing about teaching, especially teaching music, is finding what your students are interested in and getting to know them on a personal level. As a teacher, I have to learn about the unique learning styles my students have, their individual needs, and their goals and dreams as a musician in order to best teach them. Praising accomplishments and encouraging public performances is also very important as a teacher, as for the student, that positive feedback will drive them towards more success in the future. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Banjo Mandolin Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Music has always been a passion of mine. Most of what I know to do is performing and creating music. I find it rewarding to share and work with my students to instill that same appreciation for music. Upon graduation from East Stroudsburg University, I received a degree in Fine Arts. My main instrument of study in school was classical guitar. After graduation I became inspired to devote my life to teaching. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar

On the first lesson, I like to help students create realistic, long-term goals for themselves. Then the student and I develop a plan to help them achieve them. Learning tools include method books, recordings of the lesson, and playing along with me. I also make solo pieces available, and encourage the student to participate in local recitals. My lessons generally follow the county public school's music curriculum and include rhythmic and melodic dictation, ear training, sightreading, theory and song form. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Bass Guitar Synthesizer Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginning piano students, I use a combination of books from Alfred's, Faber, John Thompson's. At the same time, I emphasize proper finger technique, shape, and position. For more advanced piano students I prefer exercises from Hanon, Czerny, and Bartk. For beginning guitar students, I prefer Mel Bay books. However, for guitar students I also use a much more individual and custom approach for learning how to get a good sound out of the guitar through proper hand position, finger placement and pressure, and string picking. Read More

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

Modern life is very busy and full of distraction. For many of us, daily life in particular is also filled with lots of obligations, which can drain us of our creative energy. Experience with hundreds of students over decades has shown me that when the music lesson becomes just another part of that sense of obligation, it produces negative outcomes. I've always felt that the music lesson should provide a respite from this, while still helping students to pursue their musical interests and develop their abilities to the fullest of their potential. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Conga Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginning students, I first incorporate the fundamentals of each instrument while catering to their musical interests, along with encouraging them to take regular performance opportunities. I want students to focus on the technicalities of what they are doing, but relate it to how it relates to performance and musicality. In students analyzing what they are doing to create sounds, I am guiding musicians to be reflective in their practice and performance, which I believe is one the key characteristics of becoming a life-long performer and learner. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Classical Guitar

My teaching style is very flexible. If I see that a particular lesson isn't working, I will change to a lesson covering something the student is more interested in, and possibly not as intimidated. The main thing is for the student to gain confidence in what he/she is trying to learn. I also think that teaching my students to read music in standard notation is a very important aspect of my teaching. Read More