Guitar Lessons in Crystalaire, CA

Instruments: Guitar Drums Music Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I am an experienced music teacher that has taught kids and adults of all ages. I have a passion for working with different cultures, and have a solid background in teaching guitar, drums, and music theory. I am also a professional musician and singer-songwriter with a Bachelor's Degree from University of California, Berkeley. Furthermore, I studied music extensively in college including courses in sight-singing, guitar, piano, music theory, and a year and a half singing with the UC Berkeley choir. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

Regardless of their ages, I always attempt to establish what a student's interests in music are as well as their background and present faculties if applicable. From there, I attempt to develop an understanding of musical fundamentals (pitch, rhythm, timbre, dynamics) as they apply to their interests. It is crucial in my opinion to connect these essential elements of music to the context of a student's musical world. I have several books that I use regularly for examples and also, I write individual exercises for more specific issues with a student's technique and approach. Read More

Instruments: Guitar

For beginning students, I typically start with some exercises for the left hand and right hand, easy arpegios, scales, melodies and chords. Once the student progresses to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance. For advanced students, I start with intermediate and advanced studies and pieces like 12 Studies of Fernando Sor, studies of Leo Brower, 12 studies of Villa Lobos or some famous spanish reprertoire for guitar such as Rodrigo, Turina, and Torroba. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Orchestral Percussion Conga Latin Percussion Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Additionally, some other books that I use with my drum set students are Syncopation by Ted Reed, The Art of Bop by John Riley, The Essence of Afro-Cuban Percussion, and The Essence of Brazillian Percussion by Ed Uribe. For more advanced students, I work on trancriptions of their favorite drummers, chart reading by playing with recordings or live musicians, improvisation over musical forms, and developing indivdual exercises for each student. Read More

Instruments: Guitar

For beginning students, I like to teach simple and fun tunes that get them excited. I focus on single-note licks/melodies, and will gradually add open-chord progressions and songs to the curriculum. It's best to practice everyday even for 5-10 minutes, rather than every other day or few days for a longer period in my opinion. Once they start improving, I'll gradually teach more challenging songs that'll keep them engaged, but not overwhelmed. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Accordion Ukulele Mallet Percussion Music Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

I've found that being flexible and adaptible is most important to me, as everyone learns in a different way. I place a lot of importance on following student interest and goals as well, since it doesn't matter how great your instruction is if you're bored and don't want to keep playing. I think every student should get as much out of their lesson experience as they want, whether that means a more casual experience where you're not practicing too much throughout the week, or holding my student more accountable if they express more ambitious goals. Read More

Instruments: Guitar

Theres nothing more fulfilling than watching a student develop a genuine passion for playing the guitar! I believe its essential for each student to progress at their own pace, and I support this by setting achievable goals in each lesson. Celebrating these accomplishments not only builds confidence but also fuels their motivation to keep learning. By taking the time to understand what excites each studentwhether it's a particular genre like J-pop or a favorite songIm able to tailor my teaching approach to match their interests and goals. Read More