Guitar Lessons in Hartsdale, NY

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

I base all my teaching on all the different private lessons I've received over my 10+ years of playing and learning guitar with very different guitarists/musicians. I started playing when I was 11, but I find that for any beginner, it's important to start with material that gets instant "musical" sound from the guitar. I believe this consists on working on basic chords which you can use to start singing songs, or learning some easy riffs or melodies that will have you playing music in a matter of a few weeks. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

I believe in allowing each student to decide their level of engagement with music. While some prefer to simply learn the basics of an instrument, others want to delve into more in-depth musical concepts and theory, and no one approach in more relevant than another. I look to show beginning or growing musicians the feeling of accomplishment that learning a new piece of music provides. Through exploring the songs and music that a student is most engaged with, as well as classics in a variety of genres, students gain a sense of how theory and/or techniques craft the music they love and know and that they, too, can create music that might one day be studied by future students. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Latin Percussion Music

My teaching experience dates back to my college days, when I student taught at various middle and high schools as well as taught private voice lessons at a music and dance academy. After college I started my first teaching job in Maryland, teaching beginner piano, choir, and musical theatre. After my first job I joined the national tour of A Christmas Carol, where I was a performer as well as the vocal coach. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I base my students' curriculum on their individual needs and interests. I strongly believe in learning fundamentals and the principals of music through scales, music theory, ear training, and reading music notation. I believe it is equally important for students to develop their own musical interests and goals so that we can apply all of the practiced skills in a fun and meaningful way. An example of this would is if a student wanted to learn a Beatles song I would have the student learn the chords and melody, but also the associated major/minor scale that song uses and develop an exercise that would be helpful towards learning the song. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My goal as a teacher is to avoid any type of dogmatic "one size fits all" curriculum.  I always want to know what music the student enjoys and build my lesson plans based on their tastes.  Chords can be physically challenging for beginners so I like to work with single-note melodies early on so that the student isn't quickly discouraged.  Learning chords becomes the medium-term goal.  As for the long-term, I will then use specific songs as examples for how music theory works in the context of their favorite bands. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Synthesizer Harmonica Ukulele Recorder Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I feel very rewarded seeing my students develop a passion for music! I try to teach each student at his or her own pase. I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at each lesson. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel a students desire to progress, and makes students eager to learn more. By trying to find out what inspires the student, I can successfully tailor my instruction to their wants and needs. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums Latin Percussion Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Because everyone learns differently, I teach from a technique I've developed which I refer to as the blank slate method. Though I do utilize workbooks for their very informative and easy to understand nature, I prefer to teach each student based on what they know or what comes naturally to them. This involves you the student, your instrument, and a pen and paper. For beginner students who are children, we work together to learn a simple song so that they can feel a sense of accomplishment and be further motivated to continue their studies. Read More