Guitar Lessons in Pasadena, MD

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

At fourteen, dismayed at my high school's total lack of musical education, I formed an extracurricular and creatively-titled Music Club. For an hour after school each week, and sometimes biweekly, we'd bring our instruments to an empty classroom and play. I'd float around offering one-on-one guidance, mostly covering fundamentals, sometimes providing more advanced direction to those who were ready. The peers I'd previously thought to be relatively atonal surprised me time and again by bringing in guitars, basses, hand drums, even the occasional trumpet. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Organ Conga Music Keyboard Djembe Acoustic Guitar

My teaching experience dates back to High School as I began teaching part time. I continued teaching thru collage and the Airforce Band. After College I played full-time for many years. I began teaching full-time in 1995. I started my home studio in 2014. Encouraging regular practice on a consistent schedule is one of the key points I like to emphasize for younger students, as it tends to help the student progress and gain a passion for the instrument. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Firstly, I teach the student the anatomy of the guitar and how to tune it, along with how to hold a pick. After that, I start teaching students how to identify notes on the fretboard. When they have a good grasp on that, I start to teach the basic modes, such as the major, minor, pentatonic, blues, lydian, mixolydian, and dorian modes, and while they are learning these, I give them exercises that use these modes to increase the student's mechanical skill, such as going up and down the scales in patterns of three/four/etc. 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

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Cello Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My teaching style is informed by trauma-informed care and a student-led philosophy. This means that I take into account the frustration that learning a new instrument can entail, and use therapeutic techniques to make sure my students are regulated during these moments of frustration. I provide structure and guidance for my students, but give them opportunities for free exploration, decision making, and leadership throughout a lesson. During lessons, I like to emphasize practice techniques and thinking outside the box when approaching difficult or new musical content. Read More

Instruments: Guitar

Students that work with me start with a free 30 minute consultation either at my studio or over Skype. The student and I meet, I ask a lot of questions, and then at the end of the session I provide the student with a long-term and short-term curriculum plan. If, after the consultation, the student decides to take a slot, I provide them with an assignment to complete before our next lesson. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

As I've stated before, I really like to focus on how to play the instrument effectively. Proper posture, finger placement, finger pressure and articulation are all part of playing the proper technique. It also helps to minimize fatigue during countless hours of practice. Also, one of the main things in to make sure that the student is practicing on a daily basis and to develop their own practice regimen. Developing a love for the instrument, bordering on healthy obsession, is the key to progressing as a guitar player. Read More