Guitar Lessons in Rapidan, VA

Instruments: Guitar

My approach is to work at each students individual pace, and determining what material they are ready for, and what weaknesses need to be worked on. I am a no presure teacher and am very patient with beginners.The goal is to have fun while learning. I try my best to work hard when we are together, and to ensure that you completely understand the material that we covered. I rely on the student to practice in between sessions. Read More

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

I started teaching private lessons on guitar and bass in the mid-1970's, after playing for about 10 years. If you want to learn to play, you have to practice. It is a physical and mental exercise that is a significant challenge to any beginnner and and on-going project that you can work on for your entire life. That's why I emphasize, encourage and enable you with many methods and techniques to keep yourself focused on praciticing, rehearsing and performing so it becomes part of your daily routine. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

For beginner students I will utilize either the "Alfred's Basic Piano Library" or "Faber - Hal Leonard's Piano Adventures" with the particular books selected to fit the student's age and skill level. I also enhance lessons by integrating scale pattern practice as well as exploration with simple boogie-woogie bass patterns; encouragement to sing and play where the lessons provide such an arrangement; and tinkering creating very simple melody lines and lyrics. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Voice Keyboard

For beginner that are children ... I use "Excellence in Theory" by Ryan Nowlin Bruce Pearson ... to cover music theory and ear training. After completion of this work I move the student to Bela Bartok's MikroCosmos Volume 1 or other available method books. I also come up with materials of my own from time to time ... each student is different ... so I take the approach of learning the student as I work with them ... with the idea that I will tailor the education to work best for the student! Read More

Instruments: Guitar Flute Drums Piccolo Acoustic Guitar

I absolutely love getting students really excited about their instrument. I like to show videos of high level playing and introduce a wide variety of genres and styles while I find exactly what it is that inspires the student to play. My lesson structure normally consists of a warm up, rudiment/sticking work, reading or playing exercise and new concepts, then work on a song. I really try to get my students playing along with tracks so they can hear how drums sound in a band setting and apply it to their playing! Read More

Instruments: Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My teaching style is to engage students through the history and love of music and to help them understand the fundamentals of music theory. As the students progresses i will slowly introduce more advance material through the lessons. I will help the student grow and progress and help engage them on the infinite combination of the 12 notes on the instrument. I will send the student home with material to practice because in order to become a better musician you have to practice to develop your skills Read More

Instruments: Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I encourage small but daily practice. you don't have to play guitar for 4 hours a day to make good progress. Just 15 minutes every day will be sufficient especially when you first start out. It is deeply satisfying when i see a student grasp a concept that they worked so hard on. set realistic goals and don't try to overwhelm yourself by trying to play extremely difficult music in a short amount of time. basics is key if you know the basics you can do the harder things and with ease. Read More