Guitar Lessons in Santa Clara, CA

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar

I have been teaching for over 20 years. I have been teaching a guitar class at UCSC for 8 years. I have also taught group classes through the City of Santa Cruz Parks Rec Department and at Cypress High School. I have also given private lessons on guitar, bass, mandolin, drums and piano. I have also been a guest lecturer at two music classes at UCSC (Music Business and Music of the Grateful Dead). Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Cello Viola Bass Guitar Organ Ukulele Electric Violin Music Keyboard Electric Guitar

Music is something that takes time to understand. It clicks in some students, but most kids take a while to develop musically. Patience is the most pronounced characteristic in my teaching style. It's easy to tell the student what they're doing wrong and what to correct, but that doesn't mean it's the most effective practice. Some kids will get nervous and make the same mistake over and over again. This is where it's important to use positive reinforcement and give the student time and space to be able to understand their mistake and fix it. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

I prefer tailoring my teaching approach to suit the individual's interests. When I initially began taking lessons, my primary focus was on learning how to play Death Metal. However, my instructors were unable or uninterested in guiding me through that genre. Unfortunately, this led me to discontinue formal lessons for a while. It was only years later, through my own musical experiences, that I started recognizing the close relationships between different genres. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Synthesizer Ukulele Double Bass

For beggining students and especially children I will start with books such as the Hal Leonard's Essential Elements. Once the student has graped the fundamentals of musical theory and scales , we will begin to introduce a solo repertoire appropriate for skill set and age. For adults I simply try to find what the studenet is interested in, and guide my instruction accordinglu to keep the lessons fun and engaging, no matter their ability level! Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Ukulele Double Bass

I try to cater my lesson style to the individual students desire and needs. I like to always incorporate the fundamentals of music and technique while exploring the material at hand.  Some key points I try to incorporate into my teaching are an understanding of:  rhythm, technique, playing from ear, improvisation, theory, and most importantly making music! I usually encourage my students to seek out music they like and specific songs they want to learn. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums Bass Guitar Organ

It is important that each student progresses at their own pace with reasonable and realistic goals that they can reach. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel a students desire to achieve even greater challenges. My desire is to find what motives the student and create a curriculum that will refine them based on their desire. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

When I begin with any student, I like to ask what they love, what they wish, and what they'd like to do during their lessons. Depending on the answer, I may start the student with tape on the fretboard, under the strings, outlining the chords for a guitar player. Or I may start with a book outlining the fundamentals of music and focus on sight reading. I like to have the lesson be a mix of what the students want, and what I believe to be useful information. Read More