Guitar Lessons in Thornton, IL

Instruments: Guitar Voice Bass Guitar Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Teaching has been a part of my family since before I was born. It began with my grandmother teaching each of her children to play piano, and now they all play different instruments and family Christmas celebrations have a more orchestral feel to them. My mother began teaching elementary and high school music and choir when I was 11 years old, and now she's set to retire in two years. Through her inspiration I began teaching guitar to young kids (ages 6-10) around three years ago. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Ukulele Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

As a teacher, I believe one of my greatest responsibilites is to foster a love and care for music. If the student is not caring about music,then why are they studying? How will they progress? The best students are the ones who teach themselves. I can show the student the door, but he or she must walk through it. My second greatest responsibility is to teach the craft of music - including all the disciplines it needs. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Double Bass Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I'm a young professional bassist living in Chicago and am now fully submerged in the world of entertainment. I've traveled to all 7 continents after working in a cruise ship band for 3 years. Now I'm settled in the River North neighborhood and looking to pick up students who want to make great music and learn about advanced techniques and possibilities of their instrument. I'm a classically trained jazz major who has played in rock bands, punk bands, pop bands, and musical theater pits over 20 years of professional playing. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

Depending on the age group of the student, my methods vary. With children, I will usually start by trying to gauge their musical interest and develop a strategy from there. Usually, this involves learning basic chord forms and progressions, until they are ready to start learning a bit of theory, and therefore how to solo. For adults, I simply ask them about their musical interests and tastes, and ask them what their ultimate goal is, and then set shorter goals to help achieve the ultimate goal. Read More

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

Music is not a sport. Learning music takes patience, from the student and the teacher, and time. The joy of music comes from continually moving forward, and ever closer, to the ultimate goal of learning a song or piece and having the confidence to perform in front of family, friends, and even fans. No two students learn the same way, and will never sound alike, no matter how hard they try. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Flute Clarinet Bass Guitar

My teaching style is patient, encouraging, and focused on what the student wants to learn, by quickly getting them to play the music they want to they are motivated to practice.  It should be enjoyable first and foremost.  For those that aspire to be professionals, I make sure the student understands the dedication and discipline necessary to achieve their goals. No two students are alike in terms of the goals they have or the method of teaching that will be the most effective for them. Read More

Instruments: Guitar

I will typically use the first lesson as an initial assessment of the student's personality and his/her skills. I ask the student what they would like to learn with the understanding that I will provide some of my own technical and theoretical knowledge. I like to create general lesson plans before each meeting so that I have some kind of outline to follow. I try to adhere to the student's progress timeline with the understanding that they need to be pushed a little out of their comfort zone if they want to see improvements. Read More