Guitar Lessons in Yonkers, NY

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

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
My grandfather on my father’s side played the mandolin. I clearly remember him playing the “The Tarantella” at family gatherings. My cousin and two of my uncles on my mother’s side played the guitar. My one uncle played the bass as well. He was the one that made me aware that the 4 bass strings were the same as the 4 lower strings of the guitar.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I used to play my friend’s bass guitar at band rehearsals during practice. I purchased my first bass in college and would play with it for fun. When friends needed a bass player, I would gladly do my best to fill in. I also played at jam sessions. Eventually I found myself playing bass in an original band. It is a great feeling to lay down a solid groove for the band and watch people move to the beat. This is when I realized how different the role of the bass guitar was in an ensemble. While I was in college I started to study piano as well. I took one semester of piano. I learned how to construct chords on piano and that opened much as for understanding music theory and how “it” all worked. Playing piano helped my musicianship in so many ways. I studied drums and Latin percussion for several years in my late twenties as well. This really helped my reading music. Focusing on just rhythm without concern for musical pitch is very helpful for reading music.

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
After I played my first high school dance I was hooked! It was a great feeling to play on a stage and see people dancing and having a great time. It was around this time that MTV was becoming popular. I thought, "why not me?" That is when I started to take lessons and take my playing more seriously. I have since then learned that being a professional musician comes in many forms and being a rock star is just one facet of making a living out of playing music.

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Simple question however broad topic. There are entire books regarding effective practice that I would recommend to parents or older students that are interested in getting the most out of their practice. Two come to mind. Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green and W. Timothy Gallwey Several quick points I suggest: Having a specific goal that you plan to accomplish during practice is very important. - A scale - A chord of several chords - A song or a tricky part of song or piece. Understand the task at hand. Practice SLOWLY with proper technique. I recommend NO MORE THAN 10 to 15 minutes of focused practice for all new tasks; then take short break. Stretch this out over 45 minutes to an hour (or throughout your day). Repeat for several days. You will see results! If you can only do this for ½ hour that is fine too, especially for beginners. There are studies that show this type of practice is more beneficial over long term than repeating the same thing for and hour because your brain loses interest when one thing is practiced for too long. Studies show that students will progress more quickly with shorter intervals of focused and deliberate practice.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
Several family members played guitar so it was convenient I guess. I learned to play the guitar slowly for the first couple of years. When my cousin or uncle would come over I would learn a few new things.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
I learned to play the guitar from family members while growing up. I started with a couple of chords around 3rd grade and received my first guitar in 4th grade. I started formal guitar lessons during my junior year of high school. My first guitar teacher was very supportive and impressed with what I picked up on my own. He taught me to read music and explained simple music theory to me. He would bring different guitar players to my lessons for me to check out. It was inspiring to me to hear the great jazz and classical players that I never would have heard at that time in my life.

When will I start to see results?
One should see realistic results after first lesson with slow deliberate practice. If student never played the instrument before holding it correctly and strumming several chords are respectable results.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
I think 8 years old is a good age to start guitar lessons if the child shows interest? Perhaps younger depending on the child. Can your child sit still for 15 minutes? Do they know right from left and have physical strength in their fingers? Perhaps ukulele. It is easier to learn and will get the child prepared to move onto the guitar in future. If a parent believes that their child can focus on a task and shows interest, I say give it a try.

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