Guitar Lessons in Ashland, MA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For humor, creativity, and fun are a big part of how I teach. At the same time I am serious about being disciplined in regular practice. I try to find out what my students are passionate about and use that as motivation. One thing I do compared to my past teachers is use technology. Frankly this technology did not exist when I was young! I often "sample" musical phrases and have them play on a loop. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My teaching style depends on the student. The way I teach young children can be quite different than the way I teach adults. In general, I'm quite laid back. During the first lesson I usually assess a student's skill level and also ask about a student's music goals. Then I'll design a lesson plan with the student's goals in mind. Everyone is different and everyone learns at a different speed. Read More

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

For younger beginning students, I typically start with either the Suzuki Guitar Method or Alfred's Kid's Guitar Course 1. For older children, I typically start with either the Suzuki Guitar Method or Guitar for Kids: Hal Leonard Guitar Method. Students are able to progress through the Suzuki Guitar Method through multiple volumes, or move through the Hal Leonard Guitar Method - Book 1 and continue through subsequent method books. For a classical guitar approach, I use the Suzuki Guitar Method, the Fredrick Noad Method Books, and the Christopher Parkening Guitar Method Book. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For younger students I like to start at the beginning; how to properly hold the instrument, how to tune the instrument, the layout of the fretboard (scales), a healthy repertoire of level appropriate music, etc. As students advance, however, I will introduce Theoretical concepts (Ear Training, Harmony, Modes, etc.) and a more detailed repertoire of music that the student is fervent about learning. I like to encourage my students to compose pieces, and write songs. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

For beginning students at Chelsea High School, I developed my own guitar method books, level 1 and level 2, which use tablature for its very graphic and easy-to-understand method of learning notes on the guitar fretboard which have remained the texts for guitar classes at the High School since my departure. To supplement this I have the Hal Leonard Essential Elements for guitar, and a number of other texts, which offer other approaches, songs, and material. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I also believe in the development of basic vocal and keyboard skills, to better understand the musical materials which we are learning to play on the guitar. Long-term goals are developed with students, based on the students' interests. For one student, it might be writing enough songs to play a set, or to record as an album or EP; for another, it might be learning a repertoire of jazz standards; or transcribing enough solos by a master - Jim Hall, Wes Montgomery or Django Reinhardt, for example - to begin to understand their style; it could be learning to make rock riffs really sound rocking; or developing a strong enough sense of time to groove on funk music with a drummer. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Ukulele Mandolin Fiddle Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I always start by asking the question: Where would you like to be with your instrument? What kind of music do you see yourself playing? If the student can't find an answer, I make suggestions and guide them until they find what resonates with them. I then go on to pick a piece of music that the student wants to learn or that I suggest based on their tastes and focus on learning it with them part by part. Read More