Guitar Lessons in Compton, MD

Instruments: Guitar Voice Keyboard

Adult students I have taught typically want to learn to do two things: 1) accompany themselves on an instrument while singing a popular song or 2) learn to play with others ... whether that be a jam session during a jazz set ... or playing behind someone else that is singing or playing a lead instrument. For these adult learners I lean toward teaching chords, arpeggios and scales. Important: I suggest that a student only practice 15 to 20 minutes a day ... whatever amount of time it takes to cover the lesson. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Saxophone Flute Clarinet Acoustic Guitar

I had an opportunity to start teaching early as a student leader in my high school music program and continuing into college. I've found that my students have a much higher level of success when they are encouraged to practice regularly at home. I use classical repertoire to build techniques across styles and modern music to keep students engaged. If they aren't enjoying themselves, I'm not doing something correctly. I encourage students to enter recitals and competitions as well as create their own original material. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Trumpet Saxophone Flute Clarinet French Horn Oboe Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginning students I start with basics: learning how to hold the instrument, put it together, etc. Then when that is solid we learn a few notes. From there we go to the Rubank books. At the same time, we start reading music that I find appropriate for them. For adults, it depends on what they want to learn. Popular songs or songs they request. But I also push for technical mastery of the instrument so I push for knowledge of scales and then keep pushing with more challenging/fun pieces. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Bass Guitar Ukulele Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I love to see my students overcome challenges in music. My music teacher used to say, "nothing is hard, or difficult, just challenging." If students learn how to practice effectively on their own, learning new music becomes easier over time. I teach my students how to approach a certain rhythm, phrase, or fingering and the techniques to do so correctly such as by slowing down and practicing with a metronome, our muscle memory will be able to play it up to speed once it's learned. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginner students who have never held an instrument or don't know anything about music we'll go over basic guitar fundamentals we'll talk about different types of guitars, how to hold the guitar in classical and folk style positions, how to press your fingers on the strings (because there is a way), body parts of the guitar, basic music concepts such as beat and rhythm, how to read music both standard and tabs, basic guitar exercises, and a few fun songs once the fundamentals have been practiced enough. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

My methods and approach to teaching a student all depend on the student (or group of students). I like to find out what attracts my students to music, and more specifically, why they want to learn to play piano. By investigating the motives of my students, I can better tailor a lesson that delivers both what they want to learn and what they need to learn. Once the goals are known, we begin to build a foundation of technical and creative exercises to increase skill and comprehension within the realm of playing piano. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums Bass Guitar

It is important that each student progresses at his or her own pace.  I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at each lesson.  Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel a students desire to progress, and makes students eager tolearn more. By trying to find out what imspires the student, I can successfully tailor my instruction to their wants and needs. Read More