Guitar Lessons in Lafayette, OR

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I am a dedicated musician and teacher beginning my fifth year in Portland. My background is multi-disciplinary: on top of my musical coursework I hold degrees in poetry and language. I am a songwriter as well as an instrumentalist and composer. I believe creativity and originality are very valuable parts of musical expression that sometimes get overlooked! I have more than three years experience playing in local bands, and I am well-versed in the Portland music scene (though I continue to add to my knowledge!) Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Ukulele

The approach I use to advance student learning is fun and laid back - yet direct and studious. I believe in the power of mentoring students and adults. Every student is different and has their own way of learning and growing, even as we get older. There is always room for improvement. At your first lesson we can talk about what makes sense in terms of practice week to week and will continue to see what it takes as time goes on. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Bass Guitar Ukulele Conga Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Djembe Acoustic Guitar

I encourage students to focus on their personal expression and growth as a musician. While I select pieces for students based on their skill level and ability to take challenges effectively, students are given the freedom to browse their own musical library or lexicon to perform music they enjoy or is moving to them. Since many modern songs can be found without sheet music or proper notation for each instrument, I arrange pieces and songs for students' instruments as close to the recorded version as possible. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Flute Ukulele Recorder

As a soloist he's played classical music, blues, jazz, and original compositions. Before devoting himself to music full time, he worked for 8 years as a radio announcer on WUFT-FM Gainesville hosting shows such as "Nothing but the Blues", "Montage" (acoustic jazz), and "Musica Antiqua" (Renaissance and Medieval).  He currently hosts a jazz radio show called "Hard Choices" which airs on Saturdays at 11 a.m. on KMHD 89.1 FM in Portland, OR. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Ukulele Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I firmly believe that every student is different and deserves their own personalized lesson experience. I do my best to get an understanding of what a student's musical interests and goals are tailor their lessons towards those goals. I teach lots of songs, because that's what we want to play! I also do my best to make sure you understand WHAT you are playing so that you can take elements of one song and know how to re-use them later. Read More

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

I like the aphorism by British guitarist and educator Robert Fripp "We begin where we are". It means to me that at any given point we are all beginners. So if we come with an open mind to explore and learn something new, perhaps what it could be challenging might become easier if we apply the right mind set. So if we are learning a scale...perhaps we begin with a note at the time, then add a second and third, so on, until we have all eight notes or sixteen. - Slow down: If you want to play fast you gotta be able to play it slowly with accuracy and precision. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Harmonica Ukulele Recorder Electric Violin Fiddle Double Bass Euphonium French Horn Tuba Piccolo Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Oboe Bassoon English Horn Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Not only do I teach students how to play or create music, but also how to successfully set goals and achieve them. Every musician should have a goal in mind when practicing. Learning how to manage that goal can be tricky. I like to work together with students to take their goals and break them down smaller into more manageable pieces for them to master. This means that every student's schedule is customized to their learning. Read More