Guitar Lessons in Lyon Village, DC

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Lap Steel Guitar Ukulele Double Bass Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I sincerely believe that even the most basic material can be made to "sound good", and I stress this from the beginning. I'm big on playing duets. I'll tend to toss in tidbits about the physics of sound, or how muscle memory works. I like to engage the curiousity of the student in this way. I like to ask students about what music they like, and what they would like to do--play in a school talent show? Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Watching a student develop their playing is an incredibly gratifying experience for me as a teacher. To help encourage this,I put a great  effort into connecting with the student's interests from day one. With each lesson, I work with them to set goals that are within their reach, while maintaining a relaxed, self-paced learning environment that is both fun and comfortable. My teaching style incorporates both traditional, and non-traditional techniques, all customized to meet each person's own unique needs. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Banjo Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For younger students I usually recommend a method book or I make copies from my own library for the student.  I usually will teach fundamentals through a book, but I always look for opportunities to convey musical principles in a more natural way, and especially for kids, fun is the most important method there is.  Often times a student will stumble upon something interesting unintentionally and I use these moments to teach, because it both encourages them to recognize their natural talent and helps the student to make connections from their limited technical skills to greater conceptual knowledge. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Classical Guitar

My teaching style is very flexible. If I see that a particular lesson isn't working, I will change to a lesson covering something the student is more interested in, and possibly not as intimidated. The main thing is for the student to gain confidence in what he/she is trying to learn. I also think that teaching my students to read music in standard notation is a very important aspect of my teaching. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Trombone Bass Guitar

Music has been a large part of my since I was a child, to include teaching. I started on trombone, moved to guitar, and found my real passion in electric bass. While I have led many careers in my life (construction, marketing, program management) music has always been a consistent side project. I have been fortunate enough to play and record with some well-known artists, and tour the US and UK. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar

For beginners, I use Alfred's books. They are very easy to understand. Alfred's Book Course are the most valuable books I have ever seen. I use Alfred's: lesson book, theory book, technique book, notespeller booke, and recital book. I usually make sure to include recital book as we are going to start our first recital this year. I also make sure that we alternate between lesson and technique book every lesson. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Ukulele Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My teaching experience goes back to my college days, as I began teaching private adult lessons for my Studio class 5 years ago and have been teaching privately ever since. For the past year, however, I've been an elementary music teacher in Washington, D.C. I am certified to teach Pre-K-12th grades in public schools, although I usually coach adults privately. I now live in Richmond and gig around the area frequently at weddings, churches, and local venues/theatres. Read More