Guitar Lessons in Oakland, CA

Instruments: Guitar Music Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginning students I prefer to use Mathew Hinsley's method "Guitar for Young People". All of the peers that I grew to admire growing up with guitar used this method and became very good very quickly. Once the student has outgrown this method of introducing guitar I like to dive into what interests them, any style of music, and anything that will push their passion for learning guitar. The first and foremost thing for students is allowing them to grow with the guitar, and anything that might help with that is something I'll do. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My experience is mostly with beginning students, so I take an easy-going approach. We will begin with fundamentals, either working out of one of my books, one of the student's, or with a different modality depending on the student's learning style. I will facilitate a fun, exciting environment in which the student can choose their path. Possible goals could be: learning your favorite song, memorizing scales, learning to read music, learning to solo, and anything else that pops into the student's head! Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

I prefer tailoring my teaching approach to suit the individual's interests. When I initially began taking lessons, my primary focus was on learning how to play Death Metal. However, my instructors were unable or uninterested in guiding me through that genre. Unfortunately, this led me to discontinue formal lessons for a while. It was only years later, through my own musical experiences, that I started recognizing the close relationships between different genres. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Cello Viola Bass Guitar Organ Ukulele Electric Violin Music Keyboard Electric Guitar

I always start a lesson with a new student by assessing their current skill level. If the student already has a certain curriculum they are working on, I usually have them pick up from where they left off so I can see where we're at. Taking things into consideration like intonation, posture, dynamics, form etc., I either assign a new curriculum or continue on. My lessons usually consist of 3 books: a scale book, an etude book, and a leveled song book like the Suzuki method. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Music Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I prefer to let the student's personality and general skill level dictate the pace and style in which I teach. The greatest detriment to a student's progress is a lack of interest, so I try to give the students as much say as possible when deciding what piece of music they will be learning. Every student develops their skills at their own pace, so my key concern is keeping the students motivated and interested in everything we do during our lessons. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Viola Ukulele Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Music has always been a part of my life. I became involved in music, theater and dance at a young age, performing in countless professional productions. In my teens and early adulthood, I began writing and recording music and became involved in a number of recording projects that led me to teaching. I gave my first lesson over a decade ago and I continue to perform when I can. I graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy with concentrations in Theater and Music, and I worked for Women's Audio Mission in San Francisco. Read More