Guitar Lessons in Oakley, CA

Instruments: Piano Guitar

When it comes to teaching, I find the most important thing is that we work towards the goal of what the student wants to learn - in the case of their preferred styles/genres of music, and the songs that they really enjoy. Every student has their own individual skill level and pace that can be developed and worked around. First, I would find out the level of skill and musical interests of the student, then I would create a lesson plan utilizing all of the tools at my disposal - both from my personal experience and from other educational sources, such as: Blues books, Rock books, Classical guitar/piano books, theory books, and tablature books, or music from popular bands. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Ukulele Music Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Trumpet Trombone Drums Ukulele Euphonium French Horn Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I have taught music for over 10 years. I have had great success teaching Trombone, Trumpet, French Horn, Guitar and Ukulele. Many of my students have studied with me for long periods, some for over 7 years! I have also studied with many of the best teachers in Music Education today. I have worked with some of the best conductors and musicians in the world and have gained valuable insight from my experiences. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Trumpet Fiddle French Horn Electric Guitar

For beginning students, I try to figure out what if any familiarity with the instrument or connected genres the student already has and plan to orient lessons around that. If they're absolute beginners with no specific interests yet, as is often the case with children, I focus on teaching fundamentals of the instrument's technique, music theory relevant to reading sheet music and understanding scales, keys, and time signatures. If it seems like it would help I'd move on to the Suzuki method or at least to simple songs and etudes. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar

I'm a multi-instrumentalist, improvisor, composer and educator who takes great joy in teaching and sharing music with people of all ages. I've been deeply fortunate to have studied closely with multiple master musicians of various traditions. Perhaps the teacher who has had the deepest impact on my teaching methods is W.A. Mathieu, former arranger and bandmember of the Duke Ellington and Stan Kenton orchestras. I studied with Mathieu for three years. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Synthesizer Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I discuss with you what you want to achieve; playing your favorite songs, writing your own, improvising, playing with others, etc. and then we build a plan to develop the supporting skills to accomplish this goal. I focus on imparting clear instruction and advice, paying close attention to what is or isn't working for you to help you refine and improve your playing. Together we'll ensure you understand the fretboard up and down, filling in any gaps in knowledge and connecting all of the dots until you feel confident moving around it. Read More