Guitar Lessons in Saint Helena, CA

Instruments: Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My teaching style is tailored to however the student learns best. I am very adaptive to the student's focus and will constantly check to see if the current topic we're going over makes sense or if they'd like to move on to something else. I also believe that positive reinforcement is very important and that one should always think positively about every accomplishment big or small. My philosophy is that you are only competing against yourself and that if you are better than you were yesterday, then it is a success. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Bass Guitar Ukulele Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I began teaching music in 2009 as a tutor for the local junior college teaching music theory and musicianship. I expanded to voice and guitar lessons and have been teaching for the last 12 years. I teach in my home studio, in my students homes and online. I know that consistent practice is the way for students to reach their music goals and so I make sure that each student knows what to practice and how to practice. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Organ Synthesizer Ukulele Mandolin Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I always say that rhythm is more important than the notes. Play the right rhythm and the notes will come instead of playing every right note while sacrificing rhythm. I encourage students to make their mistakes loud, proud, and in rhythm so everyone has a better idea of what needs to be worked on most. I also emphasize isolating parts to practice and working backwards. Example: play the last two bars of the song until comfortable with it, now play the last 4 bars, last 6, last 8...etc., whole song. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

For voice, I will typically start with technique and breath. The first lesson is heavy in feeling the anatomy of the body to cultivate a coordinated breath for the most optimal and healthy singing. From there, we move into warm-ups, and will adjust vowels to find resonant spaces. Generally, with the voice, after the initial work with anatomy there is an improvisatory style of teaching that I develop, catered to the individual. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I've blended my methods with a response to each student I work with by requesting their trust, listening to their places of comfort and interest in playing music, and discovering new avenues of development with the student. I encourage them to draw from those areas in our sessions as we develop our repertoire and enhance individual growth from there. For beginners I tend to start with either Standard of Excellence books or Rubank and build custom practices from there. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I started and loved to play the guitar since when I was 12 years old. I started out by self teaching myself how to play the style called "Finger-Style" on the steel string acoustic guitar and posted videos of myself playing this style on the instrument on YouTube. I was able to progress fast by posting videos consistently, and I had collected a big following as well. After a few years, my interest and love had grown for the classical nylon strung guitar and I continued to pursue it in a collegiate level. Read More