Guitar Lessons in Stapleton, CO

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar

My love of music began at a young age through playing piano, percussion, and guitar and continued to grow throughout my years of schooling.  I graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver in May of 2013 with my Bachelor of Music degree with a Concentration in Music Composition.  I have since been spreading my knowledge of music throughout my local community through teaching, playing, and composition.  I have released two music albums, one in 2011 and the other in 2013, in which I played percussion, drum set, guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and sang while also recording, electronically programming, composing, and producing the albums myself.  I have been building my studio for over eight years and have acquired many pieces of equipment that help me teach, compose, play, and produce music.  I have a driving passion to enhance the value of music in the Denver Metro area and I believe that teaching music to anyone and everyone who seeks to understand it is the first step

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I am a southern California retired music teacher. I graduated with a double major in music from South Dakota State University. I taught instrumental music in public and private schools for the last 36 years. I have also owned and operated my own piano studio. I am married and have three boys. I'm active in church music and I also frequently accompany music students for recitals and rehearsals including school musicals. My experiences have included accompanying music students to Europe numerous times for musical performances.

Instruments: Guitar Trumpet Drums Bass Guitar Ukulele

My teaching methods are completely based on the playing level of the student. Beginner trumpet students will start in any generic beginner trumpet book. Students who have a grasp of the basics will jump right into Arban or Clark studies. I focus on tone improvement, range extension, air control, accuracy, and articulation. Sometimes that just means playing whole notes for 15 minutes at a time! Every embouchure is different so every student needs a different set of studies. Beginner guitar students will go through the first Hal Leonard book before moving in a more specialized direction. We will take a string-by-string approach to the guitar while we also learn chords. More advanced students can provide suggestions on where they would like the lessons to go. If you want to play Fernando Sor classical pieces then we can do that. If you want to learn jazz chord structure we can do that, too! If you want to improve solo on some scales, we can, of course, DO THAT! Beginner drum students will start with the basics of a rock beat using a full kit. Marching fundamentals are never fun, but we will introduce them over time. Over time, beats become more complex. Fills are introduced. New kick drum patterns are mastered. For more advanced students we will learn how to play dynamically within a song. As we add more advanced patterns to your repertoire we will also discuss when to use them and how to use them. For bass guitar students I prefer to only take moderate to advanced students. I specialize in bass line composition using only a chord chart. I can teach advanced slap/pop techniques and when they should be used. A good understanding of the instrument is required. I will teach you how to apply scales and modes to your bass lines.

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Keyboard

Something that my teaching experience showed me is that we all learn in different ways. I develop a unique learning experience for each student according to their age and needs. My pedagogy is more didactic for children and beginners than for adults or intermediate students. No matter what these needs and goals are, in our lessons we have fun, appreciate music, comprehend why we do what we do, and how it all works together. I use parts of the Suzuki method, the Alfred methods, Hal Leonard methods, or Jaco Pastorious methods to name a few of the many resources used on my lessons. There is homework between classes, and rewards for extra work done. Motivation, positive reinforcement, enthusiasm, respect, and honesty are always present in my classroom. The more time I spent with a student, the more I know them and learn from them as well, helping me develop a unique method and set of workouts for their own development as a musician.