I’m currently working on creating a CD of several of the songs I’ve written over the past 30+ years, and I expect to have my CD available later this summer.
Once it’s available, I’ll add samples of my songs to my website, so you can hear them.
This section of my site should answer many of your questions regarding guitar lessons. My approach to teaching is to focus on helping the student to learn on the guitar the styles of music that most interest him or her. Rather than spending lots of time on drills and exercises or learning songs that have no appeal to the student, I prefer to devote more time to learning how to play songs in the styles the student most enjoys and a minimal amount of time on drills.
I offer the initial lesson period at no charge, so the prospective student and I can meet each other and make sure that working together is a good fit for both of us. If lessons are for your child, you’re most welcome to attend this initial session. Having the right teacher can make all the difference in the student’s progress, so this initial meeting is well worth the time spent.
How much time will I need to practice? When a student can devote more time to practice, they can make better progress. However, good progress can be made when the student can get in focused practice sessions of 15-20 minutes a couple of times each day.
How can I maximize my practice results? There are techniques that can improve practice results, and we’ll be introducing them to the students during lessons. For instance, dividing a new song you’re learning into sections and developing one section at a time can reduce the time it takes to learn a song.
How does having a teacher improve my playing? Having a music teacher is like having a personal coach or trainer who can design a specific program to speed your progress. The teacher’s experience can help pinpoint the areas you need to work on and can prevent you from wasting time learning improper techniques, etc.
Do I need to know how to read music? It’s not important for you to know how to read music when you begin. If you want to pursue reading music as part of your lessons, it will help you in the future to be able to pick up a piece of music and play through it. Just like being able to read allows you to experience more in life, reading music can make it easier to experience and play more music. However, you can learn how to play songs on the guitar without learning how to read music.
What kind of guitar do I need? Two key factors are size and playability. If the student is a younger child, getting a ½ size or ¾ size guitar that fits his or her smaller body can make learning much easier. The other important factor is playability, meaning that the guitar is easy to play and can stay in tune. Some inexpensive guitars are so poor in quality that you really can’t play music on them.
Another thing to consider is whether you should choose a nylon- or steel-string guitar. If you’re new to the guitar, you’ll find nylon strings easier to play initially. Nylon strings tend to make a softer sound, where steel strings generally produce a brighter sound.
How do I tell if the guitar I want is a good one? I’ll be glad to discuss this with you at the first lesson. You can find decent starter guitars in the $100 - $250 range. If you can invest more in your guitar, the playability, as well as the overall sound and quality of the instrument, can increase dramatically.
Besides a guitar, are there other supplies and equipment I should get? We can discuss your particular needs at your first lesson. You can plan on needing things like guitar picks, a course book for your level of playing, and a metronome.
Do you teach guitar to adults as well as children? Yes, I’m more than happy to teach all ages, starting at age seven.
As a parent, are there other benefits for my child from his or her music lessons? The love of music and gaining the ability to create music is a worthy goal, but studying an instrument offers a child so much more. When you devote several years to developing your musical talent, you are building a list of great qualities that will help you in later life. Skills like handling pressure, responding to criticism without taking it personally, developing a work ethic, recovering easily from a bad performance or presentation, learning how to manage a project and coping with deadlines, learning how to control several things simultaneously, and learning how one becomes good at doing something.
This abbreviated list of benefits comes from an online article by music educator Philip Johnston, Read his article by clicking here.