Lessons

As a teacher, my principal goal is to provide each student with the material, instruction, and recommendations that will help her or him achieve technical proficiency and musical sensitivity on the guitar. I want all my students to enjoy playing the guitar, whether they want to pursue it professionally, or for self-enjoyment. I also encourage students to develop proficiency in music reading skills on the guitar.

My rates are $30 for a half-hour lesson, and $50 for a lesson that's about an hour in length. Usually a half-hour lesson runs about 25 minutes or so, and the hour lessons last about 50 minutes; occasionally, we may run longer than that, but that’s the exception rather than the rule. Unless we make other arrangements, I expect to be paid (cash or check) at the end of each lesson. Materials such as method books and accessories are occasionally required, and it is the responsibility of the student to purchase these. Sometimes I can buy these things at a discount, and will do so if requested; payment for those materials is due upon of receipt by the student. If a student needs to cancel or reschedule a lesson, this must be done at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled date/time, or the student will be required to pay for the lesson regardless. I will try to make up lessons whenever possible.

I recommend shorter weekly lessons for beginning students in order to maintain continuity and enable students to progress logically and steadily. More advanced students often prefer lessons more widely spaced, and I work with each student to arrive at an approach that’s comfortable and effective for him or her.

For each lesson, I expect the student to arrive on time, prepared to review any previous material, and ready to take on any new concepts. Students should bring a pencil (and eraser), staff paper, their instrument, and any other required accessories (such as picks) to each lesson. Every student should practice at least 20 minutes per day, and do so consistently. Particularly for beginners, this is very important. Consistency is the most important factor in learning to play any musical instrument, and the guitar is no exception; in this case, ‘slow and steady’ truly does win the race…

Finally, if a student is interested in a certain style of music, or there are particular songs you would like to learn, please let me know. We will work on those in addition to the other materials covered in lessons.