Teaching Philosophy

My primary goal is to give every student a rewarding experience with the guitar. I keep my lessons fun, effective, and never boring.

I Love Teaching Guitar

Learning guitar can be an awkward experience, but it doesn’t have to be frustrating. I’m in love with the instrument, and few activities bring me more joy than helping someone figure out how to make music. With patient support and guidance, I’ll turn your frustration into fascination.

Customized Lessons: Exactly What You Need

Every guitar student has a unique set of goals and learning habits. You might want to play songs around a campfire, cultivate a private hobby, woo a love interest, fill gaps in your knowledge/abilities, or become a guitar god. I treat every student differently so that each lesson is a step toward your own musical ambitions. I construct a curriculum to see immediate improvements while sowing the seeds for long term growth.

Anatomy of a Lesson

Listening, not just hearing, is every musician’s most valuable asset. The primary focus of every lesson is the study of real recordings. Bring in recordings of songs you love; we’ll analyze the music together as I show you how to play it. I combine this element with smaller doses of theory and exercises.

A few skills I aim to cultivate early on are reading music, reading guitar tablature, learning songs by ear, knowing how to analyze a song, and navigating the fretboard. With these elements in place, you can go anywhere.

Learning Tools

I have a background in computer programming, so I like to use computer tools to help my students (and myself) learn. Sometimes I make my own when I’m unsatisfied with what’s out there. For this site, I’ve made the Beginner’s Song Browser, the Capo Calculator, and Custom Flash Cards. Intermediate and advanced players should also check out the Resources section of my personal guitar blog, From the Woodshed.

Ready to get started? Need some more info?