I teach guitar and various other stringed instruments, including electric bass. I also teach songwriting, arranging, music theory and analysis, and have successfully coached numerous students for college level music entrance exams and auditions.
My approach to teaching draws on my strong background in music theory and composition. Students will learn not simply “what to do” but how and why. As a student is studying any particular song or instrumental piece, we’ll spend as much time as appropriate to that student’s level of development analyzing it and exploring possibilities of variation and improvisation the song offers. We’ll analyze the song’s form, rhythm, chord progression, and melody, and also consider it in the broader context of the style(s) of music it draws on – recognizing that particular rhythms, textures, chord sequences, and scales are characteristic of a given style. In this way, real music becomes the basis of study, rather than contrived generic materials.
I do not have a fixed program I force everyone through. Instead I try to tailor lessons to each student’s particular interest and ambition, without losing sight of the need to give the student a solid grounding in music fundamentals.
I do not use tablature; students are expected to learn standard music notation.
I’m a particularly effective teacher for ambitious, self-motivated students. A significant number of my students have successfully gone on to pursue music in college and as professionals.
Parents of younger students are strongly encouraged to be actively involved. They may sit in on lessons and should participate in the student’s daily practice if possible.
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