About Me
About Me
Introduction to Capo Techniques
About me
I’ve taught guitar lessons since about 1992. As a working musician, my teaching and my playing are evolving together. I’m a different guitarist today than I was then, and I work hard to learn new skills – for myself and for my students.
Guitar lessons are helpful for players of any level. How many and how often depends entirely on your motivation. Even someone who has “no” time to practice will make the time if they feel motivated. Students go from wanting to play to needing to play because of how much they enjoy it.
A word about WHO, WHY, HOW, and WHAT I teach
Who: All ages. A motivated six-year old can gain lots from guitar lessons, as can an adult who feels that their musical years have already passed them by. Most important here is that you feel motivated to play. If you’re motivated, you can’t stop playing, because you have to – it feeds you so much. Making the transition from “wanting to play” to “needing to play” as quickly as possible is the key to progress.
Why: I teach because I love teaching. I teach because music can change lives: it changed mine.
How: If you can’t teach something, then you haven’t learned it. A student needs to thoroughly understand why something is the way it is. This is very true of fingerpicking, capo techniques, and open tunings. Most intermediate students can learn the basics of open tuning in about 30 minutes, if they know why it works. I adapt my teaching to fit what students are ready for. If a student needs notes or tab written out, we do that. If they are ready for ear training, then we work on ear training. Any teacher should be an excellet listener.
What: Students typically dive first into their own musical vocabulary to find songs they already know and love. I teach adaptation rather than repetition. If you want to play Jimi Hendrix note for note, then I’m not your guy. If you want to figure out how to adapt Peter Gabriel for open tuning or how to develop a strumming and picking style that will enable you to play hundreds of songs, then call me. I can teach you why things work the way they do – so that you can create and interpret by yourself.
