PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.
I strive to keep lessons FUN for my students!
I encourage and praise them for improvement, effort
and performance.
I have a very patient and constructive approach to
correcting mistakes and helping with any difficulties
they encounter. Over the years I've developed a
system for teaching in a style that's fun and effective.
Reading Music
Younger students are strongly encouraged to learn
to read music. I teach this from the Hal Leonard
guitar method books.
These popular books have been used successfully
for years by teachers everywhere. The method
books use a step-by-step approach to teach note
reading.
Being able to read notation is very helpful for any
guitarist, though it is not mandatory for learning how
to play guitar.
However, I will usually recommend that younger
students start with the Method Books and learning to
read music.
Not only does it give them a valuable skill that can
be applied to other instruments, it also uses a logical
step-by-step approach that helps develop their
musical understanding and the physical skills
needed to play guitar.
This will come in very handy when they move on to
playing their favorite songs!
I believe students should be exposed to a wide
variety of music. I try to give them a sampling of
everything from classic rock to country to jazz to
oldies to blues and heavy metal. There is
something to be learned from any music style. My
hope is that listening to and playing something new
fosters a deep appreciation for music
in general. They will usually gravitate to a style that
they are best suited for and really enjoy. I've had
students come in who at first only liked rap or
modern pop, but eventually developed a real feel for
blues or jazz or classic rock.
Some students will want to become well-versed in
many different styles of music. Others will eventually
want to focus on one style and master it. It all
depends on your goals as a guitar player. I work with
each student to develop a customized approach
suited to their musical taste and goals.
Whether you enjoy top 40, classic rock, oldies,
country, blues or jazz - I can help you learn to play
the music you love!
The list below is a sampling of the music my
students have learned to play. Notice the many
varied styles and eras of music represented!
AC/DC - Back in Black, Highway to Hell, TNT, Hells
Bells
Allman Brothers - Melissa, Jessica, Ramblin' Man,
Midnight Rider
Led Zeppelin - Black Dog, Stairway to Heaven,
Kashmir, D'yer Maker
U2 - Pride, Vertigo, New Year's Day,
Metallica - Wherever I May Roam, Enter Sandman
Ozzy Osbourne- Crazy Train
Black Sabbath - Iron Man, Paranoid
Prince - Purple Rain, Let's Go Crazy!
Ed Sheeran- I See Fire
Santana - Oye Como Va, Smooth, Evil Ways
Green Day - American Idiot, Good Riddance,
Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams
The Black Keys - Lonely Boy
Taylor Swift - Mean, Fifteen, You Belong with Me
Dire Straits -Sultans of Swing, Money For Nothing
The Ventures - Wipe-out, Walk Don't Run, Pipeline
The Beatles - Day Tripper, Help!, Let it Be, Eight
Days a Week, Blackbird
America - Sister Golden Hair, Horse with No Name
Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze, Hey Joe, All Along the
Watchtower
Frank Sinatra - Fly Me to the Moon
Duke Ellington - Satin Doll
Lumineers - Ho Hey
Eagles - Hotel California, Take it Easy, Tequila
Sunrise, Life in the Fast Lane
Neil Young - Heart of Gold, Old Man, Needle and
the Damage Done
Tom Petty - Refugee, Free Fallin, Breakdown
Avril Lavigne - I'm with You , Nobody's Home,
Girlfriend, When You're Gone
Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke (bass!)
Modern English - Melt With You
Duran Duran - Rio
Traditional Bluegrass - Cripple Creek, Foggy Mt.
Breakdown
Brooks & Dunn - Neon Moon
Garth Brooks - Beaches of Cheyenne, The Dance,
Friends in Low Places
Keith Urban - Stupid Boy
Eric Church - Talladega
Jason Aldean - Big Green Tractor
Tim McGraw - Shotgun Rider
Eric Clapton - Layla, Wonderful Tonight,
Crossroads, Tears in Heaven
Boston - More Than a Feeling, Piece of Mind, Rock
and Roll Band
Marshall Tucker Band - Can't You See, Heard it in
a Love Song, Fire on the Mountain
Pink Floyd - Money, Another Brick in the Wall,
Comfortably Numb
Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk the
Line, Ring of Fire, Hey Porter, Hurt
Waylon Jennings - Amanda, Are You sure hank
Done it This Way?,
Kris Kristofferson - Me & Bobbie McGee, For the
Good Times, Why Me?
Jimmy Buffett - Margaritaville, Fins, Cheeseburger
in Paradise
Simon & Garfunkel - Scarborough Fair, America,
Mrs. Robinson, Kodachrome
Van Halen - Ain't Talking 'bout Love, You Really
Got Me, Running With the Devil
Fleetwood Mac - Landslide, Dreams, Don't Stop,
Go Your Own Way
Jim Croce - Operator, Time in A Bottle
John Denver - Rocky Mt. High, Annie's Song,
Country Roads
Bon Jovi - Wanted: Dead or Alive, Livin' on a
Prayer
Buddy Holly - That'll be the Day, Rave On, Peggy
Sue
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode, Rock and Roll
Music
ZZ Top - La Grange, Tush, Sharp Dressed Man
Pure Prairie League - Aimee
Temptations - My Girl
Def Leppard - Rock of Ages, Photograph, Foolin'
Guns n Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine, Welcome to
the Jungle
Billy Idol - White Wedding
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust, Space Oddity
Kansas - Dust in the Wind, Carry on Wayward Son
Kiss - Detroit Rock City, Rock and Roll All Nite
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama, What's
Your Name?, Freebird, Simple Man
.38 Special - Hold on Loosely, Rockin' into the
Night
Bob Seger - Night Moves, Mainstreet, Against the
Wind
Rush - Tom Sawyer, Limelight, YYZ
Blind Melon - No Rain
Van Morrison - Brown-Eyed Girl
Paul Simon - Kodachrome
CSNY- Ohio, Helplessly Hoping, Teach Your
Children, Southern Cross
...and so many, many more!
I strive to keep lessons FUN for my students!
I encourage and praise them for improvement, effort
and performance.
I have a very patient and constructive approach to
correcting mistakes and helping with any difficulties
they encounter. Over the years I've developed a
system for teaching in a style that's fun and effective.
Reading Music
Younger students are strongly encouraged to learn
to read music. I teach this from the Hal Leonard
guitar method books.
These popular books have been used successfully
for years by teachers everywhere. The method
books use a step-by-step approach to teach note
reading.
Being able to read notation is very helpful for any
guitarist, though it is not mandatory for learning how
to play guitar.
However, I will usually recommend that younger
students start with the Method Books and learning to
read music.
Not only does it give them a valuable skill that can
be applied to other instruments, it also uses a logical
step-by-step approach that helps develop their
musical understanding and the physical skills
needed to play guitar.
This will come in very handy when they move on to
playing their favorite songs!
I believe students should be exposed to a wide
variety of music. I try to give them a sampling of
everything from classic rock to country to jazz to
oldies to blues and heavy metal. There is
something to be learned from any music style. My
hope is that listening to and playing something new
fosters a deep appreciation for music
in general. They will usually gravitate to a style that
they are best suited for and really enjoy. I've had
students come in who at first only liked rap or
modern pop, but eventually developed a real feel for
blues or jazz or classic rock.
Some students will want to become well-versed in
many different styles of music. Others will eventually
want to focus on one style and master it. It all
depends on your goals as a guitar player. I work with
each student to develop a customized approach
suited to their musical taste and goals.
Whether you enjoy top 40, classic rock, oldies,
country, blues or jazz - I can help you learn to play
the music you love!
The list below is a sampling of the music my
students have learned to play. Notice the many
varied styles and eras of music represented!
AC/DC - Back in Black, Highway to Hell, TNT, Hells
Bells
Allman Brothers - Melissa, Jessica, Ramblin' Man,
Midnight Rider
Led Zeppelin - Black Dog, Stairway to Heaven,
Kashmir, D'yer Maker
U2 - Pride, Vertigo, New Year's Day,
Metallica - Wherever I May Roam, Enter Sandman
Ozzy Osbourne- Crazy Train
Black Sabbath - Iron Man, Paranoid
Prince - Purple Rain, Let's Go Crazy!
Ed Sheeran- I See Fire
Santana - Oye Como Va, Smooth, Evil Ways
Green Day - American Idiot, Good Riddance,
Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams
The Black Keys - Lonely Boy
Taylor Swift - Mean, Fifteen, You Belong with Me
Dire Straits -Sultans of Swing, Money For Nothing
The Ventures - Wipe-out, Walk Don't Run, Pipeline
The Beatles - Day Tripper, Help!, Let it Be, Eight
Days a Week, Blackbird
America - Sister Golden Hair, Horse with No Name
Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze, Hey Joe, All Along the
Watchtower
Frank Sinatra - Fly Me to the Moon
Duke Ellington - Satin Doll
Lumineers - Ho Hey
Eagles - Hotel California, Take it Easy, Tequila
Sunrise, Life in the Fast Lane
Neil Young - Heart of Gold, Old Man, Needle and
the Damage Done
Tom Petty - Refugee, Free Fallin, Breakdown
Avril Lavigne - I'm with You , Nobody's Home,
Girlfriend, When You're Gone
Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke (bass!)
Modern English - Melt With You
Duran Duran - Rio
Traditional Bluegrass - Cripple Creek, Foggy Mt.
Breakdown
Brooks & Dunn - Neon Moon
Garth Brooks - Beaches of Cheyenne, The Dance,
Friends in Low Places
Keith Urban - Stupid Boy
Eric Church - Talladega
Jason Aldean - Big Green Tractor
Tim McGraw - Shotgun Rider
Eric Clapton - Layla, Wonderful Tonight,
Crossroads, Tears in Heaven
Boston - More Than a Feeling, Piece of Mind, Rock
and Roll Band
Marshall Tucker Band - Can't You See, Heard it in
a Love Song, Fire on the Mountain
Pink Floyd - Money, Another Brick in the Wall,
Comfortably Numb
Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk the
Line, Ring of Fire, Hey Porter, Hurt
Waylon Jennings - Amanda, Are You sure hank
Done it This Way?,
Kris Kristofferson - Me & Bobbie McGee, For the
Good Times, Why Me?
Jimmy Buffett - Margaritaville, Fins, Cheeseburger
in Paradise
Simon & Garfunkel - Scarborough Fair, America,
Mrs. Robinson, Kodachrome
Van Halen - Ain't Talking 'bout Love, You Really
Got Me, Running With the Devil
Fleetwood Mac - Landslide, Dreams, Don't Stop,
Go Your Own Way
Jim Croce - Operator, Time in A Bottle
John Denver - Rocky Mt. High, Annie's Song,
Country Roads
Bon Jovi - Wanted: Dead or Alive, Livin' on a
Prayer
Buddy Holly - That'll be the Day, Rave On, Peggy
Sue
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode, Rock and Roll
Music
ZZ Top - La Grange, Tush, Sharp Dressed Man
Pure Prairie League - Aimee
Temptations - My Girl
Def Leppard - Rock of Ages, Photograph, Foolin'
Guns n Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine, Welcome to
the Jungle
Billy Idol - White Wedding
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust, Space Oddity
Kansas - Dust in the Wind, Carry on Wayward Son
Kiss - Detroit Rock City, Rock and Roll All Nite
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama, What's
Your Name?, Freebird, Simple Man
.38 Special - Hold on Loosely, Rockin' into the
Night
Bob Seger - Night Moves, Mainstreet, Against the
Wind
Rush - Tom Sawyer, Limelight, YYZ
Blind Melon - No Rain
Van Morrison - Brown-Eyed Girl
Paul Simon - Kodachrome
CSNY- Ohio, Helplessly Hoping, Teach Your
Children, Southern Cross
...and so many, many more!
