•
Winter Session 2007: Sept. 10, 2007 - Jan.
25, 2008
(2 weeks off for christmas)
•
at my studio, $40/lesson
• Spring Session 2008:
Feb. 4 - June 13, 2008
(1 week off for spring break)
•
at my studio, $40/lesson
It is not imperative that you begin
lessons at the beginning of a session term, you may begin
lessons at any time (if I have an opening). There is no
contract and no obligations. You are, however, expected
to make up the lessons you miss. In addition, I will charge
a $20 cancellation fee if I am given less than 24 hours
notice for a lesson cancellation (unless you are sick).
Payment
Information
• Payment can be made by the lesson or
monthly, whichever you prefer.
• Fees are payable by cash or cheque.
What ages do you teach?
Ages
9 and up.
Do
you teach beginners?
Absolutely.
Do
you teach group lessons?
No.
How
long is each lesson?
About 50 minutes.
What
styles of music do you teach?
I am comfortable teaching most permutations
of rock, folk, blues, metal, punk, country
as well as some "traditional" music styles. I teach
some examples of classical and flamenco music, but I do not
specialize in these styles. I teach improvisational
lead guitar, rhythm guitar, fingerpicking,
songwriter accompaniment styles, altered
tunings, among other things. I
also regularly work with students on singing
and songwriting, if this is something
that interests them.
What
will the first lesson be like?
The
first lesson will be really easy. We'll talk a bit about what
you want to do and what music you like. I'll ask you about
what sort of musical experiences you've had in the past, if
any. Since there are so many different guitar techniques we
could possibly learn and so many different styles of music
to explore, I find it helpful to start with a list of 10 of
your favourite songs. As a starting point this list of 10
songs can then help to inform me as to what techniques we
should focus on.
I may also give you a warm-up exercise to start building up
some calluses on your fingertips, and help build some strength
and dexterity in your fingers.
What
is your teaching philosophy?
First
and foremost, I believe that students should play the music
that they enjoy. This may sound obvious, but students constantly
tell me about lessons that they have taken in the past where
they have learned to play just about everything but what they
were interested in playing. I suspect it was the music the
guitar teacher liked, or whatever songs are in the latest
Mel Bay Guitar Method book. As a student of mine, you will
decide virtually all of the music that you will learn. Let’s
face it, if you’re not playing the music you like, it’s
not much fun to play.
I try and start with end in mind -- what is the music you
would like to play? What techniques do you need to know to
play this style of music? Once you are clear where you want
to go I can help you get there. I'm totally happy to suggest
music for you, but it's usually more meaningful to students
when they decide what music they want to learn.
Do you teach a specific method?
I use examples from many different guitar methods in my day
to day teaching to help address the different goals of different
students. I do not have a set teaching program that all students
follow. It all depends on what each individual student is
trying to achieve. For example, some fingerpickers can really
benefit from learning a few classical studies to sharpen up
their fingering technique. If a student likes this idea, I
might suggest some Mauro Giuliani classical studies to a struggling
fingerpicking student. If, on the other hand, a student wants
to play "punk rock", we might learn some songs from
punk bands from the past as a stylistic exercise, concentrate
on downstroke tremolo picking, power chords, and explore using
dissonance, noise and feedback to enhance a songs impact.
Do you teach TAB or standard
notation?
I
teach both. If you are someone who wants to learn some songs
by your favorite bands or songwriters for your own pleasure
or to play in a band, I will suggest or provide an accurate
transcription of the music for you in either TAB or standard
notation. Most players find TAB easier. If you don't read
music I can still show you how to play it, but if it's complex,
it will take a lot longer.
If you are a very young student who has never read music before
I may suggest we work through at least 1 or 2 standard notation
reading guitar method books, although this is not a requirement
in my guitar program. If you wish to go to school to study
music in the future you will need to understand and confidently
be able to sightread standard music notation. If that is your
wish, we should work on it.
My
approach is quite flexible and totally customized to you or
your child's interests.
Are you just looking to learn some songs for around the campfire
or do you have professional aspirations? Do you want to write
songs? Are you working towards your first live performance
and need some help? Are you a professional already but want
to improve your technique or work on your songs for an upcoming
tour or recording session? It’s up to you. For each
goal there is a different curriculum.
Do I have to learn
to read music?
No
you do not. There are countless outstanding guitarists who
do not read music. I can work with you on specific techniques,
warm-ups, or scales, modes, arpeggios and chords using only
diagrams and "playing by ear".
What
qualifies you to teach music?
I have a great deal of experience both playing and teaching
music. I have been an active professional musician since 1982
and have been teaching guitar since 1992. I have been playing
music for virtually my entire life beginning with singing
songs with my mother on the piano bench as a toddler and studying
classical piano starting at age 6 with Edmonton church organist
Hugh Bancroft. Those early days were followed with a series
of musical experiences including singing in the school choir,
playing alto and tenor saxophone while in junior high, more
piano lessons, classical guitar lessons, guitar lessons at
Alberta College and plenty of days and nights listening to
the radio. By the time I was 20 I was making records and on
the road with a band.
Since
that time I have gathered many pertinent experiences in the
recording studio and concert stage and had the privelege of
teaching many guitar students. I have taught in a few different
contexts starting with guitar workshops for schools, at a
guitar store ("Acoustic Music Shop" in Edmonton
between 2002 and 2005) as well as private lessons. I also
taught visually impaired students for The Brail Tone Music
Society (in Edmonton) from 2001 until 2007.
Do
you like teaching?
Very much.
Beginners Tips
for
fingerstyle guitar students
I have found that many fingerpickers, be it a songwriter,
bluegrass or delta blues style guitarist, all benefit
greatly from learning a couple simple classical studies.
The composers of these studies were great teachers as
well as guitar virtuosos. Many of these studies were
composed with the express purpose of working on a specific
guitar technique. Some of them are also beautiful and
fun to play.
For the benefit of guitarists
who do not read standard music notation, I have made
some TAB transcriptions of several of these classic
guitar studies to share with aspiring guitarists.
TAB
Classical Studies for fingerpickers #1
Examples from Giuliani's
" 120 Daily Guitar Studies for the Right Hand"" new TAB transcriptions by
Everett LaRoi