Guitar Lessons

For guitar lessons, most students meet for a lesson once a week, for 30 minutes each lesson. For in-person lessons, I travel to students’ homes in neighborhoods all over the city of Chicago. For online lessons, I meet with students via Zoom.

Some students meet for an hour, and some meet multiple times a week. For most students, the 30 minute, once-a-week model works really well to begin with.

The material that we work on depends on the students interests and skill level. At the beginning of lessons, I usually prepare handout sheets that have songs for the student to practice during the week. For older students, or those who are getting more advanced, I recommend getting a blank music paper notebook that I can write in. I enjoy preparing songs that students are interested in for the lessons. The challenge is always finding songs that students enjoy but that have a skill that the student could use work improving.

For example, if a student really like the band Wilco (I am from Chicago after all), and needs to learn how to play a finger-picked guitar part, we may look at a song like “Passenger Side.” If someone is more into blues rock we may learn the guitar riff to “Tighten Up” by The Black Keys. Sometimes students bring ideas for songs that I’ve never heard of, but that have really cool guitar parts, like “Kenny” by the band Still Woozy.


Students

Guitar lessons are a good fit for people who are motivated to learn to play the guitar and get better. Current students include elementary age students who play songs by The Beatles and The National, high-schoolers who play classical guitar pieces and jazz, and adults learning to improvise and learning to use music theory to write their own original music.

Whether you are a complete guitar beginner or already have experience playing, guitar lessons will help you develop as a guitarist and grow as a musician.

Recitals

Once a year I host an in-person recital to give students a chance to perform and show what they have been working on. It’s great to see younger students playing for the first time in public take turns with teenagers playing their own songs. It gives students a chance to share what they have been working on while affording them the opportunities to hear other players up close.

Policies And Payments

Lessons are billed monthly for the weeks that we will be meeting in that month. Students pay via Zelle or Venmo. Lessons are available Mondays through Saturdays. For scheduling and information on pricing, get in touch via the Contact Page.

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE?

I have been teaching guitar lessons for over 12 years and have worked with hundreds of students of every age and ability level. I have worked at several schools in Chicago including Intercultural Montessori in the West Loop and the British School of Chicago in Lincoln Park. I have a degree in classical guitar performance and I regularly attend guitar festivals. I perform regularly as a classical guitar soloist and a guitarist and bassist in folk/rock bands. If you are interested in classical guitar lessons, you can check out some of my lesson videos on Youtube here- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_qsIQVtp7ndhljFQNBZKcw

  (some More) Frequently ASked Questions

  • Do you teach adults? -Yes, I teach adults of all ability levels. I have taught students who were absolute beginners as well as advanced or even semi-professional players. Whether you have specific songs you want to learn, or just want to learn to play, guitar lessons are a great option.

  • What about younger students? - I also teach students from elementary age and up and I have worked as an extra-curricular teacher at several private schools in Chicago. My younger students really like that we work on songs that interest them. I don’t believe in a one-size fits all approach, and I have found that lessons go much better when students are having fun. When students are learning songs that they want to play, they are excited for their lesson and practicing isn’t a chore.

  • What styles of music do you teach?- Whatever style of music you are interested in learning, I can help. Whether you want to learn rock, or classical, or jazz, or blues, or polka (ok maybe not polka) will help you improve and set you up for a lifetime of playing and enjoyment. I also have a ton of experience working with adult students who want to focus on music theory, and learn how to organize everything they have already learned on the guitar.