LOCATION
Where do you teach lessons?
Where is your studio located?
MONEY
How much do you charge?
Do I have to pay for an entire month or can I take lessons as I need them?
AGE
Is my child too young?
Am I too old to learn guitar?
LESSONS
What if I don't have a guitar?
What type of guitar is best to learn on?
Can I wait while my child takes a lesson?
How many lessons whill I need?
How quickly will I progress?
How often should I have a lesson?
When should I arrive?
In addition to my guitar, what accessories will I need for lessons?
What if I have to cancel?
What if I have to cancel at the last minute?
When can I use my make-up lessons?
What if I want to take the summer off?
I want to learn guitar...Why do I have to sing?
What if I can't sing?
What if my child won’t practice?
How often should I practice?
What if I go on vacation?
What if I need to drop out for a month?
ABOUT JOHN
Do you teach guitar full time?
Do you teach other instruments?
Do you teach adults?
What style(s) of music do you teach?
What are your musical influences?
What style(s) of music do you play?
MISC
What should I look for when buying a guitar?
Do you accept students with special needs or disabilities?
What should I look for in a guitar teacher?
Why should I take lessons from you rather than through a music store?
What's the difference between guitars with steel strings and ones with nylon strings?
What if I don't have much musical talent?
Why do you organize student recitals?
Do I have to perform at the recital?
Can I take a few lessons and then teach myself?
LOCATION
Where do you teach lessons?
Although I'm a native of Port Clinton, I taught at the local music store in BG for about two years. When the store was sold in the summer of 2007, I decided to move operations to my house. Since then, I've built a professional-quality lesson studio in the lower level of my home that has a separate entrance, comfortable waiting area, free, ample off-street parking, and restroom facilities. It is one of the nicest musical learning/teaching environments in the Toledo area. You can view pictures of my studio on the GALLERY page.
Where is your studio located?
My home lesson-studio is located approx. one mile south of Portage on Rt 25. It's really quite easy to find and is only 8 minutes from downtown BG. Please consult the CONTACT page for driving directions.
MONEY
How much do you charge?
For the sake of convenience and simplicity, I've adopted a pricing system that does not vary according to how many weeks are in the month. Whether there are four weeks or five, the fee for young beginning students is $75.00. For adult students it's $79.00. The fee for Advanced students is $37.00 per 45 min lesson. I can also accommodate students who desire to take lessons occasionally. However, students who pay by-the-lesson lose the benefit of the monthly discount. Lessons priced individually are $20.00 per lesson. Please consult the Policies section on the LESSONS page for my complete fee schedule.
Do I have to pay for an entire month or can I take lessons as I need them?
Teaching at home allows me the freedom to accept students who desire occasional lessons, although the rate is slightly higher. Please consult the Policies section on the LESSONS page for my current fee schedule.
AGE
Is my child too young?
The main impediments that young children experience when first learning the guitar are lack of manual dexterity and poor hand-eye coordination — conditions which are especially evident in children between the ages of 5 and 6. However, over time, I've developed a teaching method that relies on singing and using other instruments to promote the child's musical development while taking age-related development issues into account. This method lays the foundation for future work on the guitar and has worked well with students as young as five. On average, seven is probably a good age to begin studying guitar. By that time most coordination problems are resolved and the majority of students are either beginning to read or already reading.
Am I too old?
Never! I’ve had students who didn't start playing until their fifth and even sixth decade. Given sufficient motivation and time, almost anyone can learn to play the guitar well enough to entertain themselves and friends.
LESSONS
What if I don't have a guitar?
There's no way around it -- having a guitar is absolutely necessary for anyone wishing to begin lessons. I've assisted many students in finding an instrument that's right for them so if this is your situation, please mention it when you call and I'll begin searching.
What type of guitar is best to learn on?
This is fertile ground for debate. However, my experience has shown that acoustic guitars with nylon strings are best for beginners because they sound good and are easy to play. Second best are acoustic guitars with steel strings. Electric guitars are third best and are acceptable for lessons (I have an amp in my studio).
Can I wait while my child takes a lesson?
YES! I have a very comfortable waiting area which is adjacent to my lesson studio. In fact, one of the many advantages of my home studio is that parents have the option of listening in and monitoring their child's progress without being intrusive. After visiting, I think you'll agree that there is simply nothing else in the area that compares. You can see pictures of my studio on the GALLERY page.
How many lessons will I need?
This question is impossible to answer because the number of lessons depends on three factors: motivation; goals; and natural talent. For the average person, it doesn't take too many lessons to learn a few simple songs on the guitar, given adequate practice. It takes quite a few more to rise to the level of an intermediate player who can strum smoothly while singing. However, it can take years of study to become an accomplished guitarist who can perform competently and confidently in public. As with any musical instrument, the guitar can be a lifelong pursuit. Of course this process can be shortened considerably if the student possesses a good bit of natural talent.
How quickly will I progress?
As with developing any new skill, progress on the guitar depends almost entirely on how much the student practices throughout the week. The best regimen for beginners is daily practice lasting 10-15 minutes. Of course, intermediate and advanced students will want to practice much longer than that. With my program, most beginning students are able to sing and play simple songs within one month. Strumming while singing is much more difficult and could take substantially longer.
How often should I have a lesson?
Most students seem to do just fine with one half-hour lesson per week. More advanced students, however, often feel frustrated by a lesson lasting only 30 minutes and may find it beneficial to extend the half-hour lesson to 45 minutes.
When should I arrive?
Students should plan on arriving approximately five to ten minutes before their lesson. Those arriving early can read, do homework, or check out what the student before them is doing! I also have restroom facilities and my neighborhood is ideal for those wishing to walk rather than wait until their child's lesson is concluded.
In addition to my guitar, what accessories will I need for lessons?
Students of the guitar are fortunate because, unlike many other musicians, we require so few tools -- and the few we do need are quite inexpensive. The essentials for all beginning students are: an appropriately sized guitar; a footstool; a music stand; a tuner; a metronome; a capo; and occasionally, picks and strings. Please let me know if you lack any of these fundamental supplies and I'll be happy to assist you in finding them.
What if I have to cancel?
No problem. Simply notify me as soon as you can and I'll notate a make-up lesson on my schedule. I ask my students to be courteous and give advance notice of a cancellation whenever possible because it allows me to offer the vacant spot to another student who might need it.
What if I have to cancel at the last minute?
I realize that sometimes it's just not possible to give advance notice of a cancellation. Fortunately, teaching at home allows me the freedom to deal with last minute cancellations for emergencies, sickness, weather, etc. However, I can't credit the student with a make-up lesson if someone doesn't call to inform me of the cancellation. Without notification, the lesson will be forfeited.
When can I use my make-up lessons?
Students may schedule make-up lessons on days other than their normal lessons or over seasonal holidays and summer vacation. Students may also extend their normal lessons by 10 minutes (x3) or 15 minutes (x2), providing there are no students either before or after them.
What if I want to take the summer off?
It's important to remember that learning a musical instrument is an activity that relies heavily on muscle memory. In order for this memory to be retained and to become automatic, there must be persistent practice. Taking one week off usually doesn't present a problem as far as retention. But acquired skills deteriorate quickly after that. Taking an entire summer off usually results in loss of muscle memory and consequently, the money spent on lessons in the preceding months will have been wasted.
I want to learn guitar...Why do I have to sing?
Over time I've found that engaging the voice and fingers together actually accelerates learning the instrument. Almost from the beginning I work with my students to help them recognize pitch and sing along with the songs they learn to play. Singing while playing also appears to be more gratifying for the student than simply rattling off snippets of rock songs without lyrics, the approach usually taken by guitar instructors. However, my intention is not to make good singers but to make good musicians. A necessary part of that process is helping students gain the confidence necessary to use their voices as a means of expressing themselves through music.
What if I can't sing?
Over the years I haven't run into any students who are physically unable to sing. Not one. I have, however, run into a great many who have emotional or psychological inhibitions when it comes to singing and I try to take that into consideration whenever I encounter it. I do not require adult students to sing, but I certainly encourage it.
What if my child won’t practice?
I do everything I can to ensure that my students progress at a good rate. However, over the years I've found that the students who make the best progress are those whose parents are involved in the learning process. What this means is that parents should monitor practice time for at least the first six months, which is usually how long it takes the beginning student to discover how much fun it is to play the guitar. Although monitoring should not be as necessary after the first 8-10 months, the proactive parent will still want to arrange opportunities for the beginner to play for parties, reunions, holidays, and other family events.
How often should I practice?
Ideally, practice should be done daily. However, skipping a day or even two, although it will slow down progress, will not cause problems. Skipping three days or more will definitely result in very slow progress on the instrument. This is because learning the guitar is based on muscle memory in the fingers and hands, and repetition is the only reliable way to achieve this.
What if I go on vacation?
Normally I charge by the month. However, because I work at home, I'm also able to accommodate students who desire occasional lessons. So, if a student will only be attending 1 or 2 lessons due to a family vacation or trip, they have the option of paying only for the lessons they will be taking, but at a slightly higher rate. This could be the perfect solution for a working adult student or a student heading on vaction. Please consult the Policies section on the LESSONS page for my complete fee schedule.
What if I need to drop out for a month?
No problem. However, whenever a time slot is not reserved by a monthly lesson fee, the time goes up for grabs. What that means is that students who leave the roster could lose their reserved lesson time. If the absence is temporary and the time is crucial, the student might consider paying for the month and accepting 4 make-up lessons to be used at a later time.
ABOUT JOHN
Do you teach guitar full-time?
Yes. I am not a college student seeking beer money. Or a would-be performer who can't quite seem to make a living playing in bars. I teach full time, six days a week, and I do it because I enjoy it.
Do you teach other instruments?
Currently I only teach guitar although I plan on adding bass guitar in the future.
Do you teach adults?
Yes. Currently I have a number of adult students and they seem to enjoy the fact that I am not 20-something. Actually, I enjoy working with anyone who has a sincere desire to learn the instrument and watch their natural talents unfold.
What style(s) of music do you teach?
I specialize in teaching beginners and intermediate level players (99% of guitar players) and for those groups there is no need to teach a "style." In fact, doing so would be counterproductive. The most valuable thing a beginning student of the guitar can have is sound musicianship. What does this mean? A good ear for pitch, a good sense of tempo and rhythm, good technique, good practice habits, the ability to interact with other musicians, and of course, the ability to sing. Parents of beginning students should beware of enlisting their children with instructors who teach a "style" (rock, for example). Only those students who have a good grasp of the fundamentals should consider narrowing their focus to a particular style.
What are your musical influences?
Over the years I've been deeply affected by a number of musical genres including folk, blues, old-time country, bluegrass, motown, rock, pop, reggae, classical and jazz. Of all these, I suspect that folk, blues and motown had the greatest impact on my playing. I spent countless hours listening to Josh White, Dave Van Ronk, Taj Mahal, Jorma Kaukonen, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, James Taylor, and Mississippi John Hurt and the other bluesmen of the deep south. My current taste in music, however, seems to lean more toward jazz and contemporary fingerstyle. Some of my favorite players are Earl Klugh (jazz), Martin Taylor (jazz), Roland Dyens (classical/jazz), Tommy Emmanuel (contemporary), and of course, the king of melody, Chet Atkins.
What style(s) of music do you play?
My preferred style of playing the guitar is called fingerstyle and I create many of my own arrangements based on songs made famous by pop groups such as The Beatles. Samples of what I play can be heard on the AUDIO page.
MISC
What should I look for when buying a guitar?
The two most important things to look for when buying a guitar for a beginner are appropriate size and playability. A guitar that's too large or too small for the person holding it can cause frustration, which in turn discourages practicing. The same applies to instruments that require too much effort to press the strings down.
For Intermediate and advanced students, the main considerations should be quality of construction and materials used, playability, and, of course, sound or tone. If an instrument has a pleasing sound, that can often outweigh other negatives such as mediocre construction. And playability can often be adjusted by a trained repairman.
Do you accept students with special needs or disabilities?
Yes. I've worked with several students who had special needs or disabilities and have seen very good results. Playing music can have a therapeutic effect on people and should not be denied to anyone. Please contact me to discuss the students' specific problems and/or needs.
What should I look for in a guitar teacher?
What you look for in a guitar teacher depends mostly on your age and level of accomplishment on the instrument. Adult beginners should look for someone who has a systematic approach to the material and the ability to easily convey techniques and concepts to people who are new to the instrument.
Young beginners, however, face a unique problem because most guitar instructors DO NOT want to deal with children. I'm not sure whether it's because they can't relate to them or because they think it's not challenging enough. Whatever the reason, parents need to be very selective about who they choose to get their kids started on guitar.
The fundamental problem for all students of the guitar is that people often assume that because someone can play guitar well, they are able to teach others to do the same. That is a false assumption. Playing well is an important component, but personality and teaching ability is always paramount in a learning situation.
Why should I take lessons from you rather than from a music store?
I could write quite a few paragraphs on this topic but perhaps it could be summed up best with three words: Experience; Commitment; Ability. I don't teach because I'm a college student looking to supplement my income or because I'm a performer who can't book enough gigs to pay the rent. I've played for a long time and I teach because I enjoy interacting with people in that capacity and because that's what I do best.
What's the difference between guitars with steel strings and ones with nylon strings?
Guitars with nylon strings are usually called Classical or "folk" guitars. They have smaller bodies and are constructed more lightly than guitars designed for steel strings. Typically they have wider necks and flat fingerboards; steel string guitars have narrower necks and fingerboards that are slightly curved. Nylon string guitars are great for beginners because they are easy to play. The wider neck allows more room when squeezing fingers together to make chords, something that can be an advantage for adults with large fingers.
What if I don't have much musical talent?
You know the saying: Great accomplishments are 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration. Natural talent only means that someone doesn't have to work as hard as another person to achieve the same goal. Given hard work and perseverance, most everyone can achieve what they want on the instrument.
Why do you organize student recitals?
Recitals serve a number of purposes. First, since music is almost always performed for someone -- whether for an audience, family, or friends -- it's important for students to begin to prepare for that experience. Recitals also serve to concentrate and focus the student's attention.
Second, they provide an opportunity for the student to showcase their accomplishments and be lauded for their efforts.
Third, they give parents an opportunity to evaluate and appreciate their child's progress on the instrument.
Fourth, they help build confidence in those who participate.
Fifth, for those few who will go on to be professional musicians, recitals serve as the first step in a very long journey.
Do I have to perform at the recital?
Student performance at the recital is not mandatory. However, it is clearly in the student's best interest to participate in this event. I'm convinced that the benefits far outweigh the risks.
Can I take a few lessons and then teach myself?
Of course! Students are free to take whatever path they deem best. However, this does not strike me as a prudent plan. Beginners are prone to develop bad habits and one of the most important functions of a teacher is to evaluate and correct improper technique before it becomes habitual.