FAQ
- Where is your studio located?
- What should I look for in a guitar instructor?
- Is my child too young for guitar lessons?
- Can I wait while my child takes a lesson?
- What if I don't have a guitar?
- What other accessories will I need for guitar lessons?
- What type of guitar is best to learn on?
- What should I look for when buying a guitar?
- What's the difference between nylon and steel string guitars?
- How many lessons will I need?
- How often should I have a lesson?
- Do I have to pay for an entire month or can I take lessons as I need them?
- I want to learn guitar...why do I have to sing?
- What if I can't sing?
- What if I have to cancel my lesson?
- When can I use a make-up lesson?
- What if I go on vacation?
- What if my child won't practice?
- Do you accept students with special needs or disabilities?
- Why do you organize student recitals?
- Do I have to perform at the recital?
- Do you teach guitar full time?
- What style of music do you teach?
- What are your musical influences?
- What style(s) of music do you play?
- Where is your studio located?
Currently I have two studio locations: one near Bowling Green and one in downtown Maumee. Please consult the Contact page for details.
Back to Questions - What should I look for in a guitar instructor?
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.
Back to Questions - Is my child too young for guitar lessons?
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.
Back to Questions - Can I wait while my child takes a lesson?
YES! I have a very comfortable waiting area with restroom facilities which is adjacent to my lesson studio. In fact, one of the many advantages of my 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 MY PROGRAM page.
Back to Questions - 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.
Back to Questions - What other accessories will I need for guitar 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.
Back to Questions - 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).
Back to Questions - 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.
Back to Questions - What's the difference between nylon and steel string guitars?
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.
Back to Questions - 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.
Back to Questions - 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.
Back to Questions - Do I have to pay for an entire month or can I take lessons as I need them?
Although occasional lessons are available, I discourage beginners from taking that path unless it's absolutely necessary for financial reasons. Weekly lessons represent the best value because weekly visits allow me to evaluate and quickly correct technique problems and bad habits. This results in overall faster progress as well as less frustration for the learner.
Back to Questions - 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.
Back to Questions - 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.
Back to Questions - What if I have to cancel my lesson?
No problem. Simply give me at least four hours notice and I'll be happy to notate a make-up lesson for the student on my schedule. However, anything less than four hours notice will result in the lesson being forfeited. Sufficient notice allows me to offer the vacant spot to another student who might need it.
Back to Questions - When can I use a make-up lesson?
Students can schedule make-up lessons by consulting my online schedule, choosing a time which is open, and then contacting me to confirm availability.
Back to Questions - What if I go on vacation?
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 vacation. Please consult the PRICING page for my complete fee schedule.
Back to Questions - 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 directly 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.
Back to Questions - 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.
Back to Questions - 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.
Back to Questions - 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.
Back to Questions - 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.
Back to Questions - What style 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 particular style. In fact, doing so would be counterproductive. The most valuable thing a beginning student of the guitar can have is a foundation of 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.
Back to Questions - 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.
Back to Questions - 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 groups such as The Beatles. Samples of what I play can be heard on the MEET JOHN page.
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