I teach beginning and intermediate guitar out of our home in Smyrna,DE. I also mentor songwriters and performers. Lessons and mentoring sessions can be done in person or virtually. However, I ask that all guitar students who are beginners do “in person” lessons first until the fundamentals of the instrument are learned.
COST: Lessons run approximately 25 minutes and cost $30. I require 4 lessons to be purchased at a time.
AGE: I often get asked what age is best to start guitar lessons. Here are my thoughts: There are physical requirements to playing the instrument and cognitive and emotional ones, as well. I've found 9-10 years old and older to be a sweet spot for a higher probability of success. In that 9-10 year old range, most children have developed enough hand and finger strength and dexterity to be successful. They've also learned to stay focused for longer stretches of time. Desire is also a very important factor. A 9 year old with a fierce desire to play the instrument will have much more success than an 12 year old who's only taking lessonsbecause their parents want them to. I encourage parents whose children are younger than 9 to start their child's musical journey on piano or keyboard. Physically, the instrument is much easier to play than guitar. It is also set up in a more logical fashion to learn music theory. That training will be a great head start for them when they're more physically ready to play guitar. I personally began my music journey on the organ. I learned chords and basic musical notation which then served me well when I started learning guitar at the age of 12.
Music Theory?- My method of teaching guitar begins with learning chordal shapes, strumming and basic picking techniques. I help students play their favorite songs as soon as possible without focusing on the theory of it all. There's a magic that happens when a person is able to play a song they love, and that's my first goal for them. Once a student has shown the ability to play chords and learn songs, I start weaving music theory into their lessons.
What kind of guitar is best- Electric or acoustic? - Either is fine. The most important thing is what size the instrument is. If the student is under 12 or is small, I suggest buying a ¾ size guitar to get started on. Fender has an FA-15N that is a ¾ size nylon string guitar that runs $150. It is a great sounding instrument and it is very stable. It stays in tune and the strings are nice and close to the neck of the instrument so that smaller fingers can successfully push those strings down to make chords. I was 12 years old when I learned guitar and my first guitar was an electric guitar. Those strings were super close to the neck of the guitar and it was really easy to play. I suggest buying your guitar from a local music store. Resist the urge to buy it through Amazon. The local music store will become your friend and help you if the instrument needs to be adjusted, etc.
Fill out the form below or call me at 302-420-5399 if you have more questions or you want to get started. I look forward to meeting you!
Sol