Mike: sfguitarlessons (a) gmail.com, (650) 906-1677
Congratulations on taking the first step to learning to play guitar - you're in for a lifetime of endless learning and enjoyment.
I specialize in working with beginners - people who have never played guitar before, or who maybe know a few chords from college. Sadly, most guitar teachers are simply good guitarists who like to show off, rather than really working well with students. I like to think of myself as a teacher who loves to work with people.
First, the Cliff Notes on the lessons, since that's why you're here.
- I charge $40 per one hour lesson (90 minutes possible as well) - take as many or as few as you like. Most students start with a ten lesson introductory course, which is explained below.
- I'm based in San Francisco and can come to your house/apartment within the city or down the peninsula to Burlingame. You're also welcome to come to mine, which is between the Lower Haight and the Castro.
- You'll need your own guitar, either electric or acoustic. If you don't have one, I'm happy to provide help in buying one to be sure you get one that's right for you.
- I have been playing guitar for 15 years and my favorite music is classic rock - I love the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Neil Young as well as modern bands like Weezer, Pearl Jam, and Jack Johnson - though of course I can teach to a range of interests.
Mike - sfguitarlessons (a) gmail.com
Shoot me an email if you're interested and we can set up a call or meet for coffee to discuss your goals and whether I can help.
10 Week Course
Here's a quick run down of a ten week course to get you to the point where you can play chords, read music and tablature, and know how to solo. From here, you'll be able to learn on your own through the internet, take more lessons with me, or even take lessons with someone else who can better teach you the specific skills you want to learn.
Week 1:
The basics: tune the guitar with and without a guitar tuner, learn the guitar strings, basic guitar care
Week 2:
The basics of reading music and how to play notes on the guitar
Week 3:
First guitar chords - G, C, D, A, E - and play first song (we'll figure out a song you like that uses these chords), learn chord charts
Week 4:
Major scales - C major scale and the chords in the key of C - C, D minor, E minor, F, G, A minor, learn another song
Week 5:
G major scale and chords in the key of G, closed position major scales (used for guitar soloing in any major key)
Week 6:
Bar chords - enables you to play all remaining major, minor, and seventh chords (very common chords used in rock music), learn the blues
Week 7:
Pentatonic scales (pentatonic is the blues scale - with the pentatonic and closed position major scales, you will know the building blocks of all rock soloing)
Week 8:
Tablature (a special way guitar music is written) and online guitar resources for finding free sheet music to songs online, I'll bring a song you like and we'll work through it on tablature
Week 9:
Fingerpicking, arpeggios, and strumming patterns
Week 10:
Your choice - we'll build on something we've learned that you'd like to develop more.
If you already know some fo the things here, we can move along faster or insert other skills you'd like to learn. These are your lessons, so while these are my recommendations, I'm happy to teach to what you'd like to learn.
Hope to hear from you!
Mike - sfguitarlessons (a) gmail.com
