Private guitar instruction can be an invaluable aid in helping an aspiring guitarist grow and develop musically to his/her fullest potential. As an experienced teacher and musician, I emphasize the following with all my students:

Fundamentals
Approach
Policies
Enabling Success
Advanced Students
Experience

Fundamentals

Lesson Content
The Berklee Guitar Series is utilized as part of a practical, balanced curriculum for beginning and many intermediate students. When the student is ready, other supplemental materials (e.g. popular songs, specialized technique books, etc.) are regularly introduced to keep the lessons fresh for the student and provide a well-rounded musical foundation.  

Lesson Understanding and Application
Detailed explanations are given to ensure that the student fully understands the lesson material. Questions are encouraged during the lesson. Students are not allowed to “coast” through lessons. And, of equal importance, after the student demonstrates competence on a given lesson, ideas are always offered on how to apply the lesson material in a more modern context that hopefully piques the student’s interest.

Skills Mastery
The focus is always on helping students attain and master increasingly difficult techniques more quickly and comfortably than they could on their own. This reduces the their initial frustration level when learning new techniques, and continues to raise their confidence level. 

Effective Practicing
Managing practice time and organizing practice materials effectively are critical for achieving sustained progress.   Consequently, a major focus for all students is learning to develop proper practice habits early on, until they become second nature.

Approach

Initial Interview
The initial step when accepting a new student is to learn everything possible about the student’s current playing level, music theory background, musical tastes, and future goals. If possible, an interview is setup with the student prior to the first lesson to gather this information. Then after hearing the student play during the first lesson, the lesson plan is customized to best fit the student’s needs.  

Music Fundamentals
Although every student can benefit greatly from learning music fundamentals, for a few students learning to read music or understanding complex theory is not the right path. Although beginning students must learn the fundamentals, intermediate players do have the option of continuing down a “play by ear” path, as long as they understand the limitations that approach imposes for musicians.

The Right Habits from the Start
Beginning students must develop proper technique from Day One. In many cases intermediate players as well are better off in the long run breaking “old” habits. Proper posture, left-hand thumb position, pick grip, etc. all are huge factors in determining the ultimate level of ability achievable with the instrument. What may feel more comfortable initially, or be an easier way to play, can severely limit a player’s effectiveness down the road.

Policies

Lessons
All lessons are given privately on a weekly basis, and are one half hour in duration. Hour-long lessons are available upon request (for experienced players only).

Cost
A rate of $15 is charged for beginning guitar students. The rate for students with previous experience (including self-taught players) is $20 per half hour.  

Availability
Students are being accepted as of October 2004. Available hours are:

• Monday-Thursday evenings (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
• Saturdays (9:00am - noon).

Payment
Payment for lessons is due monthly at the first lesson of the month.

Cancellations
Please call as soon as possible if you have to miss a lesson so that we can reschedule a make-up lesson for another time. If it is not possible to schedule the make-up lesson, payment cannot be credited. Note also that payment cannot be credited for missed make-up lessons.

Materials
All necessary books and other teaching materials will be supplied to the student at cost.

Other

• Parents are welcome to observe lessons periodically. However, all other lesson observers are discouraged.   A separate sitting area is provided for siblings, visitors, etc that may occasionally accompany the student to the lesson.
• Please do not park in the driveway. Parking is available on Abbotsford Dr. or Hastings. 
• Please do not use the doorbell. Instead, quietly enter the house, remove your shoes, and have a seat in the living room until it is time for your lesson.

In order to achieve the most enjoyable and rewarding experience possible, parents and students are highly encouraged to make the following commitments when starting lessons:

• Possess a strong desire to learn the instrument
• Practice regularly
• Bring all necessary materials to each lesson

• Communicate regularly with the teacher
• Give regular healthy doses of encouragement and praise to the student
• Make sure the student is on time to the lesson
• Pay lesson fees and material fees promptly

Primary styles taught include Pop, Rock, Blues, and Jazz-fusion. Students interested in Classical, Jazz, or Country guitar styles will be better served with a teacher specializing in those styles. Note that even for more advanced students, a heavy emphasis is placed on music fundamentals (via the Berklee Guitar series) that are appropriate for all styles. A number of other key opportunities available for advanced students are: 

Ear training
Students get hands-on experience learning how to transcribe a song by ear accurately and efficiently. We key on the many guitar-specific nuances of a performance that can aid in figuring out which of many possible ways a part was played.

Improvisation
Modern rock, blues and pop improvisation techniques and approaches are emphasized as early as possible, starting with pentatonic scales over basic blues progressions and working towards more advanced soloing over increasingly complex chord changes.

Performance
Practical advice covering all aspects of live performance (e.g. equipment choices, guitar rig management, sound design, band responsibilities etc.) is available for students getting started in a band or other working situations.

Recording
Expert advice on home recording techniques and PC-based audio is also available for students wishing to create the next Top-10 masterpiece at home. 

Experience

Jim has served over six years as a guitar instructor at The Music Center in Kenosha, Wisconsin, working with hundreds of students ranging from beginning to strong intermediate players. Positive results have been consistently achieved whether building musical foundations with beginning players, or opening new musical doors with intermediate players. From those who had never touched a guitar or read any music previously, to self-taught musicians looking to enhance their theoretical knowledge, to rockers that just wanted to learn the latest tricks, the approach has always been to emphasize the fundamentals, while mixing in a healthy dose of contemporary ideas to keep the student energized.