User Rating: 4 / 5
I am an accomplished performer and teacher of almost every style of guitar playing, including bebop jazz, classic rock, electric blues, acoustic blues, steel-string acoustic fingerstyle, metal shred, jazz-rock fusion, country chickin-pickin’ and pedal-steel sounds, bluegrass, and traditional classical guitar. I have been playing guitar for 44 years, since I was 12.
I have a long professional track record as a performer, playing in many bands. Go to my Bio page to get hip.
I am a admirer, listener, and scholar of so many musicians, in all genres: Steve Morse, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, Al DiMeola, The Stones, Eric Clapton, The Beatles, Cream, Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Mayer, The Who, Jeff Beck, Ted Nugent, ACDC, Aerosmith, Skynrd, Bonamassa, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Barney Kessell, Bud Powell, Wynton Kelly, Wayne Shorter, Allan Holdsworth, Lightning Hopkins, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Albert King, Albert Lee, Jimmy Page, Chet Atkins, Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Andres Segovia, Bob Dylan, Pat Metheny, Eric Johnson, Slash, Joe Satriani, Steely Dan, Guthrie Govan…on and on.
I play virtually every style of guitar playing (except Flamenco). I was born in southeast Kansas, not Spain. I also seriously studied the 4-string and 5-string banjo in my youth, and recently lap steel guitar. I am a master teacher and player of all jazz, rock, blues, country, metal, fusion, and acoustic fingerstyle playing of guitar.
The music that first turned me on was rock of the 1970s. Rock was my first love...Aerosmith, Van Halen, ZZ Top, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Joe Walsh, Boston, Kansas, Foreigner, The Doobie Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ted Nugent, Foghat, AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, Rush, Styx, Cream, The Eagles, The Police, The Allman Brothers, Journey, Blue Oyster Cult, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Steve Miller, Tom Petty, as well as music of the 1960s: The Doors, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Cream, CCR, etc.
Upon graduating high school, I went on to study music at numerous music universities. I chose to major in jazz and classical guitar, as they did not offer a degree in “rock” guitar. Upon graduating from UNT with a B.M. in Jazz Performance, I went on to perform in almost every type of band…rock, blues, jazz, pop, funk, country and more. My personal credo became…”I want to be able to play ANY style of guitar, and do each style well”. I have accomplished that with over 3,000 professional gigs.
While I play and teach all styles, my current creative focus is on cataloging and codifying the entire language of electric pentatonic lead soloing. Look for my upcoming intructional videos in 2023, This project has been underway since January 2021, and is a vast undertaking. I will be filiming the work for release in 2023, coming out as a series of instructional video courses.
I am a scholar of music, and I am highly skilled at playing and teaching many styles of guitar playing: electric blues, acoustic blues, slide guitar, jazz improvisation and comping, classic rock, modern fusion shred, hot country pickin’, acoustic fingerstyle, classical and more. I can play almost any style with a highl level of proficiency.
One of my greatest assets is my academic approach to my own learning and in my teaching. I am very attentive to the needs of each individual student. My creative teaching palette is immense. Yet, I am a very methodical teacher. I was offered a guitar teaching position at SDSU while I was pursuing my MM in Jazz there (alas, I did not complete my master's degree, as life got in the way). However, the year I spent at SDSU was very transformative for me. I am my own teaching institution. I care very deeply about each student. In my teaching history, I have worked with many students of all different skill levels.
After having studied music at University of Denver, Berklee College of Music, University of North Texas, and San Diego State University, after performing over 3,000 gigs, and with 32 years of teaching experience, my understanding of learning and teaching the guitar is highly developed. I have studied the great masters of music, going back to the 10th century. I have studied the development of composition and the the origins of music at an academic level, including contrapuntal music, Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Schoenberg, Webern, and all the great masters of Western Classical Music. I have also studied the music of India, and have been a part of two performance groups playing Indian music, comprised mostly of musicians from India.
Many of my students have gone on to become prominent professional guitarists and teachers. There are many teachers and professional performers, (here in San Diego and elsewhere) who are my former students. When searching for a guitar teacher, you should really look closely at their credentials. Do they have an extensive performance history? Extensive teaching experience? What are their qualifications and achievements?
I prefer to teach adults, of all ages, from 18 to 88. I find great enjoyment in teaching adults, no matter what skill level. From complete beginner, novice, intermediate, advanced, to working professional guitarists. On occasion, I do accept minors 12 years and up. These are usually either exceptional kids, or kids with a sincere passion for learning guitar. I expect more from kids as students. Now, among the young students whom I have taught have been some very exceptional students, including Joshua Ray Gooch who has been Shania Twain's guitarist for the last six years. Josh studied with me regularly and consistenly for two years, from age 14-16 (he took approximately 50 lessons with me). I also have two young students who have been selected to be in jazz virtuoso Gilbert Castellanos’s esteemed “Young Lions” institution here in San Diego. One has gone on to become a young professional performing guitarist in San Diego, and the other is now 12, and is currently attending a performing arts middle school while simultaneously studying with me. But, I mostly work with adults. I seek students who desire the very best personal guitar instruction available. That is what I offer. The quality of my guitar instruction is unparalleled.
Each lesson with me is a guarenteed 75 minutes in duration, although sometimes I go longer. This allows us to really do substantial work in each lesson. The cost for each 75 minute lesson is $140. KNOW music, I KNOW guitar, and I KNOW how to teach creatively and with purpose. I am a master teacher of the highest order.
Most of my students attend either weekly or every-other week. My service to you for each lesson includes our time together, as well as my preparation, highly detailed follow through after each lesson, and delivery of your customized audio and video presentations (pertinent to what you are working on). I spend a lot of time and attention beyond your ‘in-lesson time’… to provide you with all of the customized audio, video, and printed instructional materials to support what we have covered in each lesson. To my knowledge, no other guitar instructors operate this way, but I do. My teaching system has been developed over 32 years of teaching and performing. Payment is to be made at the beginning of the lesson. It is not unusual for me to give extra time to the student, beyond the 75 minutes. You will not find a more dedicated, knowledgable, resourceful, and skilled teacher than me. One lesson will show you the efficacy of my abilities and resources.
Understand, that if you are really serious about advancing on the guitar, you should try to find the very best instructor. I truly believe that I can help almost any student advance as quickly as possible, providing a very direct line course of comprehensive instruction. What if I can get you where you want to be with your music 3-6 months? This, as opposed to if you study with a cheaper, much less skilled, less knowledgable teacher, who may simply not get you there at all. There are many guitar teachers in San Diego County, probably 40-50 individuals who advertise themselves as guitar teachers. A few of them seem to be adequate teachers and nice people, but the majority of them are simply not in my league of expertise. I am among the very best. I would put myself in a class of perhaps two or three of the very best, elite guitar teachers in Southern California. These other elite teachers I am speaking of are very well-known, world-class professional performers and educators (like me). But, I doubt you will receive the level of attention (from them) that I offer, because I put so much time and focus on my teaching. When I take you on as a student, I am fully dedicated to providing you with the best opportunities to learn. I am simply a very good guitar player who has dedicated his life to the art of playing the guitar, as well as to the art of teaching others how to play and learn. I will help you reach your potential, and I have much to offer.
I teach out of music studio at my home. My studio is fully equipped with a large collection of guitars, amps, and my computerized technology. Incorporating technology into my teaching is something I have become very good at. I use various audio, video, and other softwares in my studio to make your lessons as effective as possible. I also have a huge library of archived instructional materials and music recordings. Currently, I am teaching mainly via Zoom. In my very skilled hands, it is actually more effective than in person lessons. There are MANY reasons why this is true. This would not be the case with most other teachers who teach via Zoom.
Yes. I teach via Zoom. As of November 2022, I have students in Nebraska, New York, Alabama, San Diego, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, and elsewhere. LIve Zoom is currently my primary teaching format.
I am no ordinary teacher. I am the best on the planet. Under my very skilled guidance, Zoom teaching is more effective than in person lessons.
With technology being so efficient, it works very well. If you want to study with me via Zoom, I do ask that you have a good hi-def camera and a high-speed internet connection. As per the camera, built-in computer cameras usually do not provide a clear image. I recommend the Logitech C920. It costs about $55, and easily mounts on your computer with no hassle.
With Zoom teaching, I provide you with a full side-by-side video recording of each lesson. So, if you desire the best teaching experience you can get, right within your home, we can do it. I am well-accustomed to this. If you are a business professional, and want the finest and most caring teacher to come to you…this is how we do it. Right in your home, with ultra convenience and efficiency. Try one lesson with me and judge for yourself.
This is different for every student. Each student is an individual with unique goals, time constraints, budgeting, and other obligations. This subject is best discussed between me and you, the student. I have a lot of various resources to help you figure out a personalized practice regimen for your development. I do not operate with a "bootcamp" mentality toward my teaching. You will get out of the lessons whatever you put into it. Studying with me is like walking into a superabundant diamond mine. The diamonds are there, but you have to work at it a bit to dig the diamonds out of of the rocks. In other words, you must practice if you want to get better. I will make the diamonds available. Some of my students are very diligent in their studies, and others are much more casual. Either is fine with me. Whatever level of intensity you want to move at, I can work with you to make it a comfortable and rewarding experience. Some students just want to play songs, or just to brush up on certain skills. That is all, nothing too intense. On the other end of the spectrum, I have students who are very serious about becoming professional musicians. I am simply here to offer you the best guitar learning experience possible. I am a teacher/guitar coach/mentor with a direct mission to teach my students whatever they want and need to know. I like to keep a lightness in the lessons, with humor and a relaxed atmosphere. That, along with a lifetime of guitar playing knowledge and skills.
I have a great flexibility in my teaching methods, because I know a lot about playing the guitar in many different styles, and I have keen insight into how to learn to play the guitar well. Initially, I definitely want my students to have a conscise, basic and comprehensive foundation of various aspects of playing the guitar, which applies to all styles of playing and music in general. Then, based upon your stated goals (which we establish at the beginning of our studies), I will lead you in a logical, step-by-step course of learning to make you into the best guitarist you can become. It is a very creative process, and I am not locked into any one method of teaching. You may have several goals, and we can have several areas of study going on simultaneously. I have been creating instructional guitar pedagogical materials for decades. Every week I create new videos and new written materials for teaching guitar. In addition to my own materials, I also use existing books written by other authors, as well as online resources in my teaching. In this day and age, I would be a fool not to. I am here to help you realize your potential. I have the ability to do this.
I am a guitar coach/trainer/mentor. I offer “boutique-style” lessons. I have decades of performance experience and decades of teaching experience. I am the author of many books. Four of my books are published with Mel Bay Publications, Inc. Other books I have are self-published, and cover a vast range of topics. I believe there is a lot of great content online. As a private teacher who teaches students one-on-one, earning a living by meeting with individuals in my studio is being challenged by what anyone instruction or information for free on YouTube or other sites. Every private music teacher is feeling this. But, the function and value of meeting with a private teacher regularly cannot be replaced (yet) by online resources. In private lessons, there are so many aspects of an individual's unique challenges, difficulties, and questions that come up, and can only be addressed and solved by live teacher in front of you. Imagine trying to learn a martial art from YouTube videos. Or, how about learning to become a qualified surgeon by studying online. Playing a musical instrument is a craft and an art. Yes, you can learn much from videos. But, in addition to using that information, most people will benefit greatly by studying privately with a teacher. That is why you should ve VERY selective when choosing a guitar teacher. It is easy for anyone with at least mediocre skills to label themself a "teacher", and advertise and take on students. The question is (if you are seeking a teacher), do you want a mediocre teacher? Or do you want the very best. If you seek to study privately with one of the finest guitar teachers in the world, you have found him.
I think the the internet is a vast ocean of information, but it can easily become overwhelming and counterproductive. I can help you utilize it to its maximum while not getting "lost-at-sea". I, myself, definitely do study music on the internet. I am a perpetual student. Most professional musicians see themselves this way, always wanting to learn more. But, I am selective with how I spend my time on the computer. Studying in-person, face-to-face with a master teacher/player such as myself cannot be replaced by online resources. Studying one-on-one with a live teacher brings with it a sense of accountability (very important!), inspiration, and crucial personalized assistance in helping you with the countless details of learning that are unique to you. YOU become the focus of the lessons, not a video. Get it? If a video is the main focus of your learning, there is something missing. I am speaking generally on what most people experience. Online resources can certainly be implemented into our lessons, but the main guidance and source of knowledge comes from me. I also utilize certain books written by other educators, at times, for teaching specific subjects.
There are many online teacher-recruiting companies that basically recruit young, inexperienced “teachers”, and the main function of these sites is to give these “teachers” a platform to get new students. The company takes a big commission, promotes the “teachers”, and essentially lure the innocent and unaware customer into negligent teaching. I do not participate in these sites, and I feel they are generally a scourge to professional music teachers such as myself. These sites promote inexperienced, amateur musicians as teachers. Good intentions, I am sure. But it does not cut it.
I am VERY successful at helping my students achieve measurable change in their playing. I meet every student at his/her level, wherever they are.
I am the perfect teacher for absolute beginners, intermediate, all the way to touring professional guitarists and recording artists. The touring guitarist for Shania Twain is my former student. He has been with her for about six years now. I also have two young students who are involved in Gilbert Castellanos’s “Young Lions” institution here in San Diego. Also, two full-time professional touring musicians (based in San Diego) are currently studying with me, as of December 2022.
Beyond that, I have worked with many students with special needs, such as bodily injuries and learning disabilities. I am a teacher of the highest order, and I will meet you at whatever level you are at. Then, together, we will design a custom lesson plan for you. I am here to help you get to where you want to be with the guitar.
In addition, I am a longtime student of different forms of meditation. If requested, I can give rudimentary guidance in mindfulness meditation, focused on increasing inner peace, calmness, and improving concentration, as well as dealing with performance anxiety. I am a lifelong practitioner of meditation, and also very familiar with most Eastern traditions of philosophy. I have had several notable teachers in these various traditions. What I have learned from them is simply a part of what I bring to you, as your teacher. The guitar is my mission...the guitar is my vehicle. The mind/body connection is part of guitar mastery.
No contracts. Most of my students pay by the lesson. Others choose to pay for a bulk of lessons. It makes no difference to me.
