FAQs
You've Got Questions. I've Got Answers.
Learning Music Online
What equipment do I need to be ready for online music lessons?
All lessons are held online via Zoom. All you need is a free Zoom account, internet connection, and webcam - nothing fancy. You can even do lessons on your smartphone.
Oh, and you'll need your instrument!
Oh, and you'll need your instrument!
How well can I see your hands?
I have 3 cameras to show you exactly what I want you to see including a face cam, a closeup cam for my hands, and an overhead keyboard cam.
Can we read sheet music together?
It wouldn't be a party without the music! I show you the sheet music you need to see right on your screen. I can give you closeups of the page, scroll as you play your instrument, and make helpful music theory and technique notes right there on the page.
Will I be able to hear you?
Yes! I have put a ton of effort into sending you the best audio quality possible. I use a mixer to get the sounds of my guitar, bass, piano, or ukulele directly into the computer, equalized and mixed to perfection. I also use a short-range microphone for my voice so you can hear me clearly without any interfering room noise.
Can we still play along to music?
You bet! Because of internet delay we cannot jam together at the same time, but I do play songs and drum beats for you to play along with. I can also help you share your music audio with me with just a couple of clicks in Zoom so that you can control playback when you want to. ♪
Subjects and Curriculum
I'm a beginning player. What do we work on first?
First, we start with your questions. I want to know what questions you have about your instrument or learning music in general.
Then I give you an overview of your options and we talk about your goals in music and what you want to learn. You might not know, and that's okay! We can figure it out together. Do you want to start with learning to read music or playing along to songs? If you want to learn to read, we start with the basics of reading music. If you want to learn to play along we'll start with either chords or scales. Chords are the fastest and easiest way to play along to music, while scales teaches you the language of music and music theory.
No matter what we start with, we will always be focused on technique first! We need to be sure you can play your instrument with power and precision to make the path forward as smooth and effortless as possible.
For more information on your specific instrument, check out my descriptions here:
Then I give you an overview of your options and we talk about your goals in music and what you want to learn. You might not know, and that's okay! We can figure it out together. Do you want to start with learning to read music or playing along to songs? If you want to learn to read, we start with the basics of reading music. If you want to learn to play along we'll start with either chords or scales. Chords are the fastest and easiest way to play along to music, while scales teaches you the language of music and music theory.
No matter what we start with, we will always be focused on technique first! We need to be sure you can play your instrument with power and precision to make the path forward as smooth and effortless as possible.
For more information on your specific instrument, check out my descriptions here:
What do you work on with your intermediate and advanced music students?
This is where learning music starts to get really fun! For intermediate and advanced players I can fill in gaps in your learning. This may be learning to read music or getting into the theory side of things.
Sometimes players want to go more in depth on a topic or strengthen an area they feel weak in. This can be many things including solidifying rhythms, understanding improvisation, more efficient technique, advanced sight reading, and advanced music theory. It's all fun for me, so we can work on whatever you need to!
For more information on your specific instrument, check out my descriptions here.
Sometimes players want to go more in depth on a topic or strengthen an area they feel weak in. This can be many things including solidifying rhythms, understanding improvisation, more efficient technique, advanced sight reading, and advanced music theory. It's all fun for me, so we can work on whatever you need to!
For more information on your specific instrument, check out my descriptions here.
What's the benefit of learning music theory?
Ooo, good question! Music theory helps us to understand the why behind the notes. For a player improvising or composing on your instrument, it narrows down the choices with great precision, telling us what a note or chord will sound like before we play it. It takes out a lot of the guesswork and gives you complete control over the style of music and the effect is will have on the ear.
Theory makes reading music much easier, too. Instead of seeing individual notes with no meaning, you start to see "words" and "phrases" pop out of the page. If I see the notes G, B, and D, I see a G major chord rather than 3 isolated tones.
For me, theory makes music more fun to play, vastly easier to create, and even lets me hear the music in new ways as I'm exposed to deeper meaning and relationships between the many sounds. I really love music theory!
Theory makes reading music much easier, too. Instead of seeing individual notes with no meaning, you start to see "words" and "phrases" pop out of the page. If I see the notes G, B, and D, I see a G major chord rather than 3 isolated tones.
For me, theory makes music more fun to play, vastly easier to create, and even lets me hear the music in new ways as I'm exposed to deeper meaning and relationships between the many sounds. I really love music theory!
Choosing an Instrument for Beginners
Guitar: Is it the right instrument for me?
The guitar is a great all-around instrument. You learn to strum along to a simple song in just a couple of weeks of practice, or spend a lifetime mastering its full potential. Guitar is a good instrument for beginners wanting to either learn chords, read music, or improvise melodies. The strings are fairly easy to hold down, but a beginning guitar player will often struggle with interference: fingers touching more that one string at a time. This is easily overcome with just a bit of patience and practice. I will break down this amazing instrument for you into digestible little bites to keep it fun and manageable.
For kids...
I don't usually recommend guitar lessons for kids under the age of 6, and even then it can be very challenging. I think 8 and older is a better age range for this instrument, but it varies from child to child. If your kid is really enthusiastic about learning to play guitar you might want to steer them towards a Ukulele, which is great for learning the fundamentals but much physically easier. However, if your little rocker insists that guitar is what they want then I'd say let's give it a try! Sometime the they know best.
Read more about my thoughts on learning guitar on my Guitar page.
For kids...
I don't usually recommend guitar lessons for kids under the age of 6, and even then it can be very challenging. I think 8 and older is a better age range for this instrument, but it varies from child to child. If your kid is really enthusiastic about learning to play guitar you might want to steer them towards a Ukulele, which is great for learning the fundamentals but much physically easier. However, if your little rocker insists that guitar is what they want then I'd say let's give it a try! Sometime the they know best.
Read more about my thoughts on learning guitar on my Guitar page.
Bass: Should I learn to play bass?
So, yes. The world needs more bass players. But this isn't about the world; it's about you!
Bass looks pretty simple. Just one note at a time, right? Well, sort of. Bass can be deceptively challenging. First off, it's the most physically demanding instrument that I teach. Just holding down a note can take a bit of getting used to. It's also quite a stretch for the left hand. That being said, it's all stuff that you can overcome! Your left-hand reach will inevitably improve and you will soon be holding down notes will surprising easy. It just takes practice and patience. In our lessons I will guide your bass technique to make things go smoothly.
For those of you will smaller or less dexterous hands I recommend a short scale bass (30" instead of 34" or 35"). These still sound fantastic, they're fun to play, and require a much smaller reach.
Read more about my thoughts on learning guitar on my Bass page.
Bass looks pretty simple. Just one note at a time, right? Well, sort of. Bass can be deceptively challenging. First off, it's the most physically demanding instrument that I teach. Just holding down a note can take a bit of getting used to. It's also quite a stretch for the left hand. That being said, it's all stuff that you can overcome! Your left-hand reach will inevitably improve and you will soon be holding down notes will surprising easy. It just takes practice and patience. In our lessons I will guide your bass technique to make things go smoothly.
For those of you will smaller or less dexterous hands I recommend a short scale bass (30" instead of 34" or 35"). These still sound fantastic, they're fun to play, and require a much smaller reach.
Read more about my thoughts on learning guitar on my Bass page.
Piano: Can I learn to play piano?
Of course you can! Piano has the lowest barrier to entry of any popular instrument. That's not to say that it's easy to master, but it's certainly easy to get started. The keyboard is very linear, making it easy to find and learn your notes right away.
Read more about my thoughts on learning guitar on my Piano page.
Read more about my thoughts on learning guitar on my Piano page.
Ukulele: How hard is it?
Ukulele is the easies of all the stringed instruments. The strings are easy to hold down and far apart enough to only hit the string you want to. Despite it's relatively strange tuning, it's actually very similar to guitar. I recommend the ukulele to anyone looking to enjoy strumming chords and even learn to play melodies. It's great for kids or any anyone just starting out. It's also a fun addition to the repertoire of a more accomplished player looking to relax into something new and gratifying.
Read more about my thoughts on learning guitar on my Ukulele page.
Read more about my thoughts on learning guitar on my Ukulele page.
