A typical lesson will vary depending on what the student is interested in. Listed are some examples of directions a lesson may take.

Rock Lesson:

A rock lesson may consist of the student choosing a song to learn. The student would bring in a recording of the song (on a CD or via MP3 player). If I don't already know it, I will figure it out (usually this only takes a few minutes) and then I show the student how I'm playing it. After that I will notate it (typically in tableture) for the student to take home and work on for the next lesson. Finally, if the material is challenging for the student, I show them how to break it down into simple exercises that can be pieced together to arrive at the complete song.

Another related direction for a rock lesson, is analyzing a song to understand how it works and what could be used in improvisation. If technique is holding the student back from playing a song, I give them exercises that focus on the area(s) of difficulty. It is a reasonable possibility that the student, after an hour lesson and a week of regular practice, will have all the tools necessary to master a song.

If technique is an interest for the student, I have a lot of exercises for increasing speed, finger independence, or just improving overall control. I can show students things like sweep picking, string skipping, nuance, fingerpicking, etc… I used to be a shredder and know several simple tricks for increasing speed.

Blues Lesson:

A blues lesson would begin with understanding the 12-bar blues form. This form is so common in almost all genres that every student who is not familiar with it would benefit from this lesson. Then I would discuss different options for improvisation on the blues form. This can range from the most common blues language/licks to more abstract note and scale choices. The student may work on outlining the chords of the blues progression, which is another way of improvising on a blues. All of this is explained with examples so the student leaves with a clear understanding of the sounds they are learning to create. Most blues lessons involve a great deal of time for the student and I to play the blues together.

Jazz Lesson:

Jazz lessons can go in so many directions. If the student is only kind of familiar with jazz, I show them chord voicings, how to analyze tunes, and scale/chord relationships for improvisation. This information is immediately applied to jazz repertoire.

If the student is familiar with jazz, then we focus more on things like phrasing, comping, rhythms, and various ways of mapping out the fretboard. Tune memorization is emphasized and theory is further explored by getting into substitutions, altered scales, extensions, pentatonics, quartal harmony, etc...

For advanced jazz students, we explore less common substitutions, intervallic ideas, and typically more conceptually oriented things.

Jazz students also spend a good portion of the lesson playing. All jazz students will work on reading standard notation.

Composition Lesson:

Composition lessons are completely based on the student's compositional direction. I help the student learn how to explore the music that is in his/her head. Through my own compositional experience, I can help students explore the ideas they have, manipulate ideas that they are not content with, and find ways around creative blocks. I am not interested in pushing my music or compositional style on the student, only in helping the student to develop his/her own ideas. Some common topics in these lessons are harmonizing melodies, where to start, how to repeat ideas without boring the listener, creating a coherent and logical form.


These are not the only directions that a lesson can take.
If you are interested in something else, please
feel free to contact me with any questions.

(701) 361-4684 or click here to email