Welcome. I’m a guitar teacher in Bloomington-Normal, IL.
Guitar Lesson Information
What is the price and location?
Lessons are $30 – you can pay on a weekly basis or monthly.
(depending on if you want my to hold a regular spot in my schedule or not.)
They’re half-hour private lessons held at the Music Shoppe at 1540 E. College Ave in Normal, IL (next to Kroger.)
I also teach lessons over the internet via Facetime, Google Duo, Skype and Zoom.
I accept cash, check, Venmo, Zelle, Cashapp and Paypal.
Who takes guitar lessons?
I’ve worked with every age and skill level – from kids as young as 6, high school and college students, to retirees picking up a new hobby. I’ve taught many complete beginners learning their first chords to advanced musicians wanting to improve their skills or break out of a rut.
For beginners, I make things clear and easy to understand as possible, so you have a clear direction forward and can make progress quickly. For experienced guitarists, I tailor the content in the lessons to your individual goals.
What music will I learn in lessons?
I’ve prepared a large core curriculum of songs to teach fundamental guitar skills, which draws from a wide variety of genres and styles of guitar playing. Currently there are over 800 songs on the list – you can find a list here. My song sheets are much easier to understand than online sources.
(A Spotify playlist can be found here – the Spotify playlist is updated regularly.)
In addition to the list, students are free to make requests for any songs they are interested in.
How do I set up guitar lessons?
Email me here or call/text me at 309-397-2869 to see what openings I have. I’m also happy to answer any questions you have.
Why take lessons when there is so much information on the internet?
Lessons are not a substitute for learning on the internet – guitar websites and Youtube are obviously a great resource and everyone should use it. But there are significant advantages to taking lessons with an experienced teacher:
- Teachers can point out mistakes you’re not aware of and avoid developing bad habits
- Teachers can point you in a solid direction and give you a path forward, which can be hard for beginners overwhelmed with all of the information online
- Good teachers can break things down, simplify difficult songs and concepts and help you understand and learn quicker
- You can ask questions and get answers quickly, rather than going down an internet rabbit hole
- You can play the songs together with the recording and jam together
What are your qualifications?
I estimate I’ve taught over 30,000 lessons since 2005 have three music degrees – a Bachelor’s degree from Bradley University, Master’s from Illinois State University and a Doctorate from the University of Illinois. I am currently a faculty member at Illinois State University, teaching jazz guitar. In the past, I’ve also been a faculty member at Heartland College in Normal teaching music classes, Lincoln Christian University teaching classical guitar, Lincoln College teaching jazz band and commercial music and Millikin University teaching commercial and jazz guitar.
Do I need my own guitar?
It is a good idea to own your own guitar, whether its acoustic or electric. For those who don’t own yet, I have a few guitars available to rent for free (for a small refundable deposit.)
What are some of the skills advanced guitarists learn in lessons?
- Music theory and applying those concepts to the guitar
- Developing chord vocabulary and fluency
- Improvisation and lead guitar
- Classical repertoire and technical development
- Reading music/charts