all styles, ages, and levels of experience

• standard acoustic guitar

• classical guitar

• electric guitar

Instruction includes exposure to a comprehensive range of genres:

• Classical, jazz, and contemporary art music

• Pop, rock, hip-hop, EDM

• Country, blues, folk, R&B/soul

• Sub-genres and cross-cultural rhythmic traditions

1. Rhythm & Time

Music begins with rhythm. Students learn to:

• Keep a steady beat

• Count and subdivide rhythms

• Understand time signatures and tempo
  Strong rhythm skills are essential for ensemble playing and solo performance.

2. Pitch Accuracy

Technical development includes:

• Playing or singing in tune

• Understanding high vs. low pitch

• Matching pitch by ear
  This builds confidence and musical control.

3. Reading Music Notation

Students learn to interpret:

• Notes and rests

• Rhythmic values

• Dynamics and articulations

• Musical symbols and markings
  Reading allows students to learn new music independently.

4. Technique & Physical Coordination

Each instrument requires physical skills:

• Proper posture and alignment

• Efficient hand, finger, or breath control

• Coordination between limbs or voice and body
  Good technique prevents injury and improves sound quality.

5. Tone Production

Students learn how sound is created:

• Producing a clear, consistent tone

• Controlling volume and quality

• Understanding how technique affects sound
  Tone is a foundational technical skill on every instrument.

6. Ear Training & Listening Skills

Musicians develop the ability to:

• Hear mistakes and correct them

• Recognize intervals, chords, and rhythms

• Balance their sound with others
  Listening is as important as playing.

7. Dynamics & Expression

Technical control allows musicians to shape music:

• Playing loud and soft

• Accents and articulation

• Musical phrasing and expression
  This transforms notes into music.

8. Coordination & Independence

Students develop:

• Hand-to-hand or voice-to-instrument coordination

• Independence between limbs or musical lines

• Multitasking skills while performing
  This is especially important for piano, drums, and ensemble instruments.

9. Tempo Control & Practice with a Metronome

Musicians learn to:

• Maintain consistent tempo

• Speed up or slow down intentionally

• Practice effectively with a metronome
  Tempo control is essential for professional-level playing.

10. Scales, Patterns & Technical Exercises

Technical fluency is built through:

• Scales and arpeggios

• Pattern recognition

• Repetitive technical exercises
  These improve accuracy, speed, and muscle memory.

11. Practice Technique

Learning music includes learning how to practice:

• Breaking music into sections

• Slow, focused repetition

• Goal-oriented practice sessions
  Good practice habits accelerate progress.

12. Musical Memory

Students develop:

• Muscle memory

• Visual and aural memory

• Confidence performing without relying solely on sheet music

13. Ensemble & Collaboration Skills

Technical musicianship includes:

• Playing in time with others

• Listening and adjusting

• Following a conductor or bandleader
  These skills are critical for bands, orchestras, and groups.

14. Style-Specific Techniques

Different genres require different skills:

• Classical precision

• Jazz swing and harmony

• Rock and pop groove

• Improvisation and feel
  Students learn to adapt technique to style.

Why Technical Skills Matter

Strong technical foundations allow students to:

• Learn music faster

• Avoid bad habits or injury

• Play confidently and musically

• Progress from beginner to advanced levels

Fretting-Hand Technique

• How your non-picking hand interacts with the fretboard.

• Finger placement – close to the fret, correct pressure

• Hand position – thumb placement, wrist angle

• Finger independence – ability to move fingers separately

• Shifting & position changes – moving smoothly up/down the neck

• Barre technique – consistent pressure across strings

• Stretching – wide intervals without tension

Picking / Strumming Technique

How you strike the strings.

Picking Hand

• Alternate picking (down/up strokes)

• Economy picking

• Fingerstyle technique

• Hybrid picking

• Palm muting

• Pick grip and angle

Strumming

• Rhythmic accuracy

• Dynamic control (soft vs aggressive)

• String targeting (avoiding unwanted strings)

Timing & Rhythm Control

Often, the most overlooked technical skill.

• Playing in time with a metronome

• Subdivision awareness (quarters, eighths, triplets, sixteenths)

• Groove consistency

• Syncopation accuracy

Left–Right Hand Synchronization

Both hands working together cleanly.

• Clean note starts and stops

• Avoiding ghost notes and string noise

• Fast passages without tension

• Scale and arpeggio accuracy

Articulation Techniques

How notes are connected or shaped.

• Hammer-ons & pull-offs

• Slides

• Bends (pitch accuracy is critical)

• Vibrato (speed and width control)

• Legato vs staccato playing

Muting & Noise Control

Crucial for clean playing, especially with amplification.

• Left-hand muting unused strings

• Right-hand palm and thumb muting

• Controlling string resonance

• Clean transitions between chords or notes

Chord Technique

Physical execution of chords.

• Open chords

• Barre chords

• Power chords

• Partial chords and triads

• Smooth chord changes

• Clean voicing without buzz

Tone & Touch Control

How technique affects sound.

• Pick attack

• Finger pressure

• Consistency across strings

• Dynamic control

• Tone changes without touching amp settings

Endurance & Injury Prevention

Often ignored but essential long-term.

• Relaxed posture

• Tension management

• Efficient motion

• Building stamina gradually

• Avoiding repetitive strain injuries

Instrument-Specific Technique

Depends on style and goals.

• Electric guitar: muting, bending, sustain control

• Acoustic guitar: attack balance, projection

• Classical guitar: nail technique, rest/free strokes

• Timekeeping, feel, sound production

• Brush techniques in multiple styles

• Ensemble interaction and musical decision-making

• practice psychology

• focus management

• performance mindset

• growth-oriented learning strategies

• how to approach different styles of music

• rhythmic theory

• scales and chords

• improvising

• phrase structure and song form

Good practice isn’t about playing longer; it’s about practicing smarter and more consistently. Short, focused sessions lead to faster progress and less frustration.

Good practice builds:

• Confidence

• Discipline

• Musical growth

• Lifelong learning habits

With guidance and consistency, students see progress quickly—and enjoy the process.

Some topics covered:

• Efficient, measurable practice routines

• Sensory-based learning: hearing and seeing improvement using audio production equipment.

• Alternatives to metronome-based practice

How much should I practice each week?

• Beginners: 15–20 minutes, 4–5 days/week

• Intermediate: 30–45 minutes/day

• Advanced: 60+ minutes/day

• Obsessed: multiple hours a day, playing is as common as eating, dreams in music, music is their life purpose.