Mike's Guitar Studio
4.8
(46)
From
Manassas, VA
SinceSeptember, 2021
About
My location is Manassas, Virginia; which is situated approximately 40 miles west of Washington, D.C. Due to the current pandemic situation, I will only be providing online lessons for the foreseeable future. You can find a studio introduction video below.I have been playing and teaching guitar for over 55 years and have been a part of numerous bands belonging to various genres such as blues, folk, rock, and jazz. Apart from being a singer/songwriter and recording engineer, I have been teaching guitar to students aged 26 and above, starting from beginners to those who are at an advanced level. I specialize in teaching rhythm and lead guitar styles, Travis finger picking, music theory, and songwriting.
I charge a flat fee of $140.00 per month for a 30-minute lesson, and $180.00 per month for a 45-minute lesson. In case there are 5 lessons in a month, the fifth lesson comes free of cost.
Over the years, I have developed a unique teaching method that simplifies learning and cuts through all the jargon and confusion. I have created over 100 song sheets, featuring chord diagrams and melody/lead guitar tablature for country, blues, rock, and jazz songs, which are available to my students on my website. Additionally, there are 13 jam tracks, with more to come, to help students practice rhythm and lead. I have also created lead guitar videos, which provide a clear and logical progression of steps for students to become seasoned jazz lead guitar players. Together with my instruction, these videos make learning lead guitar exciting and fun.
Within 24 hours of each lesson, I provide comprehensive lesson notes, including what we covered in the previous session and what to practice for the next lesson. This saves my students' valuable lesson time and helps to keep them well prepared.
I firmly believe in making learning enjoyable and productive. I feel most satisfied when my students express their desire for longer lessons and can't wait to go home and practice more. As Keith Richards once said, "You're always learning about this thing, every time you pick it up."
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Reviews
JJ
Joshua J.
Mike is an exceptional guitar instructor, who meticulously imparts knowledge and comprehension on his students. From the very first lesson, he focuses on building a solid foundation of guitar fundamentals and never hurries through any concepts. He emphasizes the significance of maintaining rhythm with a metronome and its crucial role in mastering notes. Regrettably, my demanding job in construction allowed me to take only a few sessions with him. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to having Mike as my tutor again in the Fall.
February 1, 2023
JR
Jessica R.
For just over a month, Mike has been assisting me in returning to guitar playing, and it's been fantastic! He tailors his lessons to your expertise, while also providing the appropriate direction for progress. I highly recommend him to any player seeking to improve their abilities at any level.
January 16, 2023
LC
Lauren C.
Despite being in my 40s with no musical background, I have always wanted to learn to play the guitar. However, after a few months of aimlessly watching YouTube videos and online lessons, I decided to seek out the help of an instructor. That's when I found Mike, and I'm so grateful that I did. Mike is an amazing teacher who tailors his instruction to my interests and goals, is patient, responsive, and provides notes after each lesson. He also emphasizes the importance of timing and practicing with a metronome, giving clear direction for how to spend practice time. This has been invaluable for me as a busy professional with a family. In just 8 weeks, I've already seen a marked improvement in my skills, and I am excited to continue my musical journey with Mike's guidance.
July 11, 2022
JR
Joseph R.
After realizing my self-taught guitar skills were limited, I decided to give lessons another chance. I must admit, I hadn't learned much on my own. Luckily, I found Mike, who is an exceptional teacher. Despite only having completed three lessons, I can already see a significant improvement in my playing. Mike has made learning the guitar enjoyable and not overwhelming. Our lessons have become the highlight of my week, and I genuinely look forward to them.
I've had other teachers in the past, but none of them understood my desire to truly learn the instrument instead of a few songs. While learning songs is essential, I appreciate that Mike uses them to teach the guitar and goes beyond just playing chords for camping. He took the time to learn what I wanted from the lessons, including the styles of music I want to play. His patience, kindness, organization, and support have been life-changing for me as confidence-building is a significant goal of mine.
Words cannot express how awesome Mike is as a teacher, and I believe the sky is the limit with my playing skills now that I have such a knowledgeable and passionate teacher. Mike truly rocks!
November 28, 2021
BT
Brittany T.
For the past few months, I've been taking acoustic guitar lessons with Mike. After being self-taught and playing frequently in my younger years, I took a break in the past decade. However, with my kids getting older and Covid bringing about more free time, I decided to pick up the guitar once again.
Mike is an experienced musician and teacher who possesses a firm understanding of both technique and theory. He enjoys imparting his knowledge onto his students and has a no-nonsense approach towards the instrument. After a few lessons, Mike provided me with a detailed lesson plan that includes learning roughly one song per week. These songs not only offer great practice but also teach important techniques such as base runs, double-stops, and finger-picking, which can be added to one's repertoire over time.
Mike has simplified many concepts that I once found difficult, such as connecting different pentatonic patterns and transitioning from scales to licks within scale patterns. He stresses the importance of building upon concepts, but also acknowledges that advancement can come quickly with effort. Mike emphasizes practice as a means of building muscle memory and creating a playing style. As he so aptly puts it, "practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent."
October 29, 2021