Guitar By Brian Guitar Instruction by Brian Phillips ... 303-803-2181 ... brian@guitarbybrian.com
Home   Background    Locations     Policies   Testimonials   Questions	Common Questions Why private guitar lessons? What is the minimum age for taking lessons? Should parents attend the lessons? How should I handle scheduling? What benefits will my child get out of learning how to play the guitar? How long are lessons? Is half an hour really long enough to make progress? How can I learn guitar as fast/soon as possible? How many lessons do I have to commit to up-front? Do I have to commit to the same day and time every week? Can't you teach closer to where I live? How long will I have to take lessons before I become a good guitar player? Do I get any written materials during the lesson? Why should I pay for private lessons when I can pull free lessons off the Internet? Do you play in a band? What are Your musical influences and who are your favorite guitar players? Why are the best players not necessarily good teachers?   Why private guitar lessons? 1. You get answers to your questions and instruction tailored to your specific needs. With private guitar lessons, you can choose the direction you want to take - you are not limited by the "one size fits all" format of books and videos. You get exactly the information you need, when you need it. 2. You get the personal attention that only a live instructor can provide. No computer program can watch you play and correct the curve in your fingers or adjust the angle of your wrist for maximum performance. 3. You learn how to practice effectively. Under the guidance of a good teacher you'll learn the right way to practice. You can correct your mistakes right away and achieve your musical goals that much faster. 4. You stay motivated. Staying motivated is key to achieving your musical goals. Nothing is more motivating than the one-on-one relationship between you and a teacher who cares about your progress and is committed to seeing you reach your potential. 5. You get results. Results are the bottom line - and the surest path to having serious fun with your playing. In Short: You could try to make it on your own ... but private lessons will get you there MUCH FASTER !!! Back to questions   What is the minimum age for taking lessons? Students should be at least 7 years old. If they are younger than 7 they should at least be in kindergarten to be considered. Back to questions   Should parents attend the lessons? Parents are always welcome to attend any lesson with their student. Students are generally more comfortable with the one on one instruction so it is not the norm for parents to attend regularly. Back to questions   How should I handle scheduling? Initial scheduling will be handled at the time of signing up for lessons. If you need to change your lesson time a phone call is the simplest way to handle it. You can also handle it in person at your students scheduled lesson time. Back to questions   What benefits will my child get out of learning how to play the guitar? If you're looking for a way to provide your child with a source of life-long joy, satisfaction, and accomplishment, musical education is an excellent step. The benefits include:   1. Self-expression, relaxation, enjoyment, and constructive use of leisure time.   2. Self-confidence. Every child needs some area of personal accomplishment. It's part of the growing-up process, with each accomplishment contributing positively to the development of a stronger personality. Music provides almost daily opportunity for individual accomplishment - and with each success your child gains confidence.   3. Brain development. Playing an instrument is arguably the epitome of a skills-based music experience. It requires the player to develop and coordinate many different brain functions - auditory, visual, cognitive, affective, and motor-related - simultaneously and at increasingly challenging levels.   4. Self-discipline, patience, and the ability to memorize and concentrate are all enhanced by the study of music. These skills will serve your child well on whatever path he or she chooses in life. Back to questions   How long are lessons? Lessons are 30 mintues long. The first lesson is generally a little longer than a half-hour. Back to questions   Is half an hour really long enough to make progress? A half-hour lesson is plenty of time to evaluate the students progress and build on it. I will cover more than enough material to practice during the time between lessons. Back to questions   How can I learn guitar as fast/soon as possible? Practice is the key. Basically, the more often you practice, the longer you practice and the more effectively you practice, the faster you will progress. Back to questions   How many lessons do I have to commit to up-front? Only the lessons that you choose to schedule one month at a time. There is no minimum number of lessons for which you must sign up. Back to questions   Do I have to commit to the same day and time every week? For the most part, Yes. However, your regular day and time can be changed at any time to any other available time. You can also adjust your scheduled day and time for an individual lesson then return to your regular schedule. Back to questions   Can't you teach closer to where I live? If I taught in multiple locations, the time spent moving from place to place would limit the number of students I am able to teach and, consequently, make my rates very high. I also think my students are much better served when I have immediate access to my stock of teaching materials and equipment - something I could not practically offer if I taught in several different locations. If a student practices what is taught in the lessons, the commute will actually be a small portion of the total time invested in studying guitar. Ultimately, students will have to decide for themselves whether their commute is justified by the quality of lessons they receive. Back to questions   How long will I have to take lessons before I become a good guitar player? Placing a timeframe on your expectations of becoming a good player is not a good idea. It is better to think of it as a journey rather than a destination. Progress depends on the individual and each individual is different. For example, mastering rhythm and timing is essential to progress. In order to play a note or chord at the right time, you must anticipate the exact moment that the pick will strike the strings. To some people, it's instinctive. For others, it's a tough skill to master. Eventually with time and practice, rhythm, harmony, scales, and improvising will become second nature. The study of music and learning an instrument is a long term endeavor. Back to questions   Do I get any written materials during the lesson? Written materials are often included in the lessons. Written assignments are given from time to time as well. The more your playing and understanding advances, the more written materials there will be. Back to questions   Why should I pay for private lessons when I can pull free lessons off the Internet? Good question. Most tablature and guitar lessons offered on the Internet do not include rhythmic notation, which is essential for proper learning. In addition, a free lesson or two (or even ten) do not make a comprehensive approach to learning the guitar. Free lessons also do not take into account your current level of playing, nor do they come with any way to ensure you are learning the material correctly. You will make more progress and enjoy your playing sooner by studying one-on-one with a good teacher than you ever would by learning some other way. Back to questions   Do you play in a band? Yes! I have played in several bands over the years. I currently play with both A.K.A. (www.akadenver.com.) and Hollow Point. Performance is my "other" passion and I try to perform as much as possible be it as a singer or guitar player or both. You can get a lot more information about my performing on the other part of this site "Brian the Performer" Back to questions   What are Your musical influences and who are your favorite guitar players? I have numerous influences in many different genres. I love the works of Tchaikovsky, Brahms and Beethoven. I am also very fond of the work of John Williams and believe his body of work will, in time, rival that of all the great composers in music history including Bach. My favorite rock bands include Rush, Iron Maiden, The Beatles, The Who, Matchbox 20 and Disturbed to name only a few. Guitarist I've admired through the years include the great Randy Rhodes, Rik Emmitt, Alex Lifeson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Adrian Smith, Neal Schon, David Gilmour and Glenn Tipton. Back to questions   Why are the best players not necessarily good teachers? Think about it. How many guitar players put as much time into perfecting their teaching techniques as they do their own playing? How many ace players remember how hard they had to work as beginners to learn certain concepts? Teaching requires a different set of skills than playing does and those skills need to be practiced and developed just like any other ability. Back to questions
	| Home | Background | Locations | | Policies & Pricing | Testimonials | Common Questions |