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Welcome to Guitar Lessons NYC

AFFORDABLE GUITAR LESSONS IN NYC
FOR ADULTS & KIDS FROM BEGINNER TO ADVANCED

Beginner

Beginner guitar lessons are for students with little to no guitar experience and who want to learn the basics of fretting and how to pluck the strings.

Intermediate

Intermediate guitar lessons are offered to students who have already been practicing guitar for several years and want to improve their skills.

Advanced

Our advanced guitar lessons are for highly skilled guitarists wishing to refine their technique or who plan to audition for music schools and bands.

Meet our Guitar Instructors

GET TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUCTORS

Our guitar instructors are all classically trained with a minimum of a Master’s Degree level of education and have graduated from highly reputable music schools and conservatories from all around the world including the Manhattan School of Music and New York University (NYU). Each teacher brings their own unique style of teaching and experience to the guitar lesson to help ensure that our students get the best possible guitar instruction whilst realizing their full music potential. At Guitar Lessons NYC our guitar instructors all have the same goal in mind and that is to provide the highest quality education in a fun, energetic and welcoming environment.

Our Mission

WHAT'S OUR GOAL
Guitar Lessons NYC’s mission is to offer affordable private guitar lessons for adults and kids from beginner to advanced in New York City including the following areas: Chelsea, Greenwich Village, East Village, West Village, Soho, Tribeca, Midtown, Upper East Side, Upper West Side and the Financial District. We offer personalized one-on-one guitar lessons either in the student’s home or at studios conveniently located in Chelsea and Midtown Manhattan. Guitar Lessons NYC helps students explore various guitar styles including: rock, jazz and folk. We offer guitar lessons in either classical acoustic, modern acoustic and electric guitar. Guitar Lessons NYC offers 1 hour, 45 and 30 minute lessons. All potential students receive a discounted trial lesson to evaluate their current musical level, and to discuss goals and future guitar aspirations.
Our guitar teachers come from a range of different backgrounds and nationalities including American, Japanese and British to help students reach their full potential and excel in guitar performance. Our guitar instructors offer a diverse understanding of technique, musical expression, range of dynamics and interpretation. As Guitar Lessons NYC expands we intend to hold annual recitals where our students can showcase their achievements and get accustomed to performing in front of an audience. Guitar lessons can be offered in either English or Japanese. So, if you are looking to start guitar lessons or would simply like more information please feel free to contact us using the contact form below. The team at Guitar Lessons NYC looks forward to scheduling your first guitar lesson.

CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE

Areas of Study

WHAT WE TEACH

learn music theory guitar

Music theory is the study of the structure of music. Or more simply put, it’s the language used to talk about the music we hear and play. Learning music theory is one of the most important things a musician can do as it helps them to not only become better performers, but also have a better understanding of the music they are playing and hearing. It also makes musical activities such as performing, composing, improvising, arranging, teaching, or getting a music degree much easier once one gains a basic understanding of music theory.

During our guitar lessons students will learn a range of different music theory subjects. The first thing we teach is notation which covers the staff, clefs, note names, rhythms, rests, intervals, meter and time signatures, key signatures, and dynamics – all seamlessly connected to the actual music the student is working on. Students will also be taught about scales and chords (harmony), melodies, phrases, and musical forms. Whether you are an absolute beginner or already know a lot about music theory our guitar lessons are individually tailored to cover everything from the most basic scales to the most advanced melodic, harmonic, and rhythmical understanding.

learn different guitar styles

Whether it’s today’s radio hit songs (Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry), other pop/rock songs (The Beatles, Stevie Wonder), singer/songwriters (Ed Sheeran, Bon Iver), blues (Robert Johnson, B.B. King), jazz (Wes Montgomery, John Scofield), bossa nova (Carlos Jobim), funk & soul (James Brown, Aretha Franklin), reggae (Bob Marley),… you name it, we’ll teach you how to play it!

The musical genres with which you can learn are endless and the student is more than welcome to bring his or her favorite music to the guitar lesson. After the student has become accustomed to playing their own music and as their musical and technical skills develop, the teacher will introduce other similar and different music pieces that will expand the student’s musical horizon. This will essentially lead to defining one’s own musical taste and style, ultimately leading to the student becoming their own unique musician.

learn guitar technique

Learning to play the first open chords on the guitar is quite easy – but to play bar chords or fast single notes is a very difficult task. However, it becomes much easier and more rewarding quickly, if the student develops good guitar technique. Having good technical facility at any age or level is very important. This means being able to have a relaxed but yet focused stance, knowing smart fingerings, having a good right hand technique whether with a pick or with finger picking, and exercising and gaining muscle memory.

During our guitar lessons, proper guitar technique will be taught and constantly reinforced. Having good technique from the beginning ensures progress, success, and allows students to reach their musical and creative goals on the instrument more rapidly. Different methods for both left and right hand will be used to ensure that the student understands technical issues on the instrument and can approach new discoveries or problems from several different angles.

learn guitar improvisation

Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate “in the moment” composition. Improvisation combines performance with communication of emotions to express new musical ideas that have not been written down by another composer. Learning to improvise involves knowledge of music theory, listening skills, and confidence in expressing one’s ideas on the spot. It is a fun and essential way to play an instrument.

The modern day guitar especially with its roots in blues music has a tradition for improvisation from its beginning on. Whether it’s Eric Clapton on “Layla”, Jimi Hendrix on “All Along the Watchtower”, Eddie Van Halen on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”, “ or Jimmy Page on Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” – all those are improvised moments that have written modern day music history.

Since there are no boundaries in improvisation it is also a great way to branch out into other musical genres, such as pop, jazz, and folk music. In our NYC guitar lessons, students will learn how to improvise over chords and learn how to develop their own musical ideas and be able to articulate them on the guitar. Further studies will not only include tonal studies but also how to use effect pedals, other devises such as a bottle neck or an e-bow, and other extended techniques to experiment with and discover new grounds on the guitar.

learn guitar like Hendrix

Whilst music theory, sight-reading, and solfège are all used to train a musician’s ears to recognize intervals and chord qualities, learn how to perform melodies and rhythms accurately at sight, and practice writing down musical examples upon hearing them, Musicianship is about training the student not just to be a player of guitar, but to be a true musician.

Many guitarists are great technically, but they lack that something special which usually separates the great from the average. Good musicianship involves not only understanding how to use the guitar but how to convey your story or message to the audience using emotion, passion and flair, allowing you to play a piece of music in an original and inventive way while still remaining true to the written material. During each guitar lesson in NYC students are encouraged to feel the music they are playing and to improvise rather than to simply follow what the teacher is reciting, helping them to develop their confidence.

Combining the student’s developed musicianship, theoretical knowledge, and his or her curiosity to improvise and experiment, creating and writing one’s own musical ideas and songs will become a natural part of the musical journey and will be encouraged from the teacher. This will lead the student to find his or her own unique identity as a musician.

 

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WHAT STUDENTS SAY ABOUT US

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Rates

PRICES & PACKAGES
  • TRIAL LESSON
  • $50.00*
  • per lesson
  • For all new students
  • Level Check
  • Goals
  • Scheduling
  • MORE INFO
  • 30-MINUTE LESSON
  • $59.00*
  • per lesson
  • Suitable for 6 – 10 year-olds
  • Level : Beginner
  • Anatomy of a Guitar
  • How to Pluck the Strings
  • MORE INFO
  • 45-MINUTE LESSON
  • $72.00*
  • per lesson
  • Suitable for 6 yr-olds to Adult
  • Level : Beginner~Intermediate
  • Connecting Chords & Scales
  • Arpeggios & Licks
  • MORE INFO
  • 60-MINUTE LESSON
  • $84.00*
  • per lesson
  • Suitable for 10 yr-olds to Adult
  • All Levels
  • Extended Chord Types
  • Alternate Picking
  • MORE INFO

*Please note that fees vary depending on which payment plan is chosen for your guitar lessons. For a full breakdown of fees please visit our detailed rates page here.

Schedule

CURRENT AVAILABILITY

As our schedule is constantly changing we recommend you get in touch via the contact form below with your preferred day and time and we will get back to you.

CONTACT US FOR AVAILABILITY


Blog

OUR DAILY LIFE

Location

WHERE TO FIND US

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Opera America

330 7th Avenue

New York, NY 10001

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Michiko Studios

15 W 39th St

New York, NY 10018

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In-Home Lessons

Throughout Manhattan

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Online Lessons

Available Worldwide

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🎵 RESERVATIONS REQUIRED IN ADVANCE FOR GUITAR LESSONS AT THE TWO STUDIO LOCATIONS ABOVE 🎵

🚫 NO DROP-INS

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WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

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