Guitar Lessons with Jonny A

What's best for me or my child, group or private lessons? Group classes offer a few key things. 1). Price. Your'e getting a 50 minute lesson for $20. In that 6 week session I'm going to cover essentially the same things I would in the first 6 weeks of private lessons. 2). social interaction. My youth and adult class, I see friends joining together as a fun activity they can enjoy. I see people make new friends as well. Its great. Private lessons however offer more in depth instruction focused entirely on you, your musical tastes ability level etc. I can also focus more on note reading, which while I do cover in group, is really difficult to fully comprehend in s group setting. 2) Private lessons are available Tuesday Through Saturday, not only Mondays like group. I often recommend as 6 week group session followed by private lessons as a cost effective way to begin your guitar journey.

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There are 2 remaining spots in the ages 8-12 class open at 6:00, the 7:00 ages 13 and up is full. Class starts Monday. Go to Andersonparks.com for info and registration. this is a fun, affordable way to get a solid start on the guitar.

🎸 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗶𝗱𝘀 (𝗔𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝟴–𝟭𝟮) 🎸

Ready to make some music? Register for Group Guitar Lessons, taught by Jonny Armstrong on Mondays, April 13 – May 18 from 6–6:50 pm!

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼:
🎶 Explore the world of music
🎵 Learn guitar basics
🎸 Play both modern and classic songs

👉 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://andersonparks.com/event/guitar-ages-8-12-years

Week #3 of helpful tips. As early as you can, find others to play with. it doesnt have to be serious. (With the exception of solo finger style guitar,) It can be anyone and any instrument, any style of music. You will leave that situation a better player. There is not one person I've ever played with that I didnt learn something from. Dont shy away from players who are better than you, seek them out. That will encourage you to work harder. And, at the end of the day, it's just fun. Cant find anyone? Backing tracks can be the next best thing. as good as a live musician?, no, but better than nothing? yes.

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Week #3 tips, pointers etc post. Do I as a guitar player, bass player, ukulele player, learn to read music??? You can, learn to play the instrument and quite well without it. We have tabs, chord diagrams etc, easier ways around reading notation. Personally, I feel notation gives one a better understanding of music. Even if it's learning just a basic open position key of C. To at least know it somewhat doesnt require that much of your practice time. I know, Jimi Hendrix didnt read, so they say. I told a teacher I had that once and he said " Well, youre no Jimi Hendrix," They say Eddie Van Halen didnt read, but I call BS, his dad was a concert pianist, I feel like Eddie would've had music in front of him at some point. Notation tells once rhythm, dynamics, legato vs staccato, tempo, everything basically. A proficient reader can take a piece they've never heard and accurately recreate it. Before the days of recording, thats how music was shared around the world. A composer in England wrote a piece, a family in Boston purchased it and someone in the family played it. Musical instruments, especially the piano were in a lot of households for that reason. If you wanted to hear a tune, someone had to play it. Thats where. the "parlor" sized guitars come from. Also, notation will give you so much greater of an understanding of the neck of your instrument. Youre not doing the paint by numbers system of tabs, you have to find a note, letter, on a string. Music Theory concepts will make so much more sense when seen on a staff too. I do not require note reading, only strongly recommend it in my adult and teen students, but grade school, middle school I do require it. That child will probably play another instrument or more, I want his lessons with me to give him an advantage on that new instrument, whatever it may be. I want to give a student a legitimate music education. Teach you how to fish vs just " what song do you want to do this week" approach. You will definitely learn songs you want to know in any lessons, but I will introduce new techniques, concepts etc with that song. When looking for a lesson program, look for that. Some of the books I use are Hal Leonard or Mel Bay Grade 1, or if youre a more advanced player a Berkley Book 1. Until next week.

Heres week #2 of my posts on guitar, or really any discipline. Create a practice routine. It's easy enough o say I'm going to practice. But when? Have it planned out. Put it in your calendar with a reminder to do it. I find it easier to do at either the beginning or ending of the day. I have piggybacked practice with other routines, exercise, meals etc. I used to watch a series of fishing shows on Sundays and practice for hours watching them. Baseball is a great thing to watch and practice. If something happens they replay it. Practice during commercial breaks on a TV show. It takes weeks, months maybe but once a routine is established it becomes easy to maintain. you feel out of balance if you dont do it that day. It can have an almost mediative quality to it. I know I feel better after I practice.

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I will be starting a lesson advice column. Typically once a week. Heres week 1. 1) Enroll in some sort of lesson program. With me or anyone else, in person, online, private or in a group. Not simply a you tube lesson, but a lesson where you have to sit in front of that teacher and be held accountable for what was shown to you the previous week.
It gives one a sense of accountability, not to mention the financial investment made for the lessons. Also, a good teacher will provide you a structured program of excersizes, scales, theory, songs etc. They will be able to critique your playing and give you an approach to improvement you may have taken longer to find or never had found.

Send a message to learn more

Send a message to learn more

Guitar classes at Beech Acres Level 2 will begin October 27, youth and adult, 6:30 and 7:30. This is a class designed for those with previous guitar experience. Students will learn more advanced skills not covered in Level 1 such as fingerpicking, bar chords, keys and tonality all while learning fun material. Go to Andersonparks.com for info and registration.

🎸 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟮 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 (Age 8 years and up)

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭? Guitar Level 2 is designed for advanced beginners and intermediate players who want to explore more of what the guitar has to offer. Students will dive deeper into note reading, expand their chord vocabulary, and develop picking and strumming techniques.

🧑‍🎤 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿: Jon Armstrong (Guitar Lessons with Jonny A), an experienced teacher with a B.A. in music education.

🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘄: https://andersonparks.com/events/category/guitar/

The ukulele students played “Camp Town Races” in honor of the upcoming Kentucky Derby.

Great time performing some traditional Christmas tunes with my class from the Anderson Senior Center. Merry Christmas!