Crafting his music and teaching approach to the unique requirements of each student, James will guide you to becoming the guitarist you want to be
FAQ
Q: I’ve never played guitar before. Do I need one for the first lesson?
A: No, we’ll pass my guitar back and forth during the first lesson, and we’ll discuss what kind of guitar would be best for you and where you can get it.
Q: What would you teach me in that first lesson?
A: I’ll teach you four basic chords—G, Em, C, and D—and get you strumming the guitar immediately. We’ll go over the general layout of the guitar: the names of the strings, what frets are, and how to tune the guitar. I’ll then show you how easy it is to put the chords together into a song. At the end of the lesson, we’ll discuss what kind of guitar you should buy.
Q: Where do you teach?
A: I teach in my students’ homes on the Upper East Side and Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Q: Do you teach children?
A: I teach children 10 years old and up as well as adults.
Q: What levels do you teach?
A: I teach all levels—beginner, intermediate, and advanced—so no matter where you are with your guitar playing, I can help you improve and enjoy music more.
Q: How do I pay you?
A: You pay me at the beginning of each guitar lesson either electronically (via Venmo) or in cash. I ask for payment at the beginning of each lesson so that we take care of all necessary business (payment, scheduling, etc) before we start playing guitar. At the end of the lesson, we can enjoy the music in the room and not switch subjects abruptly.
Q: What is your scheduling policy?
A: I understand that there might be times when a student can’t keep a lesson appointment. We all have complex schedules. However, the logistics of teaching guitar in my students’ homes require me to have a fairly strict scheduling policy, which is as follows:
If a student cancels, for whatever reason, I expect payment for the canceled lesson—at the time of the canceled lesson if the student pays me through Venmo, at the beginning of the following lesson if the student pays me in cash. When we see each other for the following lesson, we can discuss whether it’s possible to reschedule the missed lesson and recapture the time. I’ll be happy to do so if my schedule allows.
Q: I sometimes take a week off from work in order to get away from the city. If I give you enough notice, will you hold my time for me until I get back?
A: People often take vacations, either on their own or with family, at many different times of the year. If you’re going on vacation and want me to hold your time open for you while you’re away, you have two options:
You can reschedule the guitar lesson or lessons you’ll miss and thereby guarantee your time will be waiting for you when you return.
If your schedule doesn’t allow you to reschedule, you can simply pay me for the lesson or lessons you’ll miss. This also guarantees your time will be waiting for you when you return.
If neither one of these appeals to you, you can give me a call when you’re back in town, and we’ll see what I have available at that time.
Q: I’ll be in New York for a few weeks on an extended visit. Do you ever teach students on that kind of short-term basis?
A: Yes, I do, with a couple of caveats:
I require a student in that situation to work with me a minimum of 2 hours per week, and I strongly recommend 4 hours per week—a 2-hour guitar lesson twice a week—because if you really want to make progress during your stay, you need to take the plunge and dive in, not just dip your toe in the water.
I require a student who is booking a first guitar lesson several weeks in advance to pay for the lesson when he or she books it. This payment is applied to the first lesson when it occurs. In the case of a cancellation, this payment is not refundable.
917.670.9846