Guide for New Guitar Students

Requirements For All Guitar Students:

I do my best to create a relaxed, creative, and fun atmosphere at guitar lessons. In that spirit, you need to do your part and come prepared. Fortunately, the requirements are simple and altogether cost probably $12. You are welcome to play one of my guitars at lessons free of charge.

You must Bring to class each Lesson:

• Guitar Picks

  • I recommend playing Heavy (.88mm to .96mm) picks but Medium (.72mm) Guitar picks are ok.
  • Get ones made from Celluloid (that's the regular smooth kind, like Fender picks)
  • or Delrin (known also as Tortex™ Dunlop's brand name)
  • Avoid Nylon or PVC

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    (These are meant as promo items, not for playing guitar!).

• Pen

  • No Mechanical Pencils!
  • A regular pencil is ok if you have a sharpener with you.

• Blank Guitar Fretboard Diagrams

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  • You can print out mine for free, they are better than anything commercially available.
• New Blank Guitar Charts- 8.5" x 11" Paper, 1/2" Margins
• Or I can provide you with a blank master to photocopy if you ask. A commercially available book with at least 6 full neck guitar frames per page is fine as well.

• A Usb Pen Drive (256mb Or Better)

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  • These cost about $6 for a 8gb drive in San Francisco or Online, I'm happy to tell you where if you don't know.
  • Acceptable (Tolerable) Alternatives:
    • You may also use a CDR, SD (secure digital) Card or a USB Hard Drive. Please bring the relevant cable! My New system no longer has 1394 Firewire or E-Sata ports. It does have USB3.
    • Any song you want me to figure out for you on guitar must be on the drive or CD (No Exceptions, Please Don't Ask!)
    • I will not figure your song out off of your iPhone or electronic gadget, nor will I hook up your iPhone or other electronic gadget to my stereo! Look I l love iTunes! No CDR or USB drive has ever sent me a royalty check. But everything in a smart phone has been designed so you CANNOT GET THE SONGS OFF THE PHONE! I refuse to waste any of your guitar lesson time trying. Put it on the USB drive. Please make sure the Metadata (Song Name, Artist, Album, etc.) is included!

• You must own, have access to, or plan to buy after the first lesson:

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  • A Guitar Of One Of These Types:
    • Electric Guitar
    • An amp is recommended but it is not absolutely required. You will however find it much easier with an amp, headphone amp, or a device that allows you to hook it up to your computer or stereo
    • Steel String Acoustic Guitar (aka Folk Guitar)
  • (What's the differences between guitars? Click Here: The Two Ways to Play Guitar. )

• An Electronic Tuner

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  • The little Korg ones are terrible, avoid! My favorite cheapie is the Qwik Tune Guitar tuner (~$15). The Qwik Tune chromatic tuner is flaky; avoid that as well. The ones that clip on the guitar headstock really work (I was surprised too).