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Do you want to learn the guitar but aren't sure how to begin?
Are you frustrated with your progress even after putting in the hours?
Does learning from Youtube and books leave you with more questions than answers?
Learning the guitar can be a daunting prospect. The frustration, the hours, the sore hands, the racked brain... Probably most frustrating of all: knowing that you could play, you could improve, if only...
And there in lies the challenge. What do you have to do to be a skilled guitarist?
6 Skills the Typical Self-Taught Guitarist Must Master to See Consistent Progress:
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Know their strengths and weaknesses (which continually change over time).
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Know how to accurately self-assess: their playing, their progress, their overall direction.
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Develop exercises that provide sound foundational technique.
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Develop exercises that challenge and grow their remaining skill sets.
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Organize a strategy that will get them from where they are to where they want to be.
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Continually find ways to stay inspired.
Daunting. Is it any wonder 50% of people who start playing the guitar eventually quit?
That doesn' have to be you.
With lessons from SF Guitar Academy, you can gain the structure, support and guidance to ensure your progress and success on the guitar.
SF Guitar Academy has helped dozens of guitar players face and meet the myriad of challenges of learning the guitar. Those 6 skills above will become a part of your arsenal for tackling guitar hurdles.
Lessons at SF Music Academy take the mystery and frustration out of learning the guitar. As a professional musician and teacher, I've been through so many of the same issues that my students face, from finding direction in my practice, to getting traction in my improvement, and the frustration of learning curves. My nearly 25 years of experience has helped me guide my students through the uncertainty of learning an instrument. Learning the guitar doesn't have to be a shot in the dark or a giant headache anymore. Structered lessons, scheduled goals and an experienced teacher can turn learning the guitar into constant pain into instant pleasure.
Some of the Benefits of taking lessons at SF Guitar
Academy:
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Receive guidance, expertise and support from an experienced professional musician.
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Gain the opportunity to learn in a supportive environment.
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Receive instruction from an enthusiastic teacher who is as invested in your progress and musical future as you are.
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Receive critical and timely feedback on your strengths, weaknesses and progress.
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Learn how to analyze your own playing to contribute to the direction of your own lessons.
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Attain a solid foundation in technique, a critical aspect of success on the guitar.
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Learn from a patient teacher, taking your lessons at your own pace.
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Learn the guitar in multiple formats - not just one-on-one lessons, but group lessons, workshops and more - to adequately address your changing needs as you grow as a musician.
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Perform for friends and family in a band setting along side professional, gigging musicians from the Bay Area.
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Gain the opportunity to record your playing on quality recording equipment.
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Jam along with other SF Music Academy students in organized jam sessions and workshops.
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Be part of a growing music community in San Francisco.
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Gain the confidence of knowing that you can play guitar.
Some of the technical foundation elements and other core areas covered by lessons with SF Guitar Academy are:
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Right and left hand technique
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Music theory
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Harmony
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Scales
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Arpeggios
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Reading music notation
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Improvisation
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Soloing
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Ensemble Playing
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Chord melody
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Ear Training
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Songwriting
And more...
“I love taking lessons from Rado!… he's really enthusiastic and engaged while teaching, which makes lessons fun… Rado seems less like just another teacher and more like a friend who's teaching me guitar.”
John H -
From a 5 Star Yelp Review
"Rado's take on the instrument is refreshing. He has a wide arsenal of tips and exercises for guitar players of any experience level."
Jay A. -
From a 5 Star Yelp Review
“ Rado is by far one of the best guitar teachers I've had over the years… I felt like I had hit a plateau when I started lessons with Rado… He listened to my goals and immediately had a game plan for me to follow… Rado keeps me focused [and his] vision has guided and motivated me to practice and strive to be a better player…”
Khwan C -
"Rado is a fantastic guitar teacher. From basic technique to improvisation he always has an exercise ready to help solve specific problems that come up in the lesson.... Plus he is a really great guy to hang out with."
Peter J - Professional Clarinetist
From a 5-Star Yelp Review
Questions you should be asking about your guitar lessons:
Things you can expect from a normal teacher:
Things you can expect from SF Guitar Academy:
How will you know what I want to be able to do on my instrument and what I need in order to reach my goals?
A normal music teacher will just ask you what styles of music you listen to and what songs you would like to learn. Then they will just teach you these songs, or worse, they will just ask you "what do you want to learn today?".
A normal music teacher will not target your weaknesses in order to resolve them, or your strengths in order to reinforce and expand them: they will just show you more songs hoping that you magically become a better musician.
At SF Guitar Academy, I will set up an initial FREE introductory lesson for you. During this first lesson we will talk about where you are and assess your playing, what your ultimate goals are, and what you need in order to take the next steps. If you're a beginner we'll simply get started right away.
How will you help me with the problems and frustrations I have with my playing?
A normal music teacher has no plan for you. He will teach you from lesson to lesson, often "winging it" ("what do you want to learn today?") without a real long-term strategy to solve your REAL guitar playing problems.
After assessing where you are currently and what you want to achieve, we will set up a plan with expectations and deadlines that is tailored to your specific goals and needs in order to effectively solve your guitar playing problems. We will continuously refine the plan as needed by keeping track of your progress and frequently revising your goals.
Do you offer any additional learning opportunities outside of regular lessons?
An average music teacher will just give you a 30 minute one-on-one private lesson. He will not bother with other formats.
SF Guitar Academy will provide workshops on various topics; group classes and jam sessions. Workshops that feature guest instructors are also made available. Workshops are great opportunities for students to expand their knowledge and focus on specific aspects of their playing. While jam sessions are great confidence boosters, give you an opportunity to apply things you know, and are just plain fun! Also, special workshops will feature jamming with some great local professionals in a band setting, allowing students to gain confidence and work out any playing issues in a challenging, fun, interactive environment.
How can you help me make sure that I am practicing in the most efficient and effective ways between my lessons?
An average teacher will just tell you to practice more - or simply never address the topic of how to practice!
At SF Guitar Academy you will be shown how to practice every single exercise you are given so when you are at home you will know EXACTLY what to do. Plus it will all be in writing for you each week.
Will you travel to my place and teach me in my house? Also I have a teacher living just around the corner, so why should I bother to come to your place?
Average teachers come to your place because they do not have many students, and want to get more experience teaching. They will do ANYTHING to make you their guinea pig - and have YOU pay for it.
Like all serious music teachers, I teach from my studio and not from the student's house. SF Guitar Academy students come to me from all over the Bay Area. All of these students find that the value and quality provided in our lessons is more important than the minor inconvenience of driving to my place. Also, I am centrally located in Noe Valley in San Francisco. As a great player once said, "An hour spent driving to a great [music] teacher will save you 10 years of frustrations with the instrument." Which would you rather have?
I am looking for the cheapest lessons around! Surely your lessons aren't expensive?
Average music teachers do not have many students and the only way they have to attract you is to have very low rates. The cheapest teachers tend also to be the less experienced ones and they will often teach you the wrong things or foster bad habits (We know because their ex-students come to us and we have to fix their mistakes).
All the money you spend with inexperienced teachers is money down the drain.
I FIX the damage that cheap music lessons and average teachers cause to their students. Great music teachers are always in demand and require fair compensation for their services. In return they give you the best learning strategies and the great results you are expecting. This does not mean that a good teacher is always expensive. I have many different programs to accommodate any budget, and you can be sure that you are making a sound investment with SF Guitar Academy. However I'm definitely not the cheapest option around but I believe you get what you pay for. If you were sick, you wouldn't choose the cheapest doctor around. Likewise, if you want to get better at playing music, you should't choose the cheapest option.
Do you have proof that your teaching methods and strategies are effective?
Most teachers cannot do this because they don't even HAVE a teaching strategy! They may know some things about music, but they have never really studied how to TEACH an instrument.
I have taught many satisfied students over the years. You can check out the testimonial videos on the site to hear my students share about their learning experience with me. Also, unlike other teachers, I constantly work on improving my teaching skills. I am a member of the Elite Guitar Teacher's Inner Circle program, an international coaching program for guitar teachers, run by the worlds most successful online guitar instructor, Tom Hess. It has been of immeasurable value in making me a highly effective and motivated teacher. And I'm constantly learning and implementing new methods and strategies to help students get better results and more value from their lessons.
Why should you sign up for music lessons right now?
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You will feel more inspired and motivated, and you will improve faster!
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Taking lessons will make you more confident as a musician and as a person.
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You can share your new skills with other friends and musicians.
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You can start playing at jams and open mics with confidence.
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You will learn to overcome stage fright in a gentle, supportive manner.
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You will get to make friends with people who share your passion.
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You will finally be able to play the music and songs that you want to play.
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Because you can enjoy playing music for the rest of your life! It never gets old!
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Because MUSIC IS FUN!!
Don't wait any longer! Click on the button to book your FREE lesson and start becoming the musician you have always wanted to be!
"If you're looking for a chill teacher who is both knowledgeable and passionate about guitar, music, and teaching, but isn't a strict task master, Rado's your guy."
Luisa M -