GUITAR LESSONS

My favorite guitarists include Jeff Beck, Django Reinhardt, Jimmy Herring, Trey Anastasio, Steve Howe, Frank Zappa, John Scofield, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana, Derek Trucks, Eddie Van Halen, and Allan Holdsworth, just to name a few.

PIANO LESSONS

Piano offers several advantages as an instrument: it's very visual, with immediately apparent patterns, and there is less of a physical impediment to playing basic stuff. Pressing down three keys -- every other key -- is very easy compared to say a guitar chord, and you can move the same shapes around, if you are in the key of C. So it's possible to start playing music immediately. I favor identifying a few chord shapes first, and looking at chords in basic keys, first -- so you can play songs without learning to read a note! Lastly, piano has a very wide range, so you can be your own bass player.

Of course, there is no limit to the possibilities on piano. The disadvantage of piano is that all 12 keys look different on piano, unlike a guitar where the pattern is just moved up a fret. So there is homework involved! But I can help you demystify the keys and chord groups.

I have exercises borrowed from classical masters designed to build strength and dexterity. I have lots of blues-based licks and sophisticated honky-tonk 6th interval patterns, and walking bass parts, to show you. And when you get into rich harmonic elaborations -- fat jazz chords -- combined with the Great American song book, there are endless fun challenges to explore.

MANDOLIN LESSONS

I love the tuning and condensed scale length of the mandolin: scale patterns -- especially pentatonic -- are compact, and the consistent 5th intervals between strings allow patterns to emerge. Also, there are plenty of two-finger chords! And 6th intervals are condensed too, making harmonizing melodies into double-stops easy. In some ways it's easier (and louder!) to play leads on than guitar.