99 Decisions
99 Decisions

99 Decisions

$30
starting price


Interested musical styles

Responds in about 3 hours

Introduction: I Teach Because I Love It: I get excited about seeing a student reach their goals. I’ve been working with music students of all skill levels for so long now that I am able to quickly determine what their next best actions should be… the actions that will enable them to grow & evolve as a guitar player. I have a keen sense of ascertaining a student’s current playing level, so that I can quickly get them into working on the musicianship skills that will transform their playing. My sessions are always transformative as they are designed to be very effective, very quickly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No Matter What Level of Player You Are Right Now: As a beginner, you can approach the learning process in a way that keeps it fun & exciting while building the techniques & vocabulary that you use every day. The cool thing about the guitar is that all of the chords & strumming patterns that you learn from day one are the same chords & strumming patterns you’ll use as an intermediate or advanced player. You don’t have to start with super basic “baby” steps & then learn what the “real” players use later down the road. You get to immediately start with the real deal. Have you been on the musical path for a while?… Maybe you’re self taught… Maybe you’ve not been able to find the right coach for you & your goals. Then it means you are now ready for some guidance in learning how to effectively focus on developing your fundamental musical skills (like chord & scale vocabulary, music theory, technique, fretboard navigation, improvisation, etc.), which will take your playing to the next level... and this, in turn, is what builds confidence & generates creativity & helps you stay motivated. Ultimately, it's all about you, the student... so let's keep it fun & interesting as you learn the skills you need to play the music you love. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Goal Clarity: No matter what your personal goals for playing are, there is always a way to get there. Goal clarity is essential to getting the most out of your efforts. Once you have a clear idea of the kind of player you want to be, it is merely a matter of reverse-engineering. Together, we create a plan & a process to realize the version of yourself that you aspire to. And that’s what I love to do… co-create a personalized curriculum with you that will accomplish precisely that result. You create your vision, and I guide you on how to get there. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Success Mindset: I think everybody understands the concept that the more time you put into the playing & practicing, the faster you will progress. So it’s mostly a matter of clarifying the specific things that you need to work on. However, maintaining an effective mindset during your continued practice is also what makes all the difference in the world. Our sessions will include how to create & maintain a highly effective mindset that allows creativity to grow & evolve. It turns out, for most people, their belief system is the first thing they need to take a look at… specifically, what do you believe you are capable of accomplishing? My experience has shown me that starting with figuring out a person’s personal beliefs about their potentialities is always crucial to making the forthcoming learning take hold. And this is what propels them into taking the steps that result in a profound change with their playing. So many students don’t realize that they are carrying around multiple beliefs & ideas about themselves & the guitar & the process… beliefs & ideas that are holding them back from realizing their vision for themselves as an artist, who is a musician, who is a guitarist. I feel the teacher & the student should work together to create an effective positive mindset that focuses on developing the musicianship skills necessary to play the music you love. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Getting Started: You can take one session to check it out & see if this is a good fit for you, and then take it from there. There is no obligation… you can take as many, or as few lessons, as you would like. You can schedule lessons at any frequency… once a week, once every two weeks, once a month, twice a week, or here & there. I think of myself as a personal trainer: whether you have practiced every day or not at all, our sessions are designed to meet you wherever you’re at. This takes the pressure off and keeps the sessions fun. It all depends on your agenda for the development of your playing ability. It’s important to have realistic expectations for your progress, so we’ll explore all options for your lessons & practice sessions. That way, you’ll choose an informed productive approach that fits your lifestyle. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curriculum: • Learn the skills you need to play the music you love • Be empowered through one-on-one sessions • Increase your potential as a musician & guitarist with a personalized curriculum • All levels of instruction… from complete beginner to complete professional • Practice effectively with a holistic accelerated goal-oriented approach: - increase your motivation - utilize proven time management skills - sharpen your focus & concentration - build confidence - develop an effective mindset • Learn how to absorb more material at a deeper level in a shorter amount of time • Invest your time & energy in an approach to learning which ensures measurable & definable improvement • You can explore any & all styles of music: Rock, Pop, Jazz, Blues, Country, Metal, Hip Hop, Folk, Reggae, Classical, & more • Ages: 16 years old & up ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overview

Hired 62 times

Serves Brea, CA

Background checked

1 employee

44 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Apple Pay, Cash, Check, Credit card, Google Pay, PayPal, Samsung Pay, Square cash app, Stripe, Venmo, and Zelle.

Social media

Facebook, Twitter

Featured Projects

11 photos

Specialties
Interested musical styles

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Guitar type

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Reviews

Excellent 4.9

31 reviews

5
97%
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Customers say...

This pro offers personalized guitar lessons, adapting content to individual learners, and maintains high industry knowledge and long teaching experience. Students appreciate their availability, patience, and ability to cater lessons to specific interests, making learning enjoyable and effective. The 99 Decisions program serves as a solid foundation, with the pro providing further exploration into various areas of guitar and music.

AI-generated summary of customer reviews

pro avatar
Benjamin S.
May 20, 2023
I've been working with Matthew consistently since just before the start of the Pandemic and it has been a delight every step of the way, even when I moved out of town shortly after I started lessons. I was surprised at how well Skype lessons with Matthew actually work! The course itself is thoughtfully planned and Matthew adapts its content and the sessions to the individual learner, allowing for tangents and deep dives into areas of interest, such as theory, composition, gear, and other important areas of learning the guitar. Matthew also goes out of his way to provide for his students, offering Skype lessons at any time of day, and is always open to talk shop and share music. Truly a one-of-a-kind teaching experience and I highly recommend this teacher.
pro avatar
Michael B.
May 17, 2023
Matthew is a very high level guitarist and teacher, but can meet you wherever you are at. His deep industry knowledge and long teaching experience really benefit the lessons. I am particularly interested in learning theory, and he has been an invaluable resource in this regard. The 99 Decisions program is a great gap-filler for a swiss-cheese player like me. You use that as a foundation, and then Matthew can help you explore literally any area of guitar or music that interests you. I also found his availability to be a big asset.
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Monty A.
Aug 9, 2022
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

I had one lesson so far and one intro about my guitar story and journey via Skype. The man is a pro. Matthew has quite a bit of experience in the real world as a musician and has excellent teach ability skills. His video lessons complement what he teaches. He really wants to learn students interests and caters his course accordingly keeping in mind the fundamentals. Looking forward to my next lesson!

Details: 45 - 64 years old • No formal training; some self-taught experience • Yes, can read guitar tabs • What the teacher recommends • Rock • Blues • Folk • Yes, the student has an instrument • 45 minutes • Remotely (phone or internet)

Guitar Lessons
pro avatar
Sheila F.
Feb 7, 2022
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Matt is exceptional. Each video in his series is focused and concise, providing the building blocks I need as a beginner to develop proper alignment and technique. His online session of 75 minutes is the right length for recapping lessons, demonstrating what I know or do not understand, and then provides encouraging and precise feedback. Matt articulates clearly and directly how to adjust or modify how I play and demonstrates the technique. He has brought his mastery and insights to all aspects of his guitar program. His teaching style is just what I need: steady, lucid, and inspired. I've learned more from him in an hour of elearning and a 75-minute session than I did in the first 6 months with another teacher.

Details: 65 years or older • 0 - 2 yrs of formal training • Yes, can read guitar tabs • Acoustic • Blues • Country • Folk • Jazz • Yes, the student has an instrument • 45 minutes • Remotely (phone or internet) • At the pro’s location

Guitar Lessons
pro avatar
Steve Z.
Jun 11, 2020
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

“Matthew has been an excellent teacher & mentor. Matthew digs deep from the very first phone call to find out experience levels, commitment desires, instrument & equipment being used, and many other details needed to cater the lessons to fit each person individually. The live lessons take shape from the users most recent achievements they have accomplished. The lessons are accompanied by a terrific online course, 99 Decisions, which is an excellent “go at your own pace” and “practice what you deem fit” style of teaching. Matthew will suggest what videos to practice as the user moves along the journey. I personally have learned a tremendous amount about Music, Tune, Melody, along with playing the guitar, as I was a novice just a few months ago. Who knew there was so much critical importance to just tuning a guitar and why that would be so important to my development as a Guitarist! But Matthew took the time to help me fully understand it before we moved on. Not many people have the ear, mind and especially passion for music and guitar as Matthew does!”

Details: 26 - 44 years old • No formal training • No, cannot read music • Acoustic • Rock • Country • What the teacher recommends • Yes, the student has an instrument • 30 minutes • At the pro’s location • My home, venue, etc. • Remotely (phone or internet)

Guitar Lessons
Credentials
Background Check

Matthew Von Doran