Introduction: Art Hoffer provides professional guitar and bass instruction in your home or at his location in Red Bank, NJ.
With 30 solid years of playing and 20 years of teaching experience, Art has taught hundreds of students of all ages, ranging from very young children to older adults in all styles of music but primarily Rock, Blues, Pop, Country, Metal and Punk.
The course of study begins with a brief overview of the concept of notes in music, how to tune the guitar or bass, and the names of the strings. You will quickly move on to basic rhythm, how to read chord diagrams, tabulature, and notation. From there you will be given exercises to practice which will help you develop your skills while learning basic fundamentals, technique, and theory. Students will learn how to play their favorite songs and how to improvise in a live situation. Advanced theory and technique will be stressed when the student is ready.
The focus is on the student accomplishing their personal goals. Everyone is different, and lessons are custom tailored to each student's needs and goals. Not everyone wants to be a music prodigy or even play in a band. Some do it just for fun and enjoyment, strictly as a hobby. Others are more serious and want to perform solo or with a group, either playing covers or writing their own original material, or both. Some will eventually go on to pursue music degrees, teach, or play music professionally.
Everyone's inherent skills and aptitude are different. Art will take this into consideration when planning your lessons and help you accomplish your goals, whatever they may be, while working at a comfortable pace and continually improving your skills.
Guitar and bass are different instruments. Although many guitar instructors also teach bass, many play bass like a guitar, have poor playing technique, and/or do not truly understand the "function" or purpose of bass. Art will teach you the correct playing techniques, how to apply music theory and fundamentals on your instrument, and the technique/theory as they pertain to your favorite songs or even in writing your own material.
Although his college degree is not in music, Art has extensively and continuously studied music over the past 30 years through a variety of sources including private instruction, various high school and college courses, countless instructional books, CDs and videos, and constant practice and collaboration with other skilled musicians.
Most importantly, Art is an active working musician with lots of experience, as he is currently the lead guitarist and backing vocalist in two different bands. His cover band, The Jonzes, has been playing the NJ/NY/PA circuit since 2005. He has played guitar or bass in several other bands, and has recorded dozens of guitar and bass studio tracks to help other musicians complete their projects.
Art has performed hundreds of times at various venues including nightclubs, bars, theaters, parties, weddings, public and private events, etc, big stages and small. He has played on stage with and/or opened for legendary artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Everclear, Charlie Daniels, Cheap Trick, The Smithereens, Kings of Leon, The Roots, George Clinton, Eddie Money, 38 Special, Dramarama, Nils Lofgren, John Eddie, and many more.
Art will gladly provide a sample CD of his guitar or bass playing. He is also available for studio session work. You can hear audio clips of his playing on the websites for The Jonzes and Pawnshop Majestic.
