Very quick to respond & the recipient of guitar lessons is impressed with Michael's level of expertise.

Michael understands the importance of a strong foundation on which to build skills. He will make sure you have strong technique and a firm understanding of how music actually works. The very first thing he helped me with was a basic adjustment to how I hold the guitar, which allowed me to more easily play many things I had struggled with for years. I had been studying the CAGED system for a while, but Michael immediately filled in the gaps that I now understand many CAGED lessons leave out. With this knowledge I now have a lot more choices on how to voice solos and play rhythm parts. We also spent a lot of time on theory. I believe there are two types of guitarists, those who play what they know in a comfortable bubble, and those who seek to expand their range. You can't expand your range of skills if you don't understand theory. Michael know this is important and rightly stresses the importance of knowing "why."

It was through a Google search that I found this site, thumbtack, and used its service to find a guitar instructor. I consider myself fortunate having met and being able to take lessons with Michael. He takes the time to learn a prospective student's background to tailor a customized curriculum for the new student. I've been piddling around with guitars for over 20 years and he's helping me mend my haphazard style into a more solid, well rounded, and longer term playing form. My interest is parallel development understanding the theoretical under-pinning of music alongside with the fundamental techniques of guitar playing. Michael is skilled in technique, knowledgeable in theory, broad in approach, and enthusiastic about teaching. He's well organized and professional. All the positive qualities one would want from an instructor.

I took Guitar lessons from Michael for a period of 2 months. Michael is a truly exceptional Guitar instructor and he helped me make a lot of progress. Before I started taking lessons from Michael, I had joined a group Guitar class and I knew the basic chords and I could play some easy songs. In my 1st lesson with Michael, he noticed that my picking hand movement was inefficient and he advised me the correct technique. He gave me several other technique improvement suggestions, which made me sound better and get less tired. In every lesson, he was very patient & professional with me as I learned to build muscle memory. We always started the lesson on time and we never missed a lesson. Michael is an extremely talented Guitar player himself and he plays really good Guitar. Whenever I heard him play, I got super motivated to go back home & practice to try and sound at least 10% like him. I made a lot of progress taking 1-1 lessons from Michael, more than I would have made joining some group class. I learnt how to confidently play the chords for 'Hotel California', 'Simple Man' and other songs. I really enjoyed my Guitar lessons with Michael and I am grateful to Michael for helping me re-discover my lover for my Guitar.

I started taking lessons from Michael in September of last year. I was a strong beginner, but had no idea how little I actually knew about the guitar and bass. I could play the pentatonic scale (like most beginners), and survived on it. My fingers worked in one pattern and nothing else. At this point I am almost at one year of lessons, and am easily three times the musician I was. Had I practiced more, I don't know where I could be. The fretboard is no longer a complete stranger, housing one comfortable scale in one position, I can now see note names at times and move up and down the fretboard smoothly, and modes are getting simpler on both bass and guitar. There is no doubt in my mind that these lessons are the step I needed to begin becoming a professional, educated musician. Michael is a dedicated teacher, rough when he needs to be (otherwise, how would we ever get stuff done), but able to answer pretty much every question you can think to throw at him. He's helped me not only to become a stronger musician, he's helped me see straight into the next phase of my life. Go take some lessons and see for yourself.