LESSONS
Guitar Lessons with a modern approach
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My Teaching Philosophy
Playing the guitar requires a seemingly endless amount of skills acquired through hours of continuous practicing. It may seem like a daunting task, but my method of teaching will compress all these skills into a handful of bite-sized topics: rhythm guitar, lead guitar, and guitar solos.
Playing Guitar
Rhythm Guitar
Develop a Strong Sense of Timing – As your guitar teacher, I’ll help you develop strong timing by. playing along to the metronome, drum tracks, and to recordings.
Master Chord Changes and Strumming Dynamics - I'll teach you how to switch chords smoothly and use dynamic strumming to add texture and expression to your sound.
Understand Groove and Syncopation – I'll explain how to understand groove and syncopation, emphasizing key strums and rhythmic variations like upstrokes, muted strums, and accents to make your playing more dynamic and natural.
Lead Guitar
Master Scales and Fretboard Navigation –
I’ll teach you essential scales and how they connect across the fretboard, giving you the tools to improvise and create fluid solos.
Develop Phrasing and Expression – You’ll learn techniques like bending, vibrato, and dynamics to add emotion and personality to your solos, making them more musical and expressive.
Improve Speed and Accuracy – Through focused exercises, I’ll help you build finger coordination, picking technique, and hand synchronization for clean, precise, and fast lead playing.
Guitar Solos
Connect Solos to the Song – I’ll teach you how to craft solos that complement the chord progression and melody, making your playing feel intentional rather than random.
Use Space and Dynamics – Great solos aren’t just about speed; I’ll show you how to use pauses, volume changes, and note sustain to create tension and emotion.
Build Confidence and Creativity – Through improvisation exercises and soloing over different backing tracks, you’ll develop the skills to play with confidence and express your unique musical voice.
Fundamentals
A solid understanding of music fundamentals is crucial for cultivating versatility, creativity, and confidence in any playing style. I’ll show you each of these fundamentals in depth.
Scales, Arpeggios, and Chords
Scales – Learning scales builds finger strength, improves fretboard navigation, and provides the foundation for creating melodies and solos. By practicing scales, you’ll also improve your improvisation skills and gain a deeper understanding of how notes work together in different keys.
Arpeggios – Mastering arpeggios helps you outline chord progressions in solos and improvisation, making your lead playing sound more melodic and intentional. They also improve your ability to outline chord progressions, helping you craft smoother, more melodic phrases.
Chords – Understanding chords and their variations allows you to create harmony, structure songs, and develop a strong rhythmic foundation in your playing. Knowing how to transition between chords smoothly will help you execute the riffs of your favorite songs.
Rhythm and Timing
Rhythm – Strong rhythm is the backbone of great guitar playing, ensuring that your strumming or picking stays consistent and locks in with the groove of the music. We will be using the metronome and drum tracks a lot to help you achieve this goal.
Timing – Good timing allows you to play in sync with other musicians, making your playing sound polished and professional, whether you’re strumming chords or playing a solo. I’ll teach you the different time signatures and how to effectively count them out when practicing.
Ear-Training and Tabs
Ear Training – Ear training helps you recognize melodies, chords, and intervals by sound, enabling you to play by ear and improvise more effectively. I’ll show you methods and techniques for you to figure out any song you listen to!
Tabs – Guitar tabs provide a visual representation of the fretboard, making it easier to learn and play songs. It also is another way to learn songs in more depth as well and notate any riff ideas you might have too.
Mastering essential music techniques, like picking, tunings, and articulation, allows you to play with precision, expression, and control, bringing your musical ideas to life. I will guide you through essential techniques using targeted exercises and real songs to help you.
Techniques
Picking Patterns
Alternate Picking – Mastering alternate picking helps improve your picking hand coordination, allowing you to maintain control and precision while reducing hand fatigue.
Down Picking - Down picking provides power and attack, especially for rhythm playing.
Up Picking - Up picking is essential for achieving even phrasing and accenting up beats.
Economy Picking –Economy picking improves speed and efficiency by minimizing unnecessary movement, allowing you to play faster with less effort.
Articulations
Articulations - There are simply too many articulations to name off one-by-one but to name a few you’ll be learning from me are: legato, palm muting, vibrato, hammer-ons, pull-offs, tremolo, slides, staccato, and many more.
Why Do They Matter? - Articulations allow you to add expression and emotion to your playing, making your guitar lines more dynamic and musical. While they do take time and practice to master, I’ll you some tips and tricks to make the process easier and faster.
Alternate Tunings and Extended Range Guitars
Alternate Tunings – Alternate tunings open up new sonic possibilities, making it easier to play certain chords, get you out of your regular playing patterns, and explore different musical styles.
Extended Range Guitars – Extended range guitars, such as 7- or 8-string guitars, which I use a lot in my own playing, provide a broader tonal palette, allowing you to experiment with lower frequencies and expand your musical creativity.
Why Do They Matter? – If metal is a genre you want to learn, alternate tunings and extended range guitars will help you achieve deeper, heavier sounds and play more aggressive riffs with ease. These tools also expand creative possibilities, allowing you to explore complex chord shapes, and improve technical skills like finger strength and coordination.
BENEFITS
Benefits from Guitar Lessons
01. A Better Guitarist
I will provide guidance that help you build technique, musical knowledge, and confidence faster than learning on your own.
02. Accountability
I will encourage you to stay the right track and motivate you to grow as a guitar player to prevent plateauing or stagnation in your playing.
03. Personalized Feedback
I will help you improve efficiently with tailored guidance that will focus on your strengths and weaknesses.
04. Learn Your Favorite Songs
I will teach you your favorite songs to help you develop real-world playing skills while keeping you motivated and engaged in the learning process.
How it works
Signing Up for Lessons
O1
Fill Out the Form
Please include your name, contact information, your level of playing, and the lesson format of your preference.
O2
Book a Lesson Time
Pick a day and time that works for your schedule, and I offer both 30min and 60min lessons to fit your playing goals.
O3
Start the Lesson
I offer both online and in-person instruction. I also can do a hybrid lesson schedule for a mix of both online and in-person too.
Testimonials
What My Students Say
Here’s what some of my students past and present have to say about their experience taking lessons from me.
01
If I could give a rating for Drew higher than a 5 star I would. My 13 year old grandson met Drew two years ago. Drew was teaching music at the Webb School, until this past May. Drew introduced the guitar, among other instruments to him. Camden fell in love with the guitar. Drew helped Camden find the genre of music he enjoys the most. Drew introduced Camden to several different genres. Drews knowledge of music and instruments are very extensive. We trust Drew’s judgement so much we sought his advice on the selection of a guitar for Camden. One that would last several years. Camden began lesson’s January of 2022, and is still taking lessons. Drew is very patient, caring and is a wonderful instructor to work with. We feel Camden has excelled in playing guitar under Drew’s guidance. I would highly recommend Drew as a music tutor.
Kimberly K.
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02
Drew is an amazing guitar teacher as well as mixer and producer. Not only did I have immaculate experiences with guitar lessons but also with the production of my personal EP. Drew is very kind and easy to work with as well as able to explain harder concepts in a way for anyone to understand. If you’re looking for a musical genius to help you in musical feats i’d without a doubt recommend Drew Creal.
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03
I have been taking weekly private lessons with Drew for about 2 years now and I have greatly enjoyed them. I feel like my playing has been improved exponentially in this time. Drew makes sure to cover a wide variety of topics and exercises to make for a more complete guitar player. I’ve also appreciated our conversations and his insight on related topics such as gear, recording, etc. He always encourages communication in between lessons which are helpful to make the daily practices in between lessons more useful.
NATE A.
SHANE T.
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04
Drew is the man! I've had the honor of playing in a band with Drew, and I can tell you from first-hand experience his knowledge and skill on the guitar is second to none. As a teacher, he is incredibly thorough and will work extensively with you to reach whatever goals you have with your playing. I have been taking lessons with Drew for a few years now and he has introduced me to entirely different ways of thinking about the guitar than I have ever considered before. I would highly recommend Drew to anyone looking to improve their skills on the guitar in any style of music!
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SEAN C.
05
I realized that in order to improve, I had to have some accountability. Thankfully, Drew has kept me accountable to practicing and applying new ideas, not just playing what I’m comfortable with. If you are looking for someone to help you, I’d highly recommend him.
JOHNSON W.
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GET IN CONTACT
Ready to get started or have a question that needs clarification? Please, click the button below, fill out the form, and I will get in touch with you as soon as possible!