Private Lessons
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Introduction
There are many key foundational areas to be covered in the development of musical skill. Regardless of the instrument you play or the style of music, these key areas form a solid strategy for real progress! Beginners should focus on the most necessary foundational skills that deal with technique for basic chords, beat keeping skills and rhythm. More experienced players will be ready to branch out into the other areas to take their playing to the next level. How far you want to delve into each of these areas depends on how far you want to take your music and it is my hope that you never stop learning!
◘ Timing. Mastering holding a steady beat.
◘ Rhythm skills. Learning to count and play rhythm in tempo.
◘ Fingerboard Geography. Learning the notes on your instrument.
◘ Musical Theory. Learning the letter spellings of scales and chords.
◘ Ear Training for Relative Pitch. Identify chords and scales by sound.
◘ Technique Development for accuracy, speed, musical feel and flow.
◘ Song Playing and related theory on chord progressions
Dave teaching Nick Nurse Head Coach of the Toronto Raptors 2019
Acoustic Guitar
Students will be working on lots of songs to rehearse the rhythm patterns, chord shapes and to implement the various playing techniques that you are learning. This way the emphasis is on practicing musical ideas that are super fun! Memorization is a big part of musicianship skill and is imperative for learning a repertoire that you can play without having to rely on charts when you're trying to perform your songs. At this point you may be feeling confident and enthusiastic about joining some of my other students in a group and before you know it you'll be performing on the big stage! For real! Be sure to check out the Group sessions page and Band Program!
Often over-looked fundamentals such as proper positioning of the guitar, left and right hand positions, variable thumb positions on the back of the neck, holding a pick etc are demonstrated in detail. This will certainly speed up your progress in getting the most musical sound out of your playing and will help you to maneuver between difficult chord fingerings. Basic chord shapes are taught with an emphasis on proper strumming technique and rhythm skills. I cannot stress enough the importance of practicing rhythm and learning how to count. Being able to keep a beat while playing rhythm are the most essential skills for every musician.
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Adult and Young Beginners
Mayoori Malankov Studio 211
Acoustic Guitar
The Next Level
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The student will begin to expand their chord vocabulary and theoretical knowledge with bar chord formations, chord inversions and more complex and interesting types of chords. Supplementary exercises on scales and arpeggios will help you to continue to build technique, advance your knowledge on the fingerboard and push your creative boundaries. We will move on to more advanced playing techniques that will improve your musical feel, dynamics and phrasing. This would include learning hammer-ons, pull-offs, sliding into notes, string bending, vibrato, palm muting etc. Students are encouraged to study many styles of music in which to discover different rhythmic concepts and unique time signatures for a more well rounded musical education.
Beyond The Basics
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If you prefer not to use a pick, finger-style strumming and various finger picking techniques will be taught instead. Simple melodies and scale exercises in the first few frets will help develop your technique for chord transitions, improve your knowledge of the notes on the neck and will improve your musical ear. These are skills you will need to begin improvising your musical ideas. The student will also learn the theory behind how to use a capo to change the key of a song to suit their voice and to avoid chords that may be too difficult at the beginner level. This is know as transposition and is a very important skill that really opens up possibilities for song arrangements.
Bowen Wang Studio 211
Private Lessons
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Introduction - Electric Guitar
I'm often asked if a rank beginner should start on an acoustic or on an electric. My answer is acoustic - especially for youngsters. Beginners on an electric guitar work on the same foundational areas listed below as beginner acoustic guitar players. However the playing style to accommodate the sound level and tone are different. The main differences are the techniques used to strum on an amplified instrument vs an acoustic one. I just wanted to point out before jumping in that it's easier to make an electric guitar sound worse - especially for younger kids:) Whether you're a more experienced player looking to up your skill level or a total beginner keen to get rockin' on that electric guitar read on!
◘ Timing. Mastering holding a steady beat.
◘ Rhythm skills. Learning to count and play rhythm in tempo.
◘ Fingerboard Geography. Learning the notes on your instrument.
◘ Musical Theory. Learning the letter spellings of scales and chords.
◘ Ear Training for Relative Pitch. Identify chords and scales by sound.
◘ Technique Development for accuracy, speed, musical feel and flow.
◘ Song Playing and related theory on chord progressions
Ben Mouland Studio 211
Electric Guitar
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In theory, the fundamentals for beginners on electric guitar are the same as they are for beginner acoustic guitar players. Students learn the basic chord shapes in the first three frets while playing them with simple rhythm and timing skills. This will include suitable strumming patterns for a number of songs as well as single note picking patterns of chords using fingers or a pick or both. Teens and adult beginners would start to learn some scale forms from here and would begin to learn various techniques such as accurate string bending, hammer-ons pull-offs, vibrato and volume dynamics. Tenn and adult students will also learn how to "dial-in" fantastic tone for their guitar as they learn the ins and outs of various amp and pedal settings and eq for clean and over-driven tones.
Adult and Young Beginners
Improvisational skills for soloing over blues, rock and pop progressions using the Pentatonic and Blues Scales are covered in detail in various keys. Students will be introduced to Major scale theory and chord construction which will naturally lead to the study of arpeggios, chord inversions and soloing over chord shapes in each position.
The Next Level
Dante Lopez Gomez Studio 211
Electric Guitar
More advanced players will be learning the theory behind complex chord types, chord progression theory, chord substitutions, theory on modes and other useful scales. Advanced concepts in ear training applied to songs, melodic development techniques and advanced fingerboard geography will dramatically advance your musical ability.
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Intermediate to Advanced
Depending on the musical direction you want to take, you can learn to play many different styles of music or just focus on one - it's up to you. Learn to play Jazz, or various styles of Blues, slide guitar, Rock, Pop, Country or Folk.
I provide an opportunity for all of my students to play in a live show every spring and encourage them to get involved in some group sessions that can lead to a fabulous band performance! Live performance is where you really start to develop as a musician and many of my students remark that this is the most valuable musical training anyone could have and I wholeheartedly agree! It's also an enormous amount of fun so sign up and lets do it!
Ian MacKay Studio 211
Private Lessons
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Introduction - Bass Guitar
The main foundational areas of study for instrumentalists are outlined below. These are the main areas for any instrumentalist just starting out. Beginners of course need to focus on the most basic essentials - timing and rhythm, coupled with basic exercises in technique and then branch out into other areas from there. There are several sub-headings in each of these key areas which will be explored in a highly structured way depending on an individuals current ability, musical aptitude and age group.
◘ Timing. Mastering holding a steady beat.
◘ Rhythm skills. Learning to count and play rhythm in tempo.
◘ Fingerboard Geography. Learning the notes on your instrument.
◘ Musical Theory. Learning the letter spellings of scales and chords.
◘ Ear Training for Relative Pitch. Identify chords and scales by sound.
◘ Technique Development for accuracy, speed, musical feel and flow.
◘ Song Playing and related theory on chord progressions
John Powell New Studio 211
MORE FUNKINESS!
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Students will begin to work with super quality drum tracks right away so that they can establish the relationship between the drum kit and the interlocking rhythms of the bass. Through this process students will learn how to "lock" in with a drummer by identifying the precise rhythm patterns on the kick drum and various other parts of the kit. This is a super fun approach and students will have drum grooves to practice over on their own!
Beginner students will be introduced to several techniques that will help them learn the “geography” of the fingerboard. This way they will learn note locations as soon as possible. Some basic theory on the musical alphabet will be necessary to help students learn the spellings of intervals, chord structures and scales. Songs with simple bass lines will be learned with a keen focus on rhythm and timing skills and will progress from the first position to playing bass lines in the upper regions on the neck.
Beginner Studies
Debra Kriger Studio 211
Bass Guitar
To continue to build awe inspiring technique and musical dynamics, students are encouraged to practice some hand-picked classical etudes written for cello and/or double bass. These are an excellent way to learn the relationship of chords and scales in a highly musical context. This will really boost your reading skill greatly enhance your knowledge of the fingerboard!
Musical practice is done in the context of beat and rhythm. Reading rhythm is an essential skill and you will learn to master even complex rhythms reading standard notation. Intermediate students will learn theoretical concepts of bass lines based on Pentatonic scales and basic chords in the form of arpeggios and usable often played chord shapes for bass. Major and Minor scales, key signatures, triads and four-part chords are learned next within the context of some typical Blues and popular music forms.
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Intermediate Studies
Andrew Northey Studio 211
Bass Guitar
Students will learn advanced theoretical concepts in harmony and melodic development. Such topics as the harmonization and re-harmonization of scales, chord progressions, chordal functions, substitutions and 'borrowed harmony', the theory and implementation of modes, as well as complex chord formations are covered. Melodic concepts for improving improvisational skills will deal with the topics such as chord scale relationships, melodic figure types and advanced ear training.
Much of your musical ability on your instrument is gained through learning the connection between your voice, ear, hands and your instrument. Vocal coaching is available for bass students who want to take their vocals to the next level!
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Advanced Studies
Michael Schmidt Studio 211
Group Sessions
Each week I hold a number of group sessions for 2-5 people for acoustic, electric, bass guitar, piano/keyboards and vocalists. Groups are mainly made up with existing students but are open to the public after a brief assessment for placement. Groups are open to all ages and availability of space will vary. These small group sessions are ideal to prepare either for the intensive band performance program or just to have a great deal of fun playing with other people. Having smaller groups means more individual coaching which will help each person get to the next level.
An opportunity to perform with others in your group can be made possible for willing participants. There is an extra fee for this which depends on the local venue available for the performance and all other requirements for that particular group. This will generally include a sound tech and optionally a drummer or other hired side musicians such as keyboards, horn players or strings! If you are interested in performance please check out the Band Program page and also the Video Gallery to see some cuts from our live shows!
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ACOUSTIC GUITAR LESSONS
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Casual Group Sessions
Adrian Bannister
Sara Alger
Nicholaus Martino
SINGER/GUITARIST
GUITAR STUDENT
"I've had an enormous amount of fun gelling with other musicians and performing in front of an audience! These programs have increased my talent and confidence an incredible amount. You've been one of the best teachers anyone could hope for!"
"Dave's band program is a wonderful concept for a growing musician. Getting the opportunity to put my skills to the test really made me confident in my abilities. By the end of the program I was doing things that I never would have thought possible!"
"The band was a great experience the first time and even better the second time! It is great for learning to perform and playing your instrument even better. I am doing it again and I recommend it to everyone to try"
GUITAR STUDENT
Richard Lee
Kevin Hernandez
Mike Fisher
GUITAR STUDENT
GUITAR STUDENT
"I can honestly say that I've enjoyed all my lessons with Dave. Apart from the expert guitar tuition, he's patient and supportive. His band programs are evidence of how hard he works for his students and his commitment to making learning the guitar a fun experience with the right degree of challenge."
"The band program has been a marvelous experience! The program has helped me reinforce what I've learned from Dave's classes while having the fun of playing along with people who share similar interests as me. And although I tend to be a shy person, rehearsing along with the people I can relate with has helped me to gain the courage to perform in front of a live audience! The entire experience helps motivate you to want to improve more!"
"Playing my first gig in Dave�s band program was an eye opening experience, I had no appreciation for the amount of musical skill and organization it takes to pull together a group of guys from all skill levels and walks of life and produce a polished set of songs at the end. Not only did he pull it off, he made the process fun and I am sincerely grateful for my chance to perform in front of a crowd."
BASS STUDENT
Daniel Arron
Daniel O'conner
Rob Herman
KEYBOARDIST
BASS STUDENT
"Playing solo and taking lessons is one thing, but being able to play with other musicians is something completely different, with the band organization/program I learned to not only play my own instrument better, but how to play with others as well"
"Dave is a great coach who helps to pull the best out of a rag-tag bunch of musicians. When we played our gig we really felt like we were the real deal."
"The knowledge that we gained during the rehearsals was invaluable and playing live was a fantastic experience. My friends couldn't believe how good we sounded!"
BASS STUDENT
John Hicks
Jossip Glavan
Andrejs Cifferson
GUITAR STUDENT
GUITAR STUDENT
"After playing for many years on my own or in the company of close friends, the band program demanded far more of my capabilities. Dave's band program teaches a number of skills that are not in our normal repertoire. Commitment, rehearsals, staging, and performing in a group with articulated roles become much more important than ever before. When it works it is a thrilling experience that captures 3 months of work into an exciting 40 minute performance.... and yes it did sound better than I ever expected."
"When i went into the band program i had the basic skills in playing guitar. The band program was a super-charger when i came to teaching me about my guitar and how an actual band works. By the end of it i was able to solo and know how to make it sound good. Also, my fear of soloing in front of a crowd went away, now I'm actually excited to do the solo. I really appreciate that Dave is doing this band program and I am looking forward to doing it again"
"I have been taking lessons from Dave for a couple of years now, and have learned a lot. He then offered the idea of playing in a band, and I thought what a great idea. At first thought it would be hard and time consuming, but actually it was very easy! In the end, it was amazing to see what such little time could achieve though the band program. Looking forward to doing it again"
GUITAR STUDENT
Saul Feinstien
Jean Filippinni
Michael Lifshitz
BASS STUDENT
GUITAR STUDENT
"Being in the band program was a great experience. It was nice having band practice and meeting other enthusiastic musicians. The venue that the show was in was rockin!!! Sour Cream owned the show."
"It was another great experience. Playing a live performance rocks. Thanks again to Dave for the great coaching!"
"Dave was great at teaching us how to bring out our own talent to help the band sound great as a whole. And it all culminated in really living the rock and roll dream; Dave set up a great venue for our show so we could all feel like rock stars for a night."
BASS STUDENT