PETER LYON

— TEACHING APPROACH —

My students don't just learn how to read music -- they begin making music from their very first session. My lessons (based on the traditional American 'Songster' method) are relaxed and conversational, where students are free to explore and make mistakes with active, immediate feedback. The fundamentals of melody, rhythm, and improvisation are prioritized above all, with a strong emphasis on ear-training. This approach empowers students to become musically fluent, play with others, and -- most of all -- have fun!

— INSTRUMENTS —

• Guitar: Entry-level and up; students may choose to focus on contemporary pop-guitar techniques, bluegrass 'flatpicking', or even traditional Southern 'fingerpicking' methods (two or three-finger 'Piedmont Blues' style).
• Piano (Jazz or Pop): Entry-level and up; students are taught a diverse mix of theory, instrumentation, and improvisation. Beginners will focus on the basics of piano, while intermediate students may choose to specialize in Blues, Jazz, or Ragtime.
• Bass Guitar: Foundations in solo and ensemble-accompanied playing; strong foundation on fundamentals of rhythm, timing, and fretboard improvisation.
• Banjo: Students will learn a diverse range of techniques, from frailing ('clawhammer' or 'melodic' style) to two-finger ('up-leading') or three-finger ('down-leading', i.e. bluegrass banjo). Advanced students will learn traditional Southern Appalachian techniques of instrumentation ('back-leading' or 'upstroke' melodic style).
• Violin / Fiddle: My partner, Lexy, offers excellent in-house and online fiddle lessons in both classical violin (Suzuki-method) as well as folk and bluegrass fiddle. Please contact me personally for more details.

— RATES —

— AFFORDABILITY —

Everyone deserves music lessons. Please do not hesitate contact me personally if you require genuine financial assistance. I would love to work something out so we can make music together!