METAL FOR LIFE Guitar Lessons With METAL MIKE
Ok, first the most important question. How are your lessons different from others?
My guitar lessons always found a good audience mainly because I make the lessons about the needs of the student and I teach them in a simple layman terms. I gladly teach my students what they want to learn while I seemingly mix in the concepts I think they should know as well. The lessons are laid-back and informal, but don't let that fool you; I'm always thinking of where we could go next.
Unlike many other instructors I don't "wing" my lessons. I come up with a plan of attack for us and we chisel away at it.
Not every one is thrown into a one size fits all system that molds everyone into the same exact guitarist. Sure, there are many proven principles and techniques that simply will work for most, but everyone will apply them in their own way. I'm there to see you succeed at them. The lessons are not about me sitting there playing or practicing my guitar trying to impress you as practiced by many others. I turn that around making sure that you get good info that you can work on after the lesson is done. I'm a heavy metal guitarist and my students are metal players. This makes a perfect combination meaning we have the #1 interest at heart.
Although I got formal education at Berklee, my real life experiences are in the trenches of touring the world, recording, travelling, developing and marketing my own products, performing with metal legends and teaching. I know there are many good rock guitar teachers out there, but I don't think you'll find a better equipped metal guitar instructor than me to help you get better at playing metal.
With all the serious talk above, the experience is weaved into a laid-back, cool lesson. No judgements. We go for it and have a killer time discussing metal. I have students with me for 8+ years and on their 3rd album, so that is a great endorsement of what I strive to provide. Many teachers don't really want to teach beginners, but I don't mind it at all. I love to see someone develop from a shy beginner into a metal monster.
I also make it available to you to communicate with me after the lesson in case you have any questions about what we covered.
What topics will we cover?
Our lessons present a very large range of ideas for us to cover. Most students that already have a basic understanding of it, take up lessons because there is something in their playing that they really want to improve on and I’m great on designing a plan on getting great progress going.
After our first lesson I am usually very clear about the areas that I can recommend you can improve on.
Here's the deal. Truth is - I’m completely dedicated to making these lessons work for you to make you a better guitarist and a musician. We’ll cover subjects such as equipment, how to get a great guitar tone, how to mic a guitar amp and also look into stage performance techniques.
I also show principles of basic metal guitar theory that students often find confusing to learn on their own. Instead of going through a texbook and bore you, I use my own hand outs that explain things rather clearly and to the point.
I'll show you which scales go with what chords, so you can play and write cohesive parts on the guitar that sound like they belong together.
I also enjoy working with students on helping them understand how to go about writing solid metal riffs and how to arrange them into a song.
I also work through many right hand picking obstacles with my students as very often they come to me while struggling to get this resolved.
Through teaching 100’s of lessons in person and by now, believe it or not, 100s of thousands of students via my guitar columns, I see many re-occurring problem areas that many guitarists face. Some of these include a proper way to hold a pick in order to obtain fluid playing speed, getting great pinch harmonics on all strings, getting a solid rhythm sound that is tight, precise and not bassy or muddy. Many of my students ask about their gear as it seems that there is much confusion on how to use all the latest toys that are available to everyone and sometimes the questions exists if we even need all that stuff. Many students know some scales, but do not know the modes that were popularized by Randy Rhoads and others. Some students are trying to figure out how to compose harmonies, while others look to amp-up their riffs with heavy chords that are not straight up power chords.
What ties all these things is my experience, because I have been through these issues myself and have found a way to resolve them. What makes my lessons awesome is that I can help you quickly and inspire you to make good progress.
How Are The Lessons Conducted?
Each lesson is a 1 on 1 private instruction (face to face) via a webcam using a free program called Skype.
How Long Are The Lessons?
You have 2 lesson length options. These are 30 minutes and 60 minutes.
What do the lessons cost?
A 30 minute lesson is $50. A 60 minute lesson is $100.
What equipment do I need for the lesson?
I do lessons via a program called SKYPE that you can easily download HERE for free. It is easy for us to sync up on Skype via our respective usernames and then we can use Skype to see hear and see each other. You will need a fast/strong internet connection and a capability to interact with me via audio and video. Obviously you’ll need your guitar and be plugged into an amp so I can hear you play. I’m also going to be using an amp, so you can hear me play clearly. Most of my students use either a computer or an ipad that has a Skype app downloaded. All computers and ipads have a microphone and a camera built-in these days, so set-up is very fast and easy.
Can I somehow get the material or tabs from a lesson we just did?
Definitely. You get tab examples of what we went over during the lesson via e-mail. I do this at no extra cost to you.
Are the lessons only for guitarists?
No. Although most of my students are and will be guitarists, no matter which instrument you play, you can purchase one of the time slots to simply consult with me as it comes to your music direction, career, stage performance, etc.
My previous consultations ranged from parents asking about their kids going away to college to study music to musicians asking me about what steps make sense in order for them to join a professional band. Some asked for recommendations on a great playing metal guitar for their kids, while some musicians want to know how to write a great blog entry. So, although I will not teach a drummer, per se, he/she can grab a time slot to discuss countless subjects that relate to being a metal musician. Each one varies and I'm open to anyone serious.
Can I record the lessons?
Yes. However, the lesson must only remain with you, meaning you can never post it on the internet, make DVDs for others, etc.
Are the lessons in English Only?
I understand that I have players all over the world that follow my metal missions, but you must speak English in order to take a lesson.
What level of playing do you accept?
I accept guitarists across all range of experience. I like teaching beginners and there are many experienced guitarists who seek me out for specific info as well. 75% of all my students are in the advanced beginner to advanced intermediate level, but I’m open to all.
Where do I buy the lessons?
You are able to purchase the lessons through "Buy A Web-Cam Lesson" link in our navigation bar. Everytime you want a lesson, you purchase the lesson length you want and then you quickly get put into my schedule.
How do I pay you?
We accept Pay Pal which can additionally process credit cards as well. I recommend getting a Pay Pal account which is very easy to do. The second option is to send us a check. Contact us if that is the option you prefer. There is a $25 fee for bounced checks. All lessons must be pre-paid in advance. If you are late for your lesson – we do not make up the lost time. If you need to cancel a lesson, you must give us a 24 hour notice via e-mail unless it is an honest emergency. We’ll quickly reschedule your lesson. If you are late or cancel lessons as a habit, you will be dropped as a student.
How many lessons do I have to sign-up for?
We can schedule your lessons to be every week or bi-weekly. I prefer weekly students and they get first priority in scheduling. I prefer the same time, but I can sometimes be flexible. I do not hold anyone to any more lessons than they want to take. So, if you want to get one lesson to ask some specific questions or you want to pre-pay for 8 lessons, it is up to you. I believe in my instruction and concepts and my hunch is that you’ll have such a great time doing this that you’ll want to keep taking lessons. I have had guitar students that took weekly lessons for over 8 years.
Contact:
To contact us with any further questions, simply use the Contact Us form.
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