No, not necessarily. Beginning guitar students usually lean towards acoustic only because it is smaller investment (no amplifier, chords, to buy, etc.) It has nothing to do with how easy or hard one is versus the other. If a student is unsure whether or not playing the guitar is something they truly want to do, then it might be wise to start with an inexpensive acoustic guitar before investing more money into all the accessories of an electric. But if the student is truly interested and wants an electric, then get an electric!

Depends on what song you are playing. Guitar and bass are two similar but different instruments, and one instrument is not necessarily easier than the other.

One thing to take note of is that typically in a given song, the bass is more of a background instrument, while the guitar is more of a foreground instrument. Usually, foreground instruments have more complex arrangments than background instruments. Therefore, the bass part of a given song will usually be less complex than the guitar part of the same song. However, the reverse could happen. Some songs or styles of music may bring the bass into the foreground with more intricate arrangments while the guitar just strums a few simple chords in the background.

Therefore, it is not the instrument itself that is easier or harder to play than the other.

I don't focus on any style(s) of music. What makes different styles of music (i.e rock, country, jazz, classical, funk, reggae, heavy metal, etc.) is just the same music theory being applied differently. I will teach my students the music theory that makes all these different styles of music, then it is up to the student which style of music they want to apply it towards.

No. Sheet music reading, and music theory are two different/unrelated subjects, like Math & History. You don't have to know one to learn the other. I can teach both music theory and sheet music-reading, depending on what the student desires to learn.

For all questions about rates, times, instructors, etc. visit our "Music Lessons" page.

There is no "magic age" in which a child is ready or is not ready to start guitar lessons. However, the child does need to be old enough to know how to read. Otherwise, they would not be able to read their assignment(s) for practicing at home.

A certain level of maturity is necessary before a child is ready to begin lessons. The child must have the courage to attempt to figure answers out on their own by applying the material covered in the lesson. The child must realize that they do not always have to be "told" something in order to learn it. If the child is ever confused or is not understanding the matierial, they must not be too shy or scared to ask questions. The child must realize that they are NOT expected to understand or retain all the material after the very first time the instructor covers it, and therefore realize that they are NOT going to be punished or penalized for asking questions, not understanding, or answering incorrectly when the instructor asks a question.

Additionally, if a child is going to learn to play an instrument such as guitar, they must be mature enough to have their own musical interests and influences to motivate them as well as realizing the point of learning play an instrument.

Contact us on our toll-free number or though the "Contact Us" page here on our website and we will tell you how to get in touch with the instructor.

No. Once you have scheduled a weekly time slot, that is your time slot every week. You will only need to contact the instructor if you are need to miss or reschedule your weekly lesson.

According to my student policy, if a student must miss a lesson, it is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor (not the store) at least one day prior to the scheduled day of the lesson or else the student must pay for the missed lesson.

No. The lessons plans are not organized in that fashion. The lesson plans are organized for private one-on-one lessons. Secondly, the lesson studio does not have enough room or equipment for a second student.

Yes. The student must furnish their own instrument to be used during the lesson. Several have asked if they could possibly take a few lessons before purchasing their first instrument to see whether or not they are going to enjoy it, and now The Music Store has a monthly rental/purchase program for those not wanting to buy right away. This enables the student to have their own instrument for home practice for a small monthly fee that can be returned at any time if music lessons don’t work out for you. Without practice, the student will never be prepared for their next lesson. It is imperative that the student be able to practice on their own time from one lesson to the next if any success is to be achieved.

No. Like most video games, Guitar Hero is for entertainment purposes only. It won't make you a better guitar player in real life any more than playing Tiger Woods PGA Tour will improve your golf swing.

Specifically, Guitar Hero (having no strings) does not promote or implement proper fretting, strumming, picking, or dynamic techniques (i.e. muting, bending, harmonics, etc.), it does not invoke the usage of actual guitar chords, scales, or arpeggios, it does not require or teach any knowledge of music theory whatsever, it does not require nor help with ear training, nor does it acknowledge the fact that a real guitar offers more than just one correct way to play the same chord or riff. Additionally, when you play a real guitar, you don't have easy, normal, or hard settings on the same song, or have real-time note-by-note instructions scrolling vertically through the air while you play.

The only benefit you will get from Guitar Hero is the development of hand-eye coordination, but of course you can get than from virtually any video game. It comes to no suprise that most actual guitar players are poor at Guitar Hero and vice versa.