Lessons – Mark T Hanson

Mark Hanson is no longer offering private guitar lessons.

Lynnwood School of Rock has a good program:

https://www.schoolofrock.com/locations/lynnwood

Another good school for those on the East side is Roberts Music Institute:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What method and material do you recommend for teaching?

This depends entirely on the student’s interests and abilities. There is a wealth of educational material available – I wish half of it was available when I was just starting! Two books that I often recommend are:

• Beginning Acoustic Guitar by Greg Horne, Alfred Publishing

• Beginning Rock Guitar by Paul Howard, Alfred Publishing

I recommend the version with the CD. These can usually be found at overstock.com or amazon.com. These books are part of the National Guitar Workshop series. They have many other excellent books available at http://www.guitarworkshop.com/books/.

One thing to look for is material that uses standard musical notation, not just tablature. I try to give a student a combination of fun material that they can use right away along with fundamental skills and theory that they can build on for the future.

Should I (or my child) start on acoustic guitar or electric guitar?

The answer is: it depends. There are many good reasons for starting on acoustic guitar – it is more portable since it doesn’t need an amplifier, and tends to be better suited as a solo instrument and for vocal accompaniment. However, studies show that the biggest predictor of success is desire, and if a student really wants to learn electric guitar, that is where they should start. Chances are, if they stick with it, they will eventually want an acoustic guitar too! And an amp. And some pedals. And a tuner and guitar stand and cords. And another guitar, and maybe a bass. And some more pedals, and another amp. And another guitar. All with cases, of course.