about LESSONS:
I've been helping guitarists of all ages and experience levels reach their goals for over nearly 2 decades. I've been playing guitar for 30 years, and received my BM in Jazz Studies from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 2005. For glowing testimonials by students, parents, and colleagues, check out my LinkedIn, Facebook, Google and Yelp pages. For more about me, see my bio. All lessons are paid in advance (preferably with cash, personal check, Venmo, PayPal, or Chase/Zelle QuickPay), and I offer 5 and 10 lesson packages at discounted rates. Send me a message here, including your full name, level of experience and - if not a beginner - a list of your goals, and a link to your playing, if possible, and I’ll respond ASAP with more info.
If I sign up for lessons, what should I expect? What's your approach?
Beginners: You may not be sure what to expect from guitar lessons, and find yourself worried, intimidated, and hesitant to make the commitment. You want a teacher who is not only knowledgeable and effective, but also friendly and willing to work hard to make your first lesson experience completely enjoyable. I'm extremely patient and will adapt to your pace and style of learning. I have years of experience teaching the basics and working with absolute beginners of all ages. At first, we'll focus on the fundamentals, like tuning, playing chords cleanly, strumming, single notes in open position, using a capo, and finger-picking. If you work hard in between lessons, you'll be playing some of your favorite songs within a few weeks/months, and more importantly, you'll have a strong grasp of the most important guitar techniques and a solid foundation to build on.
Intermediate and advanced students: If you study with me, you'll learn anything you need to know about technique, music theory, effective practicing, composition and songwriting, ear training, and more. I can also help you understand music theory (note that my concentration in college was a mix of jazz theory and classical composition), and provide you with a deeper understanding of the songs you listen to and play, so that you can start writing your own songs and solos. I can spot whatever is holding you back and give you the necessary tools to expand and improve in all areas of musicianship. Once we identify your goals, I'll implement a plan to help you attain them as soon as possible. If you stick to that plan and work hard, you'll soon reach new heights in your playing and will start to realize your true potential!
Here are just some of the things I can help you with:
Building a personalized repertoire of your favorite songs and solos
Expanding your scale and chord vocabulary, learning about scale/chord compatibility
Learning about effective practicing and develop your speed and accuracy
Learning new techniques like right-hand tapping, hybrid picking, economy picking, and sweep picking
Memorizing and understand the modes of the major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scales
Training your ear to recognize intervals and scales, and identifying chord tones and progressions
Improvising with professional quality backing tracks
Studying the art of songwriting and composition
Writing your own music, and demoing your ideas in my studio
TESTIMONIAL EXCERPTS:
These are references from students, parents and colleagues who have had a positive experience with my teaching:
"I had electric guitar lessons from Brian via Skype and he is one of the most talented and sincere teachers I've ever had. He is able to teach a variety of music and tailor the lessons according to his students' needs. He prepares the lessons, follows up and always answers my questions on time. I highly recommend him to anyone who wants to learn guitar, bass and music theory!" - Yvonne S. (NYC)
"Brian has a deep knowledge of guitar and music theory and was more than helpful when I had questions. I would recommend him to anyone I know who is interested in learning music." - Lionel C. (Forest Hills, NY) (Side note: Lionel wrote this review after taking a break from lessons, came back about a year later and has been with me for about 5 years since…)
"Brian is a brilliant guitar player, has an enormous amount of music knowledge, and does an amazing job of sharing that knowledge, skill and enthusiasm for playing guitar, and music in general with his students. My daughter and I always look forward to our lessons with Brian and could recommend Brian to anyone looking to learn and get excited about playing music." - Stefanos E. (Queens, NYC)
"Brian’s knowledge and abilities to work with beginners and to get them motivated to continue learning is great. He will guide you step by step to make sure that you are playing the instrument correctly as well as finger position and formation for various chords. Lessons with him are always interesting and fun. No boring stuff here! I take lessons with my son weekly for over a year and it is always fun and interesting. Our need to want to learn more and improving on the guitar grows constantly." - Chet R. (Queens, NY)
"Unlike a lot of others who have great musical talent, Brian is able to relate to the rest of us mere mortals and break down complex concepts in terms we understand. Whether you want to delve deeply into theory, develop superior technique or just jam to your favorite riffs, Brian will be a great help to you. Not only will you be a better guitar player... You will have fun doing it!!" - Jeff G. (Queens, NY)
"Brian is a gifted and talented musician and teacher. He is thoughtful and expressive with his ideas and illustrates an impressive level of knowledge about guitar and music theory. He clearly puts a lot of time and effort into his teaching as well as his music, and he is also a great guy." - Seth C. (Queens, NY)
"Brian is a very talented musician and a superb teacher. He loves his craft and passes it on to his students. Brian is very organized and always prepared for the lessons. He keeps his students focused and provides realistic feedback. My son has been taking lessons from Brian for the past year and I see an amazing progress in his skills and music theory knowledge. I would highly recommend Brian." - Marianna G. (Forest Hills, NY)
"My frustration built up from not making progress on my guitar journey led me to Brian. His passion and enthusiasm have allowed me to overcome the frustration to the level where I record my songs and post them on Soundcloud! Thanks, Brian!" - Hideki H. (NYC)
“Brian Larkin is a fellow Instructor at Music and Arts in Exton, PA. In the time that I have worked with him, he has proven to be an effective communicator and knowledgeable about Guitar Performance and Guitar Pedagogy. I would not hesitate to recommend him for any guitar teaching or performance situation.” - Paul C. (Exton, PA)
“I saw Brian weekly for guitar lessons for about a half a year. He taught me some very advanced concepts and ideas, and, at my choosing, we did a detailed study of music theory. Obviously a teacher with a varied and detailed understanding of his instrument and music such as Brian would be able to teach experienced musicians as well as beginners.” - Christopher W. (PA)
“I have taken guitar lessons with Brian Larkin at several different times in my career and each experience has been of great value to me. As a teacher he is patient, creative, and always willing to adapt his methods to your needs. I have always been impressed by his professionalism, attention to detail, and intrinsic passion for music. I have had several instructors over 13 years of playing guitar and Brian's instruction stands out as the most beneficial to the development of my musicianship.” - Jared C. (PA)
"What I can tell you about Brian with complete confidence is that he cares deeply about the instrument and what he does with it, whether it's composition or teaching... both of which he excels at to ridiculous degrees. Brian helped my refine my technique and my approach in a VERY short period of time. He taught me a lot about thinking outside the traditional boxes, so to speak, and how to develop a more "outside" approach, for a lack of better words, which really helped me develop a more unique touch and approach to doing what I was already well-adept with. Brian will guide through what you want to learn and more. In fact, if you don't walk away from your very first lesson with Brian feeling enlightened and curious about the possibilites of your own musical abilities, well then you're not doing something right and may be there for the wrong reasons. :) This guy can and WILL teach you anything you want to learn and explain it in a way that anybody can understand, which is the mark of a truly great teacher. " - Matt J. (Medford, NJ)