I have had a deep passions for music my whole life. I have been playing guitar for 19 years and piano for 12 years. I enjoy playing many different styles including Rock, Jazz, Blues, pop, Metal, Rap/ Hip-Hop, and some Folk. I have a Bachelor of Music degree from San Diego State University specializing in Jazz Performance. I've won the certificate in outstanding musicianship from the East Bay Jazz Music Festival twice, for guitar when I was 19 and then for piano when I was 25. I have played in a variety of groups, mostly playing Rock and Jazz. I also sing and write my own music as well.
My lessons are designed from an approach of total understanding. To learn an instrument is to learn music. My approach is about more than just learning songs. I lead my students through a logical progression of steps with the goal of helping them reach an understanding of the language of music through the study and application of music theory.
The major areas of study focused on in my lessons include,
-Technical approach to the instrument and development of technique and of abilities as a piano or guitar player, instrumental proficiency.
- Reading music and interpreting different styles of written music from fully notated compositions to lead sheets or chord sheets
-Learning a variety of songs in different musical styles, eventually with more emphasis in areas of music students gravitate to and find joy in
- Music theory and the study of harmonic, melodic and rhythmic principals and forms
- Ear training and aural skills. including differentiating chords and identifying whole chord progressions from ear, keys and scales, dictating melody (hearing a melody and being able to play back or write down the notes immediately). Then improvising your own ideas or solos
- Composition and songwriting. Studying and analyzing the forms and structures of various musical styles
- Interpretation and the ability to create your own arrangements of songs
-Improvisation and the art of spontaneous creation, from objective perspectives beginning with scale applications and key recognition, to subjective perspectives and the feeling and emotion that a musician can convey through their playing
Music theory is the journey of understanding music. That journey leads to many things but one of the most rewarding of all is to finding the artist within. So whether or not you start with a goal of being creative yourself, or just wanting to know how to play the music you love, you will have the tools to do it.
These skills allow my students to go beyond just playing fully pre-arranged sheet music but to also be able to build their own unique arrangements of songs based off chords and a melody or simple lead sheet.
Being able to learn a song “by ear” is a process that is similar to playing the music “in your head”, it takes developed aural skills but also a working understanding of music theory. I aim to guide students through a path of learning that leads to instrumental proficiency and musical growth.
So eventually students can create and play their own ideas and music as easily as speaking.
Music is something I have devoted my life to, but it does not necessarily need to be the main focus in your life for you to find joy and meaning that can last a lifetime. If you are thinking of starting lessons for the first time, or continuing and broadening your study or are looking for a teacher for a son or daughter, please feel free to get in contact with me and we can take it from there!
I cater to all all skill levels and ages 8 and up (for guitar 10 or 11 is the youngest due to the physical nature of the instrument). I offer lessons at my home, remote lessons through zoom and I also travel to students in the Livermore/ Pleasanton/Dublin area. I'm located in Livermore.
Some of my piano recordings are available on SoundCloud. My profile is my name,
Shaun Myatt
Videos of me playing can be found on my youtube channel, profile name is shaunmyatt91 adding more soon.
