Geary Allen Music Teacher

I offer bluegrass guitar and banjo lessons to beginner through to advanced level students. With over 5 years of teaching experience, and over ten years of experience playing music professionally, I have developed the skills to help you achieve your musical goals. I treat every student with the level of care and respect they deserve, and am dedicated to helping you advance on your instrument as much as possible. Reach out for an introductory lesson! I grew up in England in a musical family. My Dad gave me the only guitar lessons I’ve ever had, and showed me how to learn music by ear, rather than notation. By age thirteen I was flat picking fiddle tunes and bluegrass standards in the style of doc Watson, and backing up my Dad who played the fiddle. We formed ‘The Allen Family Band’ when I was about 13 years old, and played professionally all over Europe and the UK for roughly a decade. About a year and a half ago, I relocated to Johnson City, TN, when I was hired by a bluegrass band over here to sing and play guitar. Since then I have filled in with many US bluegrass bands, played at some of the biggest festivals in the industry, and jammed with some of the best pickers in the business. I’ve learned so much about music in recent years, and I’m so glad that I get to pass all of that knowledge onto my students! In my lessons you’ll not only learn how to better approach bluegrass guitar playing, but understanding music more as a philosophy! I can also give my students lessons in songwriting and song arranging. Country and bluegrass music is a certain type of feeling created by the combination of certain melodies, chord structures and lyrical subjects. Having one of my own songs recently reach the top ten in the Bluegrass Unlimited charts, means that I understand the formulas that make bluegrass and country songs great, and I love imparting this knowledge onto my students! I am based in Johnson City TN, so if you are nearby I can give lessons in person. If not then remote lessons via Zoom or FaceTime work really well too! Rates - $70/hr