Mike's Guitar Studio

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Introduction

Location: Manassas, Virginia (40 miles west of Washington, D.C.). I only teach online lessons. Studio Intro. Video: Please take a look, below. Experience: Over 60 years playing and teaching the guitar. Member of numerous bands (blues, folk, rock, jazz). Singer/songwriter. Recording engineer. Students: 26 and over: beginner through advanced. Music genres: Folk, country, rock, blues, jazz. Specialties: Various rhythm and lead guitar styles. Travis finger picking. Music theory. Songwriting. Cost: A 30 minute lesson costs $35.00 (flat fee of $140.00 monthly). A 45 minute lesson costs $45.00 (flat fee of $180.00 monthly). So for those months with 5 lessons, the 5th lesson is free. Over the years I have developed a teaching method which cuts through all the jargon and confusion and simplifies learning. I've arranged 175 songs (and counting) to include country, blues, rock, and jazz songs into easy to understand song sheets which include chord diagrams and melody/lead guitar tablature all of which are available to my students on my website. Additionally, on the website I have many jam tracks to practice rhythm and lead. To make lead guitar instruction easier I've created a series of lead guitar videos which clearly show the logical steps to go from being a beginning lead guitar student to a seasoned jazz lead guitar player. These videos combined with my instruction make learning lead guitar fun and exciting! Within 24 hours of each lesson, you'll receive comprehensive lesson notes covering what we went over and what to practice to be prepared for the next lesson. There's no need to waste valuable lesson time writing notes--they'll be provided to you. With all aspects of the guitar, I try to make learning fun and productive. My most enjoyable teaching moments come when a student tells me he/she wishes the lesson was longer and he/she can't wait to practice. "You’re always learning about this thing, every time you pick it up” ~ Keith Richards

Overview

Hired 26 times

Background checked

1 employee

17 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Credit card and Stripe.

Top Pro status

Top Pros are among the highest-rated, most popular professionals on Thumbtack.

2021

2020

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Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, professionalism, and value.

Exceptional 5.0

32 reviews

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Jane L.

Nov 28, 2021

Hired on Thumbtack

I decided to give guitar lessons another try after being self taught and feeling very limited in what I’d been able to teach myself, which is, admittedly… not a whole lot. I have to say, Mike is an absolute joy to work with and a wonderful teacher. I’m only on my 3rd lesson, but I can see clear improvement with my playing and I feel like I’ve learned so much already (and its not overwhelming, its just fun). My lessons with him have quickly become the highlight of my week and I find myself truly looking forward to my next lessons. I’ve tried a few teachers in the past but they never really seemed to understand I wanted to learn my instrument- not just a few songs to have in my back pocket. Of course learning songs is the ultimate goal, but I truly appreciate that Mike takes the time to use songs in order to teach the instrument itself and goes beyond just learning how to play some chords around the campfire that sound good. He also took the time to learn what I wanted to get out of my lessons and took into account the styles of music I wanted to play. He’s unbelievably patient, kind, clear, organized and supportive (which is huge for me because building up confidence with my playing is a major goal of mine). I just can’t say enough about how awesome he is and I feel like the sky is the limit with my playing now that I have found someone who is so knowledgeable and obviously loves being a teacher. Trust me, he rocks.

Details: 26 - 44 years old • No formal training; some self-taught experience • Yes, can read guitar tabs • Electric • Rock • Blues • Country • Folk • Yes, the student has an instrument • 30 minutes • Remotely (phone or internet)

Guitar Lessons

Sharookh D.

Jun 26, 2021

Hired on Thumbtack

Mike has been helping me get back to playing guitar since a little over a month and is been great! His lessons cater to your knowledge level while also giving the right path to improving. Would highly recommend for a player at any level looking to up their playing skills.

Details: 26 - 44 years old • No formal training; some self-taught experience • Yes, can read guitar tabs • Electric • Rock • Blues • Yes, the student has an instrument • 45 minutes • My home, venue, etc. • Remotely (phone or internet)

Guitar Lessons

Joel S.

Mar 11, 2021

Hired on Thumbtack

I've been taking acoustic guitar lessons with Mike for the past few months. I am self-taught and played a lot in my teens and twenties, but less so in the past decade or so. I decided to pick it up again as my kids have gotten a bit older, and I've found myself looking for something to occupy my time and mind during Covid. Mike has been playing and teaching for a long time. He has a firm grasp of both the technique and underlying theory, and he enjoys imparting his wisdom to his pupils. Mike has a no-nonsense attitude towards guitar and believes you get out of it what you'll put into it. After the first 2-3 lessons, he provided me with a detailed lesson plan that starts with learning of some half-dozen songs, roughly one per week, each of which are great to be able to play but also teach important techniques (base runs, double-stops, finger-picking, etc.) that can be incorporated into ones repertoire over time. He's been demystified some concepts that I thought were far more complicated then they actually are, including connecting different pentatonic patterns and transitioning from playing scales to cool-sounding licks within scale patterns. He recognizes that concepts need to build upon one another, but that you can also advance pretty quickly if you're willing to put in the effort. Things that require effort, like playing with a metronome or practicing alternate picking, ultimately become second-nature and make you a better player. As he likes to say, practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes permanent. You decide what you want to be your playing style (sloppy or clean) based on how you build it into muscle memory. Everything builds upon itself.

Details: 26 - 44 years old • No formal training; some self-taught experience • Yes, can read guitar tabs • Acoustic • What the teacher recommends • Yes, the student has an instrument • 45 minutes • Remotely (phone or internet)

Guitar Lessons

Matt C.

Aug 25, 2020

Hired on Thumbtack

I'm a 40-something beginner with no musical background. I've always wanted to play guitar. After several months of messing around with youtube videos and canned online lessons, I started working with Mike about 8 weeks ago. I'm really glad I did. He is a great instructor. He is patient and takes an interest in tailoring the learning plan to my interests and goals, he is responsive and sends notes after lessons, and he is very encouraging! As other reviewers have said, he emphasizes timing and practicing with a metronome, and he provides clear direction on how to spend practice time. For me, a busy professional with a family, this has been key. I see improvement in just a short time and am looking forward to continuing to work with Mike.

Details: 26 - 44 years old • No formal training; some self-taught experience • No, cannot read music • Acoustic • Rock • Yes, the student has an instrument • 30 minutes • Remotely (phone or internet) • At the pro’s location

Guitar Lessons

Scott S.

Apr 25, 2020

Hired on Thumbtack

Mike is an awesome guitar teacher! He will spend the time so one learns and understands their lesson. He teaches the fundamentals of the guitar on day one and does not rush through anything. He will stress that keeping beat with a metronome is very important and is a big part of learning the notes. I only had Mike a short time due to my busy work schedule in construction; however, I plan on having him teach me again in the Fall.

Details: 45 - 64 years old • 0 - 2 yrs of formal training • Yes, can read guitar tabs • Electric • Country • Yes, the student has an instrument • 30 minutes • Remotely (phone or internet)

Guitar Lessons

Credentials

Background Check

Michael Rogers

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
A 30 minute lesson costs $35.00. A 45 minute lesson costs $45.00. I teach on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 6 (last lesson starts at 6 p.m.) and Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m. I accept PayPal and Credit Cards
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
During our first lesson we'll discuss your goals, music interests, etc. I'll use this information to set up a working plan to help you meet your goals and discuss it with you. You'll receive several drills to work on your first week.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I started teaching guitar when I was 16. I've been in rock, blues, jazz, folk, and church praise bands over the years. During the Christmas season I perform at various retirement centers in the Manassas area. In an effort to introduce music to the next generation, I've taught, at no charge, the guitar to students in the Manassas Boys and Girls Club as well as Youth For Tomorrow in Bristow. I've taken music courses in high school and college as well as an extensive course in music theory and jazz guitar.

Mike's Guitar Studio

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