I offer private guitar lessons at my home studio in Overland Park, KS, and online via Zoom. Click the links below to see my current rates and lesson policy.
Lesson Rates 2026
Lesson Policy 2026
My philosophy
A good teacher will not let you skip the important things! I believe students should learn to read standard music notation (including counting and reading rhythms) and at least some basic music theory. Other instrumentalists learn these essential skills without a second thought, but many aspiring guitarists decide they don’t need to learn them. It’s a shame because these skills are relatively easy to learn. I also believe that learning an instrument is best done with the help of a teacher. Video tutorials can be great, but they can’t give students meaningful feedback.
More lesson info
Though I’ve studied classical guitar, I’ve spent many years playing blues, rock, and a little jazz, and I continue to teach those styles as well.
I enjoy teaching basics such as chord strumming and note reading, as well as theory, songwriting, improvisation, composition, interpretation, and arranging.
I teach beginners to advanced students of all ages.
I rarely schedule lessons back-to-back because I prefer not to use the music store model. I don’t want either myself or the student to feel rushed. I often go a little over the allotted lesson time if I think the student needs more time to understand a concept, so I schedule some free time between lessons to do this and take a quick break. This lets me deliver the highest-quality lessons possible.
Please email me at [email protected]. I’m happy to answer all of your questions.
My Lesson Studio (picture coming soon)
More reviews of my teaching
“I’m 52 and have been taking lessons from James a little over a year. First of all, James is a great guy and a solid family man. I would not hesitate to recommend him to parents with children who aspire to learn the guitar. James technical skills and knowledge are outstanding. He’s trained as a classical guitarist but can teach and play any type of music from Led Zeppelin to jazz. Being an adult with a demanding profession, I don’t always have time to practice as much as I’d like to but he understands that and is patient with me, but at the same time, he’s good at pushing me out of my comfort zone. My own daughter is a working musician/ singer/songwriter with a degree in commercial music, and I’ve even encouraged her to take lessons from James, to improve her guitar skills. I really can’t say enough good things about him. I highly recommend James.”
— Tim J.
“I’ve been taking guitar lessons from James for about two years and I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the amount and quality of the things I have learned. I think it is pertinent to mention that I am a 70-year old retiree, and I really look forward to my lesson as a highlight to my week. James has a VERY broad background in teaching all kinds of guitar disciplines, and I know there is no technique or type of guitar music that he couldn’t teach me in a relaxed, comfortable way. I’m having a blast.”
— Bill M.