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I am a patient, friendly teacher who will listen to what you want to learn, and base our efforts around your needs. Learning favorite songs? New chords and scales? Solidifying your rhythm? Practicing improvisational skills? Learning to use a looping pedal? Acoustic or electric, the sky's the limit!

 

No stress or hard times! This is supposed to be fun!

 

I have been a self employed independent musician for 15+ years and have recorded 5 CDs of original material. I specialize in Rock, Folk, Blues, Bluegrass, and Country styles. 

My teaching style is intuitive and leans toward developing listening skills, proper technique and the ability to play by ear. As a beginner, the best way to start learning is to pick a song that seems within reach and learn the chords to that song. That way, you are on your way to doing something fun right off the bat. I have had a lot of success with this approach.

I came from a musical family as the youngest of nine siblings. I learned by watching and listening to them, and by diving in head first, not sure if I knew what I was doing. I encourage you to take the same risk! I like to get people improvising before they even know the names of the strings on the guitar. Music can be made with very limited knowledge!

I took some formal lessons in high school but quickly formed a band, which became my main musical outlet. I believe playing with other people, especially early on, is very important. I have been in many bands over the years, as well as playing my own gigs as a solo artist.

There is nothing more satisfying than imparting the knowledge I have gained to someone who really wants to learn.

I hope we can work together!

Please contact me: garrin@garrin.com

Here's what some of my students have said about lessons with me:

"Garrin has passion with the guitar and it show's in his teaching. I played music as a kid and have been a lifelong lover of music. So when I became interested in learning, Garrin came highly recommended. Since I started learning I can't put the guitar down, and my fingers prove it! I Look forward to my sessions with him, he's incredible. Thank you Garrin!"

-- Dustin Lee McCormick, New York, NY

 

"I recently started some lessons with Garrin and can confirm he is super patient and helpful.

For someone so naturally gifted he can still can keep it simple in explaining concepts and ways to improve. Thanks Garrin!"

 

-- Matt Goldberg, San Francisco, CA

 

"If you're considering lessons, I highly recommend him. If only to hear him play and sing I love his lessons. He is a gentle and skillful teacher, happy to follow my whims to which he provides challenging structure. He knows every single song I've ever heard in my life, and he has great intuition about learning style. Actually, he's just an awesome guitar teacher."

 

-- Annie Paulsen, Brooklyn, NY

 

"Your name comes up whenever people ask who are the looping masters, and I am happy to point potential students to you. I hope it is clear to anyone who listens to your work that it is your extraordinary musical sense and playing skill that provide the context for the use of the electronics!"

 

-- Alan Monasch, San Francisco, CA

 

"I wanted to thank you again for the guitar lesson the other day.  I really appreciate you stopping by and I've been working on the riffs and bends you showed me.  My biggest take away is to always end a solo on the tonic or root note"

 

-- Gregor Stewart, Fairfax, CA

 

"If you can teach as well as you play, whatever you charge will be a bargain"

 

-- Steve Raucher, Oakland, CA