I have been an active music teacher for 20+ years, teaching privately in San Francisco/Oakland, as well as doing online lessons with people all over the world! My main focus as a teacher is to demystify the music making process so that anyone, no matter what their skill level/past experience, can connect to the songs they love and take part in the joy of music making.
I am proficient in a wide variety of genres.
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TESTIMONIALS
Brenna, Guitar
I have been working with AJ in person and now Skype classes for years! I just wanted to know music and move fluently around a guitar. I have a very busy schedule and with all the moving parts I am unable to practice as much as I would like to. AJ keeps advancing my skills little by little. I am constantly surprised by how much I know and how well I play even though I don’t practice.... some kind of subliminal learning going on. AJ can play anything, hear anything! I have learned how to write my own songs to playing full Pink Floyd albums to Radiohead to Angel Olsen songs. His talent is endless! AJ is a superb teacher with a heart of gold.
Austin, Guitar
I was introduced to AJ after seeing him absolutely rip as a lead guitar player on stage at the Boom Boom Room (SF). After reaching out to him about private lessons, I was pleased to find that his teaching skills were just as top notch as his performance skills. I've been playing the guitar for 10 years, and AJ was my first real instructor. He hasn't missed a beat yet. His lessons are fluid; he easily assessed my skill set from the get-go and was able to provide pointed exercises and discussion pieces which continue to further my knowledge regarding both technical skill and compositional awareness. If you're looking to take your skills to the next level in a comprehensive way with someone who really understands the guitar, AJ is your best bet.
Arwen and Huck, uke and guitar
AJ is hands down the best music teacher we’ve ever had. My son is learning electric guitar and I’m learning ukulele—AJ switches seamlessly between my clumsy fingers and a 10-year-old who soaks up guitar like a sponge. AJ has an encyclopedic knowledge of music and can play pretty much anything, but just as importantly, he somehow instinctively knows what song you need to hear or work on that day. He’s great at balancing real skill building with a few wild stretch goals, and a deep love of music of all kinds runs through his teaching. He’s building knowledge and passion as well as the nuts and bolts of playing. As my son puts it, “he just knows how to explain everything so I understand it.”
Scott, Guitar
As a guitar player, AJ is always pushing himself to learn new styles and approaches so as a teacher, he has a wealth experience to draw upon and help the student reach their goals. I sought AJ out to learn Jazz guitar but he was also able to help me explore Rock, Funk and even African guitar styles. After two years of lessons I was able to play multiple chord types plus many alternate ways to play the same chords. He also taught me how to solo over multiple modes, which opened up the whole fret board, instead of sticking to just one area, and each lesson improved my economy of motion. AJ also helped me overcome some of my self-taught bad habits and filled many gaps in my music theory knowledge even though I had years of music experience outside of guitar. I would recommend AJ for new players and even players and songwriters who have been at it for a while and are looking for ways to expand their skills and knowledge.
Dave, Guitar
I’ve been playing guitar for many years without making much progress. I have progressed more in just a few months with AJ than all of my years combined. AJ is the best guitar teacher I’ve ever worked with. What makes him the best?
You get to play music that interests you.
He meets you where you are at your skill level.
He tailors lessons to get you to wherever you want to be.
He has an encyclopedic knowledge about all kinds of music that he augments with a solid music theory underpinning.
He is a brilliant, creative musician.
The lessons are always fascinating and fun.
Melanie, Piano
AJ taught my son guitar for many years with great success! About six months ago, I decided that I wanted to take piano lessons again. I’d taken lessons from ages 7 to 17 and then stopped. I was very anxious when I started with AJ. It had been so long since I’d play and I’d been taught in a very rigid classical manner. I could read music, but I wasn’t really understanding the music. AJ has made the whole process incredibly stress-free. I’m starting to loosen up and learning some jazz standards, which is really fun. I would highly recommend AJ for both children and adults, who want to find their passion for music, whether they’re starting at the beginning or trying to learn a new way of approaching the instrument.