Learn guitarplay any styleIn personin Melbourne
- All levels welcome
- Electric & acoustic
- 15+ years teaching
Hello there! I studied Jazz performance at university and graduated with a Bachelor of Music. I play and teach guitar, and I’ll guide you step by step in a supportive and FUN environment.
Music isn’t hard.It’s unfamiliar.
Music is a language. Like any language it has always been passed from person to person, and trying to teach yourself in a vacuum makes it harder than it needs to be.
Lessons with John are friendly, relaxed and flexible, built around what you want to learn. Stick to regular practice of what we work on together and you will see results.
What you play, what you love, and where you’re stuck. We set goals together.
Posture, fingering and timing exercises, and getting to know your instrument.
Exactly what to practise, step by step, with a schedule that fits your week and someone keeping you accountable.
The ins and outs of the styles you came for, plus a guide into new musical worlds.
Ear training, theory and improvisation tied together so you can jam, gig and write your own lines.
Jazz holdsthe whole of music
Jazz musicians play every emotion, every rhythm, every chord, and every melodic and rhythmic variation. Because jazz takes in nearly every dimension of music, it’s an incredible vehicle for learning an instrument.
Most of my teaching comes from a jazz theory grounding. That doesn’t mean you have to play jazz. It means you learn how music actually works: how chords are built and why they move, how scales and modes sit over them, and how rhythm and feel shape a line. Once that’s in your hands, you can tackle any genre, any scale and any chord, from blues and funk to rock, pop, folk and metal.
- Harmony: every chord type, from simple triads to rich extended chords
- Rhythm: swing, straight, syncopated and everything in between
- Melody: scales, modes, arpeggios and the notes between them
- Feel: from quiet ballads to fast, fiery tunes
The modes ofthe major scale
Every chord in a key has its own scale. Learn to hear and find all seven, and you can improvise freely across the chord changes in any key instead of running one scale over everything.
There’s a piano in the studio too, so we can practise lines over real chords, the same way this interactive player below does.
- The seven modes by sound and by shape on the fretboard
- Chord-scale relationships: which mode fits which chord, and why
- Chord tones as targets for your solos
- Following the harmony through real tunes, in any key
- Understanding this concept is the real gateway towards confidently improvising over any song in any key
Tap any Roman numeral to hear that chord with its arpeggio or mode played over the top, like a piano accompaniment. Orange notes are chord tones; the ringed note is the root.
Guitar lessons,electric and acoustic
One to one lessons on electric or acoustic guitar, grounded in jazz theory and ear training, so what you learn carries across every style.
John has a Bachelor of Music majoring in electric and double bass, and has been teaching guitar and bass for more than fifteen years.
For complete beginners, and for players who want to move past the open chords.
- Chord shapes, voicings and changing between them smoothly
- Strumming and rhythm guitar that locks in with the band
- Soloing over chord changes, with scales and phrasing that make sense
- Learning songs by ear instead of hunting for tabs
- Theory that makes sense on the fretboard
Learn from aworking musician
Two recent gigs: double bass with The Victor Scale at the launch of Gabriel’s Diary, and bass guitar with Sahar.
Lessons draw on what actually matters on a stage: time, listening, sound, and making the band feel good. Swipe through the clips, tap the speaker on any of them to hear it, and catch more on Instagram.
Weekly lessons,60 minutes
- Weekday daytimes
- Monday & Thursday evenings
- Saturday & Sunday afternoons
Per lesson with a 4-pack. The same rate for guitar, in the studio or online.
| Option | Price | Per lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Single lesson · 60 min | $70 | $70 |
| 4-pack · 4 × 60 min | $250 | $62.50 |
| Extra student | +50% | Learn together |
In the studio,or online
The Snedlab
A treated room in Coburg North. A well-equipped studio, great for lessons.
Online lessons
The same one-on-one lessons from anywhere.
Callouts
Local callouts are available. Get in touch to check your area.
Off for course students
Ableton Live Beginners Course students get 10% off private lessons.
The Snedlab · Coburg NorthImprove your playing,one week at a time
Weekly lessons are encouraged. That’s where the real progress happens.
With consistent practice you’ll notice results every week. Consistency is key: even twenty minutes a day keeps you moving ahead.
I’ll help you build a practice plan that keeps you consistent and intentional, using a structured approach. That keeps you solidifying the basics while always expanding what you can play.
Guitarlessons
The Snedlab, Coburg North, or online. $70 a lesson, or $250 for four.
