GUITAR (Electric & Acoustic/Classical) & BASS GUITAR LESSONS (Standard & Upright)

• Must be at least 7 years of age. Stringed instruments are more difficult to learn for young children, however, I do teach piano for ages 5 and up. Starting with PIANO/KEYBOARD LESSONS will give you a better understanding of music theory which can be translated to other instruments later on.
• Must already own a guitar or plan to purchase one soon so you can practice in between lessons. If you already own one that’s ok. If you don’t own a guitar that’s even better. I can assist you in finding the perfect one for your age, skill-level and budget.
• Must be very passionate about music and have a deep desire to learn this instrument.
• Must be committed to your lessons. This means showing up for your scheduled lessons and being focused and attentive. This also means that you must practice in between appointments so that you will be ready for the next lesson, otherwise you will not improve.

• I teach beginner, intermediate & advanced curriculums.

• I offer 3 plans:  Take lessons weekly, bi-weekly or monthly to fit your schedule and/or budget. I highly recommend taking one lesson per week but you can change your plan at anytime. I’m available everyday except Sunday and I offer a wide range of times to choose from. Please view my AVAILABILITY CALENDAR to schedule the best day and time for you.

• I accept Cash (locals only), Check (locals only), eCheck/EFT, Debit & Credit (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express) via Stripe, Paypal, Apple Pay, Venmo & Cash App.

• You only pay if you take a lesson. There is no need to prepay for lessons in advance unless that option is more convenient for you. If you are unable to make your appointment for any reason, just let me know as soon as you can and we will try to reschedule for that week. If we are unsuccessful in rescheduling your lesson then we will just skip that weeks lesson and you can resume during your next scheduled appointment. You will not be charged for any missed/canceled lessons.

• “Gift Certificates Are Available” - Guitar or Bass Lessons make a great gift for birthdays, anniversaries & Christmas. Buy one now!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

• What is your typical process for working with a new student? This process depends on the student's current skill level:
  Beginner - Our first lesson will give us a chance to talk about the students reason and/or desire to learn their choice of instrument. We'll discuss their inspirations, favorite artists, styles and genres of music. More imporantly, we'll talk about their goals and expectations. This initial encounter will also give us an opportunity to get to know each other's personalities and demeanor which will help me to develop the most effective and individualized approach of teaching style and method. FYI: I have successfully tought students with ADD, ADHD, autism, alzheimers and early stages of dementia. I will of course begin your instruction on the very first lesson so you will have some material to take home and practice before we meet again.
  Intermediate - Our first lesson will give me an opportunity to identify what the student already knows and what they need to work on. We will start at the beginning of my customized curriculum but will progress very quickly over the areas that the student is already familiar with. This allows the student to refresh their memory with a quick review, but more importantly, this process will make sure that all of the essential foundational topics are covered and that nothing important is missed.
  Advanced - Our first lesson will primarily focus on discussing what specific areas of music the student would like to work on. I will listen to the student play and get a feel for their level of expertise and identify any weaknesses that we can target and develop. We will talk about goals and expectations as well as a plan of attack for customizing and administering a curriculum to suit their specific needs.
• How long have you been playing the guitar & bass? I started playing the guitar at the age of 16 and the bass at the age of 20. I am now 43, so around 27 years for the guitar and 23 years for the bass.
• How long have you been a music instructor? I started in 2000 at the age of 23, so around 20 years.
• Can you teach more than one student at a time and if so how much extra will it be? Although 1-on-1 instruction is much more productive, I am willing to teach a maximum of 3 students at once but they must be close in skill-level. There will be no extra charge for this. The students can simply share materials that I give them or you can make copies so each student can have their own materials to study and practice in between lessons.
• Are parents allowed to monitor their children during the 1-on-1 lessons. Yes, of course. Parents are welcome to watch their children’s interaction and progress when ever they choose to.
• Can I/we meet with you before a decision is made to move forward with lessons? Yes. I offer meet-and-greet consultations at no charge. Just view my AVAILABILITY CALENDAR to select the best day and time to meet.
• How are your lessons structured and how well do they work? I have a very special, uniquely customized curriculum that I have continued to improve upon over decades of teaching. I have pulled from hundreds of different resources and have implemented many of my own to create what I feel is the most powerful, comprehensive and successful guitar instruction delivery method available today. If you are a beginner or intermediate player, I will teach you everything that you need to know from the ground up. If you are an advanced player then you can simply choose any area that you would like to learn and/or work on to become a more proficient player. Even though I teach the same curriculum regardless of age and skill-level, I always take a 1-on-1, tailored approach on how I teach these methods & principles based on the students’ needs.
• What type of pick should I use and where should I get it? Don’t worry about pick size, shape, thickness and/or material/texture/grip. I will provide you with the pick(s) that I recommend for you at no additional charge.
• What genres/styles of music do you teach? I teach a large variety of music including rock (soft/hard/metal), alternative, pop, indie, rhythm & blues, folk, bluegrass, gospel, country, jazz and anything in between. Keep in mind, these are your lessons, so we can focus on any type of music you’d like.
• Do you have any music recordings of you playing that I can listen to and/or watch? Yes. Please check out my YouTube Channel.
• How do the guitar lessons differ from the bass guitar lessons? Each of these instruments play not only a crucial role, but a very different role in a band. With this in mind, I apply a similar curriculum but with an individualized, theoretical focus on the instruments role. All of the printed materials that I provide for you will be customized to either a 6 string guitar or a 4 string bass guitar.
• Do you teach lessons for guitars with different string counts? Yes. Even though your printed materials will be for either 6 string guitar (note: 12 string is played the same way) or a 4 string bass, I can also teach 7 string guitar as well as 5 or 6 string bass guitar.
• Can I choose to take a 30 minute lessons if I’m over the age of 10? Yes. I offer 30 minute lessons only as a recommendation for younger students based on attention span, however, if you are older, I highly recommend taking 45 minute lessons because it’s much more cost efficient.
• Are you willing to give students under the age of 10 a 45 minute lesson? Yes. This is only a recommendation based on attention span. We can definitely try a 45 minute lesson to see if the student is willing and able to remain focused for a longer period of time.
• Do you have an older age limit? No. I teach many adults who are over the age of 70. If you have the desire to learn then I am more than delighted to teach you.
• Do you have any ratings and/or reviews from current or past students that I can read? Yes, you can view this information on the bottom of the "About" page.
• Can I take more than 1 lesson per week? Yes, however, I generally recommend taking only 1 lesson per week so you have sufficient time to study and practice the materials that are given to you so you are fully prepared and ready to move forward with the next lesson materials.
• How many lessons will it take to become proficient? This all depends on how often you study and practice as well as how skilled you desire to become.
• How many minutes per day should I study and practice? This all depends on how good and how fast you would like to progress through my curriculum. I typically suggest at least 15 to 30 minutes per day but if you have the time and the desire to practice more then you will become more proficient at a faster rate.
• Do you offer guitar & bass repair/restoration/technician/luthier services? Yes. I have worked on hundreds of different types of stringed instruments for decades. What ever you need done, I can not only do very professionally, but at a more affordable price than my competitors. Please select the REPAIR/TUNING tab above for more information.
• Can the Gift Certificate be redeemed for other services that you offer? Yes, not only that but it’s 100% transferable & it never expires.
• Is it OK to digitally or physically copy (reproduce) the lesson/curriculum plans/materials that you give to me? All of the materials that I provide to you have been uniquely customized and/or created and is copyrighted by “Kevin Cody Music.” You do however, have my express permission to reproduce any of my copyrighted material if and only if it is for your sole personal educational use and/or archival purposes. You may not share these materials with anyone else including but not limited to online publishing for any reason what so ever or you will be in violation of my exclusive rights and may be subject to prosecution in a civil court of law for copyright infringement.

GUITAR & BASS CURRICULUM:

Basics:

• Name & functions of the parts of a guitar
• Holding a guitar (sitting vs. standing) & pick
• Assigning finger, string & fret numbers
• Left & right hand and finger placements

(108) Chords - Includes the most commonly used open & closed/movable (w/ or w/o barre) voiced chords with all inversion/slash variants:

• (12) Major chords
• (12) Minor chords
• (12) Power chords
• (12) Major 7th chords
• (12) Dominant 7th chords

(33) Scale patterns/modes in all 12 Keys - Includes the most commonly used scales, patterns, modes and positions:

• (1) Chromatic scale pattern
• (1) Whole tone scale pattern
• (7) Diatonic scale patterns/modes - ionian, dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, aeolion & locrian
• (7) Harmonic minor scale patterns/modes
• (1) Melodic minor scale pattern/mode
• (1) Diminished scale pattern
• (1) Augmented scale pattern

(43) Exercises:

• (4) Open note exercises
• (6) Beginner alternate picking exercises
• (21) Alternate picking exercises
• (4) Hot fingerz exercises

(130+) Techniques:

• (32) Lead guitar playing techniques
• (48) Finger picking techniques
• (48) Strumming techniques

• Fretboard notation
• Reading chord & scale pattern diagrams
• Reading music notation 101 - Note shapes, curved lines, dotted notes, time signature & tempo
• Reading music notation 201 - Rests, advanced tempo, dynamics, musical shorthand & triplets
• Reading music notation 301 - Key signatures and octaves
• Reading tablature
• Controlled vs. free rhythm & choice of rhythm & pattern
• Sheet music vs. lead sheets & improvisation
• Transposing w/ & w/o a capo
• Alternate scale/mode names.
• Defining half/whole steps, scales, scale patterns & modes
• Lead guitar/improvisation
• Chord root note rule
• CAGED theory

(30) Complete Songs:  Some songs are part of the core curriculum and others are optional but I can teach you any song you can think of.

• Let It Be - The Beatles
• Ring Of Fire - Johnny Cash
• Knocking On Heaven's Door - Bob Dylan
• Hello - Adele
• Hurt - Johnny Cash
• Star Spangled Banner
• Silent Night
• I Won’t Back Down
• Learning to Fly - Tom Petty
• Hotel California - The Eagles
• Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
• Bad Moon Rising - Creedance Clearwater Revival
• Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley
• Proud Mary - Creedance Clearwater Revival
• House Of The Rising Sun - The Animals

(10) Riffs:  Want to learn a specific riff? No problem, I can teach you whatever you/d like to learn.

• Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple
• Wild Thing - Jimi Hendrix
• Iron Man - Black Sabbath
• Enter Sandman - Metallica
• Eye of the Tiger - Survivor

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION:  My Studio is local but not limited to the following Cities: Acworth, Alpharetta, Apalachee, Arcade, Arp, Ashland, Athens, Atlanta, Auburn, Bethlehem, Between, Bishop, Bogart, Bostwick, Bowman, Braselton, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Buford, Campbellton, Canon, Canton, Carlton, Carnesville, Chestatee, Coal Mountain, Colbert, College Park, Comer, Commerce, Conyers, Coventry, Covington, Crabapple, Crawford, Cumming, Dacula, Danielsville, Dawsonville, Decatur, Dewy Rose, Douglasville, Duluth, East Cobb, East Point, Elberton, Fairburn, Flowery Branch, Forest Park, Fort Lamar, Free Home, Gainesville, Gillsville, Godfrey, Good Hope, Gratis, Grayson, Holy Springs, Homer, Hoschton, Hull, Ila, Jefferson, Jersey, Johns Creek, Jonesboro, Kelly, Kennesaw, Lakeview Estates, Lavonia, Lawrenceville, Lexington, Lilburn, Lithia Springs, Lithonia, Loganville, Lula, Mabelton, Madison, Marietta, Maysville, McDonough, Milton, Monroe, Morrow, Newborn, Nicholson, Norcross, North High Shoals, Oakwood, Oxford, Pendergrass, Planter, Porterdale, Powder Springs, Redan, Riverdale, Roswell, Royston, Russel, Rutledge, Sandy Springs, Silver City, Smyrna, Snellville, Social Circle, Statham, Stockbridge, Stone Mountain, Suwanee, Talmo, Tucker, Union City, Walnut Grove, Watkinsville, Westside, Winder, Winterville & Woodstock which spans the following Counties: Barrow, Clarke, Dekalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson, Oconee & Walton.