Guitar Lessons by Stephen Carrington

 

GENERAL LESSON INFO:

* Due to a temporary daytime commitment, current lesson days and hours are 5:00PM to 8:00PM for studio lessons (meaning that the earliest lesson start time would be 5PM, and the latest a studio lesson could finish would be 8PM), and lesson start times for non-studio lessons are 6:00PM to 7:00PM, Monday through Thursday; vacations and holidays can sometimes affect availability, so please contact me ahead of time to schedule the day and time you want. I can sometimes make exceptions for lessons outside of these days and times, but there may be an extra charge (depending on the circumstances; contact me and we can discuss it). I should be able to resume normal lesson availability once we get to May 2013, and I will post the change on this website as soon as I can make it.

* Lessons can be given either at my studio in East Cobb or at your home, whichever you prefer (but there is a one-hour minimum for non-studio lessons [that is, for lessons where I come to you]); each non-studio lesson will incur a travel charge of $15 for the first 5 miles of one-way driving distance, and $10 for each additional 5 miles beyond that. This charge is assessed PER LESSON, but the total of all travel charges for a given package will be due in full at the beginning of the first lesson in that package. Some locations may simply be too far away for me to be able to come to you; please contact me about your location to be sure. For a limited time, I will waive the per-lesson travel fee for non-studio lessons within five miles driving distance from my studio that are part of a package of at least 10 lessons (see the Rates page for all package rate info).

* The first lesson is always free, and a full hour--but there is an additional $20 travel charge for non-studio first lessons; this charge is for the first lesson ONLY. After that, studio and non-studio lessons will both be the standard or package rates with standard travel fees when applicable. This $20 fee is in addition to the travel charges listed above, which will also be applicable for a non-studio introductory lesson (so, for example, if you are located between 10 and 15 miles driving distance from my studio in Marietta, there will be a $55 total charge for an introductory lesson held at your location). All fees for non-studio introductory lessons are due in full in advance, prior to the start of the intro lesson. I reserve the right to discontinue the "free introductory lessons" at any time. Only one free introductory lesson per household.

* I prefer as much notice as possible, but lessons can usually be booked as little as 24 hours in advance (as long as there are still slots available).

* I am a very punctual person--lessons will always start on time with me--and I very much appreciate that in my students as well. I know that is a bit of a rarity in the music industry, but I feel that it improves the overall quality of the lesson for the student. I will always accommodate any rescheduling requests as best I can; but since my schedule most any time is booked full with lessons, studio work, recording, resetting studio equipment for the next student or other project, as well as other business and personal commitments, I may not be able to make sudden last-minute changes for previously scheduled lessons. So, if you are going to be late to a lesson, your lesson will still end at the correct time, since I will almost always have something else booked soon after your scheduled time. If you find that you are going to arrive ahead of time, please understand that I won't be able to start your lesson early; please also respect my other students and other commitments and use that extra time to run an errand, or park down a side street (away from traffic) and check messages, or just relax for a minute. That will help to ensure that every student gets the full lesson that they are paying for, with my full attention, plus any needed time afterwards to discuss scheduling or other things. Your understanding and cooperation in this is greatly appreciated, by me and also all the other students.

* No contracts--you can take as few or as many lessons as you want (even the package deals can be canceled part of the way through, but any discounts from a canceled package deal will be applied to the unused lessons); no hidden fees--every charge is listed clearly here on this site and will be discussed and confirmed before the lessons begin; no sign-up costs; no materials to buy (HOWEVER, I will probably highly recommend that you purchase things like a metronome, tuner, music stand, etc., if you do not already have these; I will provide them during the lessons when needed, of course, but you should have them for outside practices; I would be glad to point you in the direction of the best value for any of those items, just ask).

* For studio lessons, you will only need to bring your guitar; I have an amp for you to plug into if you bring an electric (but beginning bass students should also bring their small practice amp--30W or less--to each lesson). For non-studio lessons, we will need a quiet, secluded area, free from distractions (like televisions, computers, extraneous noise, etc.) and without likelihood of disturbances or interruptions, which will also need to be well (or at least comfortably) lit; but my travel equipment is all battery-powered, so I will not require a power outlet for non-studio lessons.

* All lessons will be audio recorded, and all studio lessons (except usually the introductory lesson) will also be video recorded; a link to download an mp3 and a QuickTime video file of each lesson will be emailed to the student (upon request) within about 24 hours, provided I have your email address on file, at no extra charge; video recording for non-studio lessons is also available for an additional $5 per lesson (links for all video and audio recordings of non-studio lessons will be emailed to the student, upon request, within 24-36 hours of the lesson); all video and audio lessons will be owned and copyrighted in full and in their entirety solely by me, and licensed indefinitely to the student for their own personal review only (license is nullified upon violation or nullification of these or other lesson-related terms, or at my discretion). No other use is authorized or permitted. Acceptance of an audio or video file constitutes acceptance of these terms. Please request a desired video recording for a non-studio lesson ahead of time, to ensure that the equipment is ready and available to record it.

* No cancellation fees (except in extreme or repeated cases of lateness; see my "Punctuality Policy" above), as I'd always prefer to reschedule.

* 4-, 6-, 8-, 12-, and 20-week packages are always available, with discounts for prepayment; just click on the Rates button up at the top of the page for prices. Seasonal packages are also usually offered (listed on the Rates page), and custom packages can also be created anytime to suit your individual circumstances...just call and ask!

* Current students that refer a friend (new students only) get a free half-hour lesson when their friend signs up for a package deal! If the friend signs up for a 12- or 20-week package, you get 2 FREE half-hour lessons (or a free one-hour lesson, whichever you prefer)! Wow!! Just tell them to let me know that you referred them whenever they book their first lesson, and I will add the appropriate lesson(s) to your schedule.

* Lessons tend to be better absorbed by students when they are one-on-one rather than in groups--but, while not encouraged, group rates are also available, since they can work well for some beginning players; group rates determined on a case-by-case basis, but you can expect a discount of anywhere from 20% to 50% off the cost of each extra student. Group lessons not advised for half-hour or 45-minute sessions, so that each student can get as much personal instruction as they need. I will always let those involved know when I think a group lesson is not the best route for a given situation.

* To ensure that every student gets the full benefit of each lesson (and also that they get my full attention), it is studio policy that only the student be present during the lessons--siblings and friends can be an unwelcome distraction that will hinder the student's progress. Extra people attending non-studio lessons will result in an additional charge, payable before the start of the lesson; extra people are not permitted at all at studio lessons (but parents are allowed, of course, if they so choose).

* I reserve the right, at any time, to change, modify, adjust, discontinue, or otherwise alter any aspect of the lessons, including (but not limited to): rates; days and times that lessons are offered; availability of audio or video recordings; any aspect of the introductory lesson or the non-studio lesson offers; etc.