I have been playing guitar for over 35 years—since 1987—and my formal education was in music education. I grew up in

Marietta, Georgia

, not too far from where I live now; I attended East Cobb Middle School and Wheeler High School (both in Marietta), and then Abilene Christian University (in Abilene, Texas). My principal instrument throughout my school years was alto saxophone (but I also played a good bit of baritone sax as well), and like all music education majors I learned to play all the wind instruments typically found in school bands...and of course, throughout all of that, I learned to play guitar as well.

I play or have played bass, lead and/or rhythm guitar in many bands and musical projects in and around the metro Atlanta area over the years, in styles ranging from punk rock, to '60s garage rock, to metal, to experimental, to blues, to country, to heavy psychedelic rock, and lots of other genres along the way. You can learn even more about me and my musical history, and also get all of the latest info on some of my current projects, at the Sludge Hammer Records website.

In addition to

offering online and in-person guitar lessons in all styles to all ages and all skill levels

, I'm also a freelance audio mastering and mix engineer, and I also offer guitar-specific recording, composition, and performance services. Musically I specialize in rock and blues, but I also teach country, pop, jazz, and metal, as well as everything related and in between.



I give lessons pretty much exclusively on Ibanez guitars, usually on a 2022 model RGRT421WB (similar to the one pictured above, which is a c.1987 model RG550BK; click here to see me testing out some new pickups I recently had installed in this guitar). Ibanez guitars are incredibly reliable—everything on my RGRT421 is solid, all the way up and down the neck, and it stays in tune even under my rigorous playing schedule. And they are also highly versatile instruments—I can play any of the styles that I specialize in on this guitar, and it all comes through mightily. I always recommend Ibanez guitars to any of my students that are looking for a new guitar.

I also use McPherson guitar picks, which are often my first-choice pick under almost any circumstance. I feel that they are a fantastic training tool for new players, and they can also help seasoned players improve their accuracy and consistency. If you haven't tried them yet, I highly recommend them to any player!

Want to learn a little more about me? Check out this interview that I did with Shoutout Atlanta. (And many thanks to the gracious and helpful folks at Shoutout Atlanta...it was wonderful working with you!)

You can also check out this article about me that was featured in East Cobber, a community-centered magazine published in my area.

Or you could check out this interview that I did with Canvas Rebel (and a big "thank you" to the folks at Canvas Rebel, too...I enjoyed the interview very much!)

Want to learn even more about me? You can listen to me playing on lots of different tracks on the Sludge Hammer Records site; in fact, I'm playing on pretty much everything posted there (but you definitely want to check out the song "At Least I Got The Blues", and the Tom Foolery & Miss Chiff stuff as well...). Some of the recordings on the Sludge Hammer site are from many years ago, and some are from more recent years; on some I'm playing guitar, on some I'm playing bass, on a few tracks I'm playing drums, and on some I'm even singing. I hope you like the tunes, and I'd love to hear from you if you have any comments after listening.

There are LOTS of guitar teachers, in town and online...believe me, I know! But I feel confident that you'll find that I am the best deal, and I also offer the most "extras" (like my helpful weekly reminder emails)—not to mention that students will learn more under the guidance of an experienced, seasoned musician and teacher like me; I've played hundreds of shows in dozens of cities over the past three decades, and my playing can be heard on hundreds of songs that have been released on CD, streaming, on vinyl, and even on cassette.

I studied music education, and I continue to better myself as a player every day; throughout the years I've taken lessons from some of the best teachers around (like Carol Kaye and G. E. Smith), and I've read more guitar method books than I can even remember. In fact, I'm actually in the process of writing my own guitar method book, and it's those same time-tested approaches—and often even excerpts right from my book—that I use with my students.

All together, counting personal practice time, band rehearsal time, performance time, hours spent recording and working in various studios, time spent in music classes, time spent in lessons throughout the years, and also time spent giving lessons, I've got tens of thousands of hours of experience to draw from...and more and more each day! I've got the know-how and the ability to help you learn how to play guitar well, to get a great sound, and to have fun doing it. Give me a call to set up an introductory lesson, and judge for yourself; I'm fully confident that you'll be impressed—and that you'll learn some good info about guitar, too.

While I do have Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Facebook Rooms, Skype, Webex—pretty much whatever video conferencing/video calling software you are most comfortable with—available as a back-up or as options for students that prefer one of those for whatever reason, I primarily use a different program that works better for lessons than many other programs. It's easy to access and to operate, and the set-up (if you aren't already on this platform) is quick and easy, too.

Also, for all of my

online guitar lessons

I use a professional broadcasting headset, so the microphone picking up my voice is not only positioned better to capture my voice more accurately and more fully than a webcam mic, it's also far superior to a webcam mic in terms of clarity and the frequency range being reproduced; I also conduct my lessons in an acoustically treated space, and all of those things—plus additional pro audio gear that I use to improve the audio signals—combine to greatly enhance the quality of the sound delivered to my students during our lessons.

But it's not just the gear that I have that makes my online lessons program superior to so many others—how I teach also has a huge impact on the effectiveness of my online lessons. Having spent almost all of 2020 perfecting my techniques for the online medium, I know (perhaps better now than ever before) that how you teach makes a substantial difference—and just like an actor's delivery will need to change if they are switching from a stage production with no microphones or PA system to a film environment with lots of mics and overdubs, a teacher's delivery must also change when switching between in-person instruction and online lessons. Many instructors seems to have fought against that principle, but I have embraced it...and as a result, my

online guitar lessons

delivery is second to none.

All of this results in

a complete guitar lessons experience

that I'm confident is vastly superior to pretty much any Skype call or Zoom/Teams meeting that you've ever participated in, regardless of whatever platform we use for lessons. Try it out for yourself and see!

I pride myself on being well-rounded, versatile, experienced and capable, as a player and as a teacher. As a result, I can teach any age—as long as the student is willing and able to physically hold and play the guitar, and as long as they can listen attentively in lessons and then apply what they've learned in regular practices in between lessons.

I can also teach all musical styles, but my specialties are rock and blues—so if you want to learn to play guitar with a focus on rock and/or blues (or a related style like country, pop, metal, etc.) and then perhaps also experiment with or otherwise bring in elements of classical, jazz, funk, or some other style, then I would be perfectly suited to be your teacher.

And I can comfortably teach players of any skill level; I welcome beginners—whether you've held a guitar before or not, and even if you haven't played any musical instrument before—and yet even the most seasoned and advanced players will have plenty to learn in my lessons. And so with those few exceptions, I'm confident that I can teach anyone how to play the guitar (or how to play the guitar better, as the case may be)!

I do in fact offer a free, no obligation introductory guitar lesson! I make a real effort for you to learn something at the intro lesson, too...but the true benefit is that you can decide if my teaching style and personality are a good fit before you have to make any financial commitment. I've given hundreds of free introductory lessons over the years, and the vast majority of folks ultimately decide to get a lessons package with me afterwards...so I am happy to continue to offer this service to all of my potential students. You'll receive 45 minutes of real instruction...just like with a paid lesson. I want prospective new students to come away with some new skills even at the free intro lesson.

Prior to the first lesson there will be a few things that we'll need to discuss; we'll have to determine the day and time for the intro lesson, of course, so please contact me to get that all arranged. For online students, we'll also need to figure out the specifics of the connection platform that we'll use; and then for in-person students I have an "In-Person Lessons Agreement" that I'll email over to you that will need to be completed before the introductory lesson. For both online and in-person students, I also have a brief "New Student Info Form" online that I'll send you a link to that will help me make the intro lesson as tailored to you as possible.

Free intro lessons are limited to one per household; new students only. Sorry, but folks who find me through services where I have to pay in order to connect with them (like Thumbtack, Lessons.com, and similar platforms) are not eligible for a free intro lesson.

Please note that due to scheduling limitations, I'm not able to reschedule a free introductory lesson. If you're not able to attend the intro lesson that you've booked, I'll be happy to schedule another lesson for you...but any additional lesson bookings will have to be prepaid before I'm able to add them to the schedule, just like with all paid lessons that I offer. Thanks for your understanding in this matter.

One other thing to keep in mind with an introductory lesson is that it is an opportunity for both the student and the teacher to determine if they think it's a good fit before moving forward with a paid lessons package. Occasionally I encounter a student that is looking for something that I don't offer (perhaps they're interested in learning classical guitar, or they really need a morning lessons slot, or something along those lines), and sometimes those details don't come out in the intro lesson booking process. When that happens, I don't want to waste the student's time or money—and a free intro lesson is a great way to avoid such waste.

Once you've purchased your first lessons package (please note that all lessons and packages must be prepaid in advance in order to be placed on the calendar), I'll send you a handful of files (music and tab) to keep you challenged while you wait for your first paid lesson—after which time you'll have the option to request an email containing a link to download the audio and/or video files of each lesson (you just have to tell me which files that you want to be sent, and provide me with a valid email address). These files are provided at no additional charge, but they are for the individual student's practices in between lessons only; read more about the audio and video recordings in question #22, below.



At the first lesson in their first package, in-person students will receive a "new student welcome kit" (pictured above) which includes printed copies of the materials that were sent over after payment was received, plus some McPherson guitar picks—in a custom-printed SGL pick tin!—as well as some good info and tips for guitar players, along with a few other things, too—all in a sturdy folder that they can use to transport their music to and from the lessons, or just to keep everything organized at home (total value of the "new student welcome kit" = $24.00). For online students, I'll mail the "new student welcome kit" to you sometime shortly after the first lesson.

I also give all of my students any tab/music that we go over in advance via email, as well as a printed copy for students that choose in-person lessons...and on top of that, there's the fantastic instruction you'll receive at each and every lesson!

But the thing that really and truly distinguishes me amongst guitar instructors in the area is my one-of-a-kind "VIP" experience that I provide to every single student, whether they've purchased a long-term package or an individual lesson, whether they have been with me a long time or whether they are new—even when it's their free introductory lesson, I make sure that every student enjoys a personalized lesson, that they are treated courtesouly and respectfully, and that they get the absolute best lessons value in town. Please see the next question for more details about the "VIP Experience"—or better yet, contact me to set up your free intro lesson, and see for yourself!

Here at Stephen's Guitar Lessons, "VIP" stands for "Very Important Player"—what that means is that I value each and every one of my students, and you can see evidence of that in the way I treat my students, and the learning environment I create for my students (as well as the freebies and extras I provide). I call it the "VIP Lessons Experience," and you can only find it here at SGL.

The "VIP Lessons Experience" that I offer is the product of my 35+ years of learning, playing, performing, recording, and/or teaching the guitar; it's what sets me apart from pretty much any other guitar instructor that you'll likely ever find. I've always strived to make my lessons program the best that it can be, and in the process I've developed a teaching method, a learning environment (both online and in person), a specific approach to my delivery and presentation, and quite a repertoire of music/exercises/techniques/etc.—not to mention the skills that I've honed regarding how to find and cultivate a student's strong suits, while simultaneously locating and addressing as many of their weaker areas as possible as well—resulting in a lessons experience that surpasses any guitar instruction that my students have previously been familiar with.

You can find clues as to what the "VIP Experience" is if you look at how I give my students every tool that they'll need to succeed: access to some of the best—and most essential—guitar accessories as an authorized dealer for lots of brands and product lines (and at prices you won't find anywhere else); helpful lesson reminder emails (complete with lesson plans), which are sent weekly; accurate tab/sheet music, usually customized for the individual student; a nice, sturdy folder to keep all of their tab and sheet music in (free for online and in-person students with their first lessons package purchase); free guitar pick tin, with picks (also with first lessons package purchase); flexible scheduling; lots of day/time options for lessons; online and in-person lesson options; lots of opportunities to earn free lessons; audio recordings of all lessons are available, for free; video recordings of most lessons are also available (also for free); fast, courteous responses to emails, texts, and voicemails; a learning environment that is engaging, professional, focused, comfortable, and easy to access; and all of that comes standard at the reasonable rates that I charge for lessons!

And there are more clues when you look deeper into those things, as well. Gone are the days of arriving at your guitar lesson, having prepared diligently over the preceding week (as your guitar instructor had asked you to do), only for the instructor to make it clear within seconds of the start of the lesson that they haven't even thought about you or your playing since the moment the last lesson ended. Not so with Stephen's Guitar Lessons! I send out lesson reminder emails each weekend for lessons during the upcoming week, complete with lesson plan info and sheet music/tab when applicable—so not only are you certain that I'm prepared and ready to go by the time we start your next lesson, you'll have plenty of opportunity to be prepared as well (if you so choose). Plus the music folder that I give to each new in-person student at the first lesson in their first package, as detailed in the previous question, really helps to keep everything contained and organized, too.

Have you ever taken lessons at a music store, and felt like they just plopped you and the instructor in a storage room in the back? Or maybe you took lessons from an independent guitar teacher like me, but the lessons were conducted (either online or in person) from a little corner the instructor had carved out of their living room—and so there's a sofa and coffee table right next to you, and maybe a dog bed on the floor nearby, and perhaps you hear someone a few feet away in the kitchen preparing dinner. You'll find none of those distracting scenarios here; my in-person students have a well-lit, private, off-street parking area with a dedicated lessons studio entrance (no having to walk through someone else's living quarters to get to your lesson), which leads right in to my acoustically-treated, professional lessons studio—where all I do is guitar lessons and related work. The environment is the same for online lessons, for which I connect through gigabit fiber internet (connected directly to my lessons computer—no WiFi to slow things down), and for which I use pro-grade gear like an Audio-Technica broadcast headset mic and a Focsurite interface. Professional lighting controls round out the delivery package for my online lessons, which I feel confident in asserting to be the best and most professional online guitar lessons available, anywhere.

Some students have had a guitar teacher tell them that they will gladly teach the student how to play a particular song, if the student would just provide the tab/sheet music—leaving the student to fend for themselves in determining which music/tab version or interpretation, of the many they may find, that they should use (and perhaps even paying for a version that ultimately won't do them a lot of good). And then at other times they feel like the teacher's main motivation is not the student's progress, so much as it is getting the student interested in this new amp/guitar pedal/accessory/etc. that the music store just recently got in stock. At Stephen's Guitar Lessons, I clearly spell out all of the costs that you should expect as one of my students, upfront and out in the open, so that I can focus specifically on the most important aspect of lessons for me: your progress and development as a musician and guitarist. I sell private guitar instruction, plus occasionally some related accessories (exclusively to my students, at fantastic prices); the only things I'm focused on once we start your lessons package, are the quality of your instruction and the rate of your progress.

Bringing all of that to every lesson helps the student's learning accelerate and really take off...not to mention the fact that it makes it clear to each individual student how much I value every one of them. It all comes together to create the ultimate "VIP Lessons Experience"—and it's my distinct pleasure to offer that to you as well!

Stephen's Guitar Lessons is located in Marietta/East Cobb

, near Wheeler High School, about 5-10 minutes or so from most of the major roads that are near me—including I-75, Powers Ferry Road, Roswell Road, Johnson Ferry Road, and Lower Roswell Road—but thanks to the magic of the internet I can also give lessons to almost anywhere via a number of programs, including (almost certainly) your favorite program or app.

Unfortunately, I don't have the capacity to allow additional visitors beyond the student and myself to remain in the studio during lessons. My lessons are held in a fully-functioning private recording studio, and while there is plenty of space for the student to comfortably participate in lessons (as well as packing and unpacking their instrument, etc.), there isn't really any additional room or seating to accommodate anyone else during lessons. Additional people in the room can also hinder the instruction, as they can be distracting to the student.

I am sensitive to the fact that parents want to have confidence in an environment before they place their children into it (as well as the desire to be involved in their kids' activities); parents are of course welcome to ask questions prior to booking their child's introductory lesson, plus they can check out all of my reviews from current and former students, they can also visit the lessons room when they are bringing their child for the lesson (and see for themselves how professional of an environment it is), and then for the actual lessons I'm happy to offer audio and video recordings that can be sent to the parents or student upon request after the lesson. Please see question #20 (below) for more info about audio and video recordings of the lessons.

And if a parent would like, I am happy to arrange it so that they are connected via FaceTime during their child's lesson, so they can be "present" for the lesson even though I'm not able to have anyone besides the student physically attend an in-person lesson. When it comes to your child's safety as one of my students, I'm not comfortable until you are—and so I'll do what it takes to make everyone feel at ease.

Every lesson that is given as Stephen's Guitar Lessons is conducted by me, Stephen Carrington. So the answer to the two-part question is: just one (myself), and yes (me).

If you've ever taken lessons at a music store or some other facility with a number of teachers on staff, then like many people you probably made that decision because you liked the teacher that you were taking lessons with—not because you liked the music store/lessons facility. So to all of a sudden have a different teacher one day—maybe just for a lesson, maybe from that point forward—can be a really frustrating thing, but that's something you'll never have to worry about with Stephen's Guitar Lessons.

I'm the one answering or returning your call (and that's me in the voicemail and after hours greetings...not just speaking, but playing guitar as well), I'm the one preparing the materials for each lesson (including creating music/tab specifically for the student, in many cases), I'm the one responding to messages and sending out the weekly reminder/lesson plan emails, I'm the website administrator, and I handle all of the marketing and social media as well (in between lessons, of course). So you can rest assured that I'll always be personally delivering the same first-rate service and support, all the time, no matter what—no surprises here at Stephen's Guitar Lessons, just reliable, world-class guitar instruction!

Sure! I have an In-Person Student Agreement that I'll email over during the sign-up process, and then once you complete that and return it to me we'll be all set.

Whatever slot(s) I have available at any point in time, are available for online or in-person lessons; however, I reserve the right to limit either online or in-person lessons at any point in time if I find it necessary, for any reason, short-term or long-term.

Please see question #9 above if you are wanting to accompany (or have someone else accompany) the student at their in-person lessons, even if it's just the introductory lesson.

My normal lesson days and hours are Monday through Thursday 2:30PM to 9:30PM, Fridays 2:30PM to 8:15PM, and Saturdays from 12:00PM to 5:45PM (all times Eastern), and I offer make-up slots for lessons missed during the week most weeks either on Saturday or the following Sunday; however, I can sometimes make an exception if there are extenuating circumstances...and with the current health crisis, I'm happy to schedule lessons outside of those hours as well (as I am able to do so). For those of you located west of the Eastern time zone, I'm happy to accommodate later slots as I'm able to do so...please contact me to discuss your specific situation.

Please be aware that I often have a waiting list for the prime spots (after 6:00pm or so on weekdays), and sometimes my schedule gets completely full and I have to put all prospective new students on a waiting list; if you have more than one slot that would work for your lesson, then the chances are much better that I'll have something that works for you.

Yes, my package rates all assume one lesson per week in the same slot each week, as that works better not only for me but also for students' retention of the material if they can count on that regularity. This also allows me to let a student keep their slot as long as they want it, in most cases. Of course, if a student wants to permanently move a lessons slot, we'll see what I have available at that time and go from there.

I want to be as accommodating as possible whenever a student has a need for a temporary lessons schedule change, so I'll offer every option I can when a student needs to miss their regular weekly lesson—including allowing a make-up lesson up to or on the Sunday immediately following any given week—but any lesson not attended in a given week will be considered a "missed" lesson (a "missed" lesson is a lesson you are charged for even though you didn't attend), and only certain lesson packages get allowed "missed" lessons that don't count against that package. Please see my lessons cancellation policy in question #15 below for details about allowed "missed" lessons, and cancelling or rescheduling lessons.

Since I started giving lessons professionally, way back in 2010, Stephen's Guitar Lessons has always offered lessons either by the lesson or in packages of weekly lessons—not at a monthly rate, as a lot of other lessons studios and music stores tend to do. My motivation was to provide my students with a better way to buy weekly guitar lessons, and with more package options for them to pick from. While getting to choose from several different lengths of weekly lesson package offerings (4-week, 6-week, 8-week, 10-week, 12-week, or by the single lesson) has been a plus cited by many of my students over the years, I've now decided to add a monthly option as well...so now there are even more package options for my students to choose from!

Once a student has set up and attended their free introductory lesson, they will have the option to purchase a monthly subscription to my lessons program, or a "by the week" plan as I've always offered. Existing students can also easily switch whenever they want, from a monthly to a by-the-week plan, or vice versa (no fees to switch, either). The by-the-week plans are described in detail all throughout this website, and the monthly subscription plan will work like this:

You'll select a regular weekly slot, just like with my by-the-week packages, and we'll plan to have a lesson in that slot each week, every week of every month* until you cancel the package. If you need to reschedule a lesson for any week wherein you have a monthly subscription but you're not able to make your regular slot, we'll try to find an alternate day and time in that week (please note that SGL weeks run Mon-Sun); if we're not able to do so, then that week's lesson is forfeited—no refunds or credits will be given for any lessons missed in this way, so students that tend to miss often or even just every few weeks may want to stick with a by-the-week package rather than the monthly subscription (some by-the-week package options may cost a little more per lesson, but you do get the benefit of a few allowed "missed" lessons in each package—a real boon for students that may need to miss an occasional lesson in a package for one reason or another).

If a subscription student needs to change the lesson slot for a monthly subscription to a different day and/or time, that will be considered a cancellation of the current package and a we'd then start a new subscription in the new slot (which would require the 2-full-month minimum again). I would be happy to transfer remaining lessons to a new subscription in such a case (so you wouldn't lose them from the cancelled month).

Monthly lesson subscriptions are $180 per month for a single, 45-minute lesson each SGL calendar week (Mon-Sun) in the month; payments will be due (and autopay transactions will process) on the 1st of each month, but we can discuss a slightly later recurring payment date if a student prefers. This due date/processing date will be the same each month, regardless of when a student's first lesson would fall in a new month.

The first two months of any new (or restarted) monthly lessons subscription will be required (you can pay for each month at the beginning of the month, but you are committing to two months at the start or restart of any subscription); after that, subscriptions can be stopped at any time—but any payment already made for any given month will be non-refundable (meaning that no refunds, prorated or otherwise, will be issued for subscriptions canceled with any remaining lesson days in the month). In order to cancel for the next month, a student must let me know when there are still at least seven days remaining in the prior month; otherwise, they are committed to the next month's subscription. Because I've set this subscription plan up this way, I am able to also allow any months with 5 weeks in the calendar month to still be priced at the same rate as a 4-week month, even though students will be able to get an additional lesson in those 5-week months. Wow—what a deal!

To start or cancel a subscription, just let me know that you'd like to do so; I'll get an invoice sent over ASAP with a link to start a subscription, or I'll get your current one canceled and confirm that to you as quickly as I can (again, please note that a subscription must be cancelled at least seven days prior to the end of the last paid month; cancellations made after that point will be effective at the end of the following month). New or restarted subscriptions can either start on the first of the following month, or I can send an updated invoice that includes an additional prorated charge for just the applicable lesson dates in the current month (those would be $45 per lesson/week for 4-week months, and $36 per lesson/week for 5-week months); the mandatory two months of a new or restarted subscription would begin at the start of the first full month.

And then monthly subscription students will also get the same freebies and bonuses that other students get when they purchase the by-the-week packages—those freebies, like the complimentary music folder and loaded guitar pick tin, will be made available to subscription students during their first subscription month. Monthly subscription students also get the exact same access to deals on guitar accessories from the top brands that I work with, plus my subscription students will also get free lessons on their anniversary and free lessons for referrals—just like my other students!

So in the hopes of meeting even more students' needs, I'm adding this service as an option for all of my students…giving Stephen's Guitar Lessons yet another thing that sets me apart from the competition. That list was already pretty substantial, but now aspiring guitarists have even more reasons to choose SGL for their lessons experience; schedule your FREE intro lesson today, and discover the difference for yourself!

*Monthly subscriptions assume one lesson per week, every week...but since I am the only instructor here at Stephen's Guitar Lessons, it is possible (though very rare) that I could be unavailable for a lesson, or even for a couple of days' worth of lessons. If we ever have to miss a week's lesson in a paid subscription as a result of me—the teacher—not being available, then I'll refund a prorated portion of that month's subscription payment (the refund will be either 20% or 25% for a week without a lesson, depending on how many weeks that month has; you'll get a 20% refund, or $36, if it is a 5-week month, and a 25% refund, or $45, if it is a 4-week month). However, if we need to reschedule a lesson for any reason other than Stephen the guitar instructor not being available for your regular slot, then you are limited to only the other regular slots that I have available in that week; if I don't have a suitable slot—or even any other slot—available, then that week's lesson is forfeited. Monthly subscriptions are best for students that attend their guitar lesson every week, pretty much without fail (and pretty much always in the same slot); it gets them an excellent price, with easy (and regular) payments that they don't have to fuss over, plus all the other benefits of being a Stephen's Guitar Lessons student.

If you won't be able to make your regularly scheduled lesson for any given week, please let me know as much in advance as you can; we'll try to find another slot for your lesson on another day during that same week, and I'll also usually have some options on the following Sunday for a make-up lesson if need be...and for in-person students we'll have the option to switch to an online lesson instead. But for any week that we don't have your lesson at the regular time and we're not able to reschedule it for later in that week (or the following Sunday), whether online or in person, that week's lesson will be considered a "missed" lesson and it will be deducted from the lessons package (and please note that only one rescheduling of a lesson will be allowed during any given calendar week; if you're not able to make the slot we've rescheduled for, then that becomes a "missed" lesson).

Packages of 8 or 10 lessons get one allowed "missed" lesson before I start deducting them from your package; packages of 12 lessons get two. Allowed "missed" lessons expire at the end of each package; they do not carry over from one package to the next.

So if you elect to either go lesson by lesson, or only with 4-week or 6-week packages, then any lesson that we aren't able to reschedule for that same week will count as a "missed" lesson and be deducted from the package; those on a lesson-by-lesson basis—as well as those with no lessons remaining in a package—will then need to prepay for another lesson or package in order to get on the next week's schedule. If your schedule changes a lot, or you have a tendency to need to miss a lesson every few weeks, then I would recommend getting a package of 8 or more lessons. Individually-purchased (single) lessons can only be rescheduled once, and that would be dependent on a suitable alternate option being available in that same week (so the sooner you can let me know if you need to reschedule a single lesson, the better chance I'll be able to make the change); refunds are not available for single lessons once they are purchased.

Please note that I reserve the right to count any lesson that a student schedules (but doesn't attend) as a "missed" lesson, whether the student has any remaining allowed "missed" lessons in the current package or not; an example of a situation where this would be the case would be if a student simply forgets about their lesson, or otherwise doesn't contact me ahead of time to reschedule the lesson.

To help ensure that you get every lesson that you pay for, I send out emails every weekend that remind each student of whatever lesson I have booked for them in my calendar for the upcoming week; if I don't have a lesson booked for a given student that week, they won't receive an email from me. This way each student will have a reminder that they can count on receiving somewhere around halfway between their weekly lessons, in addition to a verbal confirmation at the end of each lesson for the lesson the following week.

Single lesson purchases are not refundable, and then with packages there are no contracts—you can take as few or as many lessons as you want. Most package deals can be canceled part of the way through (one exception being if you have purchased discounted accessories through SGL, which is a benefit provided only to active SGL students; at that point, any current lessons package would no longer be refundable), but I'll base the refund on whatever package is closest to what you actually used and then refund the overage from that perspective, and if my rates have changed since the package was purchased then we'll price the used lessons at the higher rate (so for example, if you cancel a package of 10 lessons after you used 7 of them, then I would subtract the cost of a 6-week package, plus the cost of a single lesson, from the cost of the 10-week package, and the remainder would be your refund; if my rates have changed since the package was purchased—regardless of whether it was an increase or decrease—the subtracted cost would be at the higher of the two rates). If you cancel a package less than 7 days before your next scheduled lesson, then that lesson will be considered a "missed" lesson, and it will be counted as a used lesson in the package before the refund is calculated.

Also, if you discontinue your first lessons package before you have attended 4 paid, non-rescheduled lessons, there will be a $50 administrative fee deducted from any refund.

I'll be as flexible as I can with any schedule changes you need to make (as per my cancellation/rescheduling policy, as explained above in question #15), including putting a package on hold temporarily if need be. However, I won't be able to guarantee the same slot when you resume your lessons package, and if a reasonable amount of time passes without any contact or response from you once you put a package on hold, I reserve the right to deduct some or all of the remaining lessons (depending on the circumstances) once you do resume the lessons package.

For in-person students I'm happy to switch any single lesson to online if you'd like; I just ask that you please give me a minimum of 24 hours' notice so that I can properly prepare. If you decide that you want to switch all remaining lessons in your package to online, please let me know as soon as you can and we'll make the necessary arrangements. I also ask for at least 24 hours' notice in order to make a switch from online to an in-person lesson as well.

Achieving your goals as a budding guitar player will take some effort and some specific steps on your part. As a world-class guitar instructor, I can help you with all of those steps—and I can help you determine the best route to take to get the intended destination, as efficiently as possible.

As for the more physical things, like your instrument and other equipment, there are a few things that are pretty essential for most players. First, you'll want to be sure that you have an appropriate practice area. It should be as free as possible from distractions (for instance, other people's activities—like watching television, playing video games, listening to music, talking on the phone, etc), and it should be comfortable and well-lit. You should have a suitable chair or other seat that keeps you at an appropriate height and posture for playing (or you can play standing up, using a guitar strap—click here to see the first of my two YouTube videos where I compare and contrast a dozen or so different commonly available guitar straps, if you're in the market for a new guitar strap); you should also have a music stand there, or some way to easily display any music you are working with without causing you to change your seating position or posture to accommodate.

For students that take online lessons, if your practice area is not also your lessons area then you'll need to be sure that the lessons area (wherever your computer is set up) is also comfortable and well-lit, with an appropriate chair and away from distractions.

And then you'll need good musical equipment; for an acoustic guitar player, that mostly just means a good guitar. Notice that I didn't say "great" or "the best" or "professional" to describe the instrument, but rather "good" instead; "good" means it doesn't have any issues or drawbacks that would hinder your playing progress, and then if you desire something fancier you could always pay more for that. But there's no need to buy something expensive in order to not shortchange yourself at the start. Something reasonable like a ~$250-400 Ibanez, Yamaha, Fender/Squire, or Epiphone will be perfectly fine for most players to start with (for electric players, I always recommend an Ibanez; there are several models in their Gio line, as well as some of the lower priced RG models, that are amazing guitars for the money).

Electric players will also need an amp and cable, and probably a guitar strap (acoustic players may want one of those, too). Then there are other accessories, like a guitar stand and maintenance/cleaning tools and the like, that most players will also need. I've partnered with some of the best guitar/music accessory manufacturers around and as a result, Stephen's Guitar Lessons can be your source for some nice discounts—IF you are one of my students; see question #28, below, to find out all of the details about my accessories sales.

The less tangible things that you'll need are things like dedication, a commitment to regular practice, and then a good idea of what (and how) to practice. That last area is where the world-class guitar instruction that you get from Stephen's Guitar Lessons will make the biggest difference.

There are no hidden costs—all of the rates are listed clearly here on this site and will be discussed and confirmed before the lessons begin (click here to view, download, or print a pdf copy of my current guitar lessons rate sheet, which breaks down all the costs you could expect to incur in my lessons program); no sign-up costs; no materials to buy, either...HOWEVER, I highly recommend that you obtain things like a metronome, tuner (there are several free apps for those that are great options), music stand, etc., if you do not already have these. I will provide those during the lessons when possible, of course, but you should have these items for your individual practices. I can also get you a great deal on the absolute best accessories, but ONLY if you are one of my students; see question #28, below, to find out all of the details about my "Essential Add-Ons" program.

Also, in order to get the most out of online lessons you would want to have: a laptop or desktop computer that has a camera and mic; a good, reliable internet connection (a wired or Ethernet connection is much, much better than a WiFi connection); and a set of headphones (earbuds often work great). Optional additional equipment can include an audio interface (lots of affordable models to choose from these days) and a microphone for your voice (although the built-in mic on most modern webcams and computers should be more than enough), and so you can utilize those if you have them...but those items are NOT required in order to take online lessons from me. Feel free to contact me if you want to discuss your particular situation, and I can help you make sure you have everything you need and that it's all set up correctly.

An optional item that I do offer for sale (all SGL students get one free at the first lesson in the first paid package, but anyone can purchase one) is my music folder, which is described in greater detail in question #6, above. And I also offer custom designed, music and guitar related t-shirts, posters, and other goodies! Click here to visit the Stephen's Guitar Lessons store.

Some left-handed players do feel more comfortable with left-handed instructors, but such teachers can be difficult to find. As a result, many left-handed players just get used to "converting" everything in their heads when they come across something in music that's oriented for a right-handed guitarist.

I always provide left-handed versions (when applicable) of any music or exercises that I go over with my left-handed students; I've also created left-handed versions of my instructional posters that have chord or scale diagrams on them, so that southpaws can make better use of the poster's info, quicker. I even have a left-handed guitar available (in addition to a right-handed guitar) in my lessons studio for in-person students to use if they're not able to bring their guitar to a lesson!

I try to make everyone that participates in my lessons program feel welcome, and I strive to give everyone a level playing field to learn and grow on...lefties included! It's with this mindset that I've taken this approach, which is all part of the VIP lessons experience that I give to every student at Stephen's Guitar Lessons.

Each lesson I give is audio-recorded, and then most online lessons (and all in-person lessons) are also video-recorded—all at no charge to the student. Upon request, I will send those files to you within a day or so of me receiving that request. The audio recordings are generally compact, hi-res mp3 files: easily downloaded, and they still sound excellent. The video files are generally either QuickTime movie files, with the camera trained right on my guitar the whole time, or a recording of the online lesson as provided by whatever platform we use (please be aware that when I record the online lesson from my end, the recording will capture the audio and video from my perspective, which may be different from the layout the student has chosen on their end). Either way, it's (almost) just like being there in the lesson again!

All video and audio lessons (along with any additional audio and video files that SGL may create) will be owned in perpetuity and copyrighted in full and in their entirety solely by me, and licensed indefinitely and exclusively only to the student, and for that individual student's own personal review only. No other use is authorized or permitted. Requesting or accepting any audio or video file from Stephen's Guitar Lessons means you explicitly and completely acknowledge and accept these terms; these terms also apply if you choose to record a lesson yourself, directly or indirectly, via any recording software or device (or any other means) that you may have. The same terms and conditions also apply if any other party records any portion of the lesson/interaction in any way.

I offer several opportunities for students to get free lessons. Current students that refer a friend (new students only) get a free lesson when their friend purchases a package of 6 or more lessons; just tell your friend to let me know that you referred them whenever they book their first lesson, and I will add a lesson to your current package once they have attended their 4th lesson in their first package. This offer only applies to the first package a new student purchases.

And then each year on (or close to) the anniversary of a student's intro lesson I'll give the student the option to add one free lesson to their current package, or they can choose to receive a discount code for TWO free t-shirts (or posters) from my online merch store (just pay S&H). No other guitar teacher takes care of their loyal students like that!

To qualify for a free referral lesson, a free anniversary lesson or merch code you must be a current student in good standing, without having missed/postponed/cancelled/rescheduled an excessive amount of regular weekly lessons (determination of what qualifies as "excessive" is solely up to me). Putting a package on hold may also prevent a student from getting an anniversary bonus lesson or merch code.

Sorry, I do not offer group lessons; I have found that they are not nearly as effective as one-on-one lessons, unless the teacher is using a "one size fits all" curriculum. Private lessons are the most beneficial for the student, and the most efficient way to approach guitar instruction—assuming the instructor is personalizing the lessons for each student, as I do.

Another factor is that I conduct lessons in a space that does not fit mulitple people well during a lesson (although it accommodates myself and the student nicely); for more info about that, please see question #9, above.

Yes I do! All of my packages can be purchased for someone else, and I'm happy to send over a gift certificate that you can present to that individual (gift certificates are not automatically generated, so please let me know if you do want one). Please note that gift certificates and gifted lessons/packages are NOT refundable, and any unused lessons from a gift certificate or gifted package, as well as any gift certificate for any physical items or merchandise from SGL, would expire one year after the purchase/issue date.

I've opened lots of communication channels, to not just my current students but also to prospective students as well; feel free to reach out to me in whatever way works best for you. I am available via email* sent to stephen (at) stephensguitarlessons (dot) com, or via phone at VIP-PLAY-GTR (847-752-9487; you can call or text me at this number), or through the Contact area of this website.
* Gmail users: Please check your spam/junk folder! I'd recommend using another email address, if you are able to do so; if not, please follow the steps outlined in this link (which is also at the bottom of my email signature), which gives you detailed instructions on how to add an email address to your safe senders list. If you don't take one or both of those steps, you may not receive all of the emails that I send to you—even if I reply directly to your email, it could still get sent to your spam folder (but if I'm on your safe/approved senders list, that's not supposed to happen). I hate that Gmail makes its users jump through such hoops to receive emails, but I unfortunately have no control over that.

I recommend any of those options rather than contacting me through Facebook, Yelp, Nextdoor, or any other third-party website; I can't vouch for the speed or reliability with which those entities notify their users of messages or other communications, but I can confirm that I stay "plugged in" (or that I'm close by) to my website, email and phone almost all of the time. I can definitely guarantee that I will be most readily available—and that I'll get your message the quickest—if you use a direct channel like my website, my lessons email address, or my posted phone number.

I'm generally available for calls and texts via phone, and also by email—if I'm not in a lesson, of course!—between 9AM and 10PM (Eastern) daily, and then any messages that I receive will be returned as quickly as possible. Usually that will be within just a few minutes or hours, but please be aware that it may sometimes take a little longer than that. At last check, though, I'm proud to say that my response time to messages received via my website or through my posted lessons email or phone number (during my posted business hours) has consistently been less than an hour; often it's less than 30-40 minutes or so.

Afterpay is a third-party provider of short-term financing for consumer purchases. You can now use Afterpay as a payment method for anything purchased from Stephen's Guitar Lessons, which means that you can now pay in installments—at no extra charge! This includes any lessons and/or merchandise purchase as long as it totals at least $215 and no more than $1,000 (so that covers the majority of purchases made with Stephen's Guitar Lessons), and it will apply to in-person and online lessons. You can use this payment method on my website or in person.

The simple, easy online process involves selecting Afterpay as your payment method and entering your payment info (for an in-person payment you'd need to have your Afterpay account set up beforehand, and then we'd do a contactless payment using your phone), and then making four equal payments over six weeks...all without having to pay any interest or fees or other additional costs for the Afterpay service. Find out more about Afterpay and how it works by clicking here.

I decided to make this additional payment option available so that all of my clients could have at least a little bit better access to the larger lesson packages that I offer.

So now is the perfect time to dust off that old guitar in the back of the closet and—finally!—really learn how to play it...or to provide some assistance for someone who is already on their musical journey, by getting them a lessons package gift certificate...or to learn that new skill that you've always dreamed of, all without having to make such a large payment up front in order to get the best deals on lessons.

Yes, I do! Click here to read all the details.

As a matter of fact, I do! In 2022, I held the first of what I hope will be many giveaways featuring guitar accessories...and the initial giveaway included a brand-new Ibanez Gio electric guitar as a grand prize! In total, there were four lucky winners who won a grand total of over $700 (retail value) worth of gear and accessories. Here are some pictures of the winners:





The 2022 Back-To-School giveaway was, and any future giveaway will be, open to any active student of Stephen's Guitar Lessons; an "active student" is defined as someone who has booked and attended a free introductory guitar lesson with Stephen's Guitar Lessons, online or in-person, so there is no cost associated with eligibility. But the quickest way to get info about specials, deals, and great programs and opportunities like these is to be an active student in good standing, meaning you are an active student that has at least one paid lesson on the calendar within the next 14 days. The next batch of goodies I give away could be yours!

That's a good question! Keep in mind, though, that there are often lots of possible reasons why someone may have a phone number that is not local to where they live—for instance, they may have just moved, or they may have moved a while ago and they don't want to change the phone number that they may have had for many years. For me, the reason is very simple: once my business grew enough to where I didn't want to rely on my home phone number any longer, as I had initially done, I decided to go for a custom phone number (sometimes known as a "vanity" phone number) where I got to select the number.

The reason behind the "play guitar" part of the number (PLAY-GTR) should be pretty obvious, and then I wanted to also highlight how much better the circumstances for students can be at Stephen's Guitar Lessons as compared to other lessons options, so the concept of the "Very Important Player" came to be. If you want to learn more about what the "VIP Experience" means here at SGL, you can find out all the details in FAQ question #7, above.