How Our Guitar Lessons Work
Private Guitar Intro Course
Every new student starts with our 5-week private intro course. During that time, beginner students are introduced to basic concepts like simple melodies and chords. By the end of the trial students will have begun to read music notation.
Weekly Lessons
After the private guitar course, students are encouraged to continue with private lessons. Some intermediate students may be invited to join one of our weekly group lessons.
Additional Workshops
Select students may be invited to participate in exclusive weekly workshops such as: Blues Guitar or Campfire Songs workshops.
About Us
We Believe...
It is important to have a teacher who knows how to keep it fun and who also knows how to help the student understand and effectively address the inevitable challenges.
The teacher's job is to create a positive learning experience for each student by using the wisdom of insight, experience and careful attention to detail in order to set each student up for success.
Anyone can learn to play guitar. We work with all ages and levels!
Our Intro Guitar Course Includes:
- 30min Private Lessons
- Weekly Sessions
- 1:1 With an Instructor
- A Personal Assessment of a Student's Skill Level & Musical Interests
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Study Materials, Music, Worksheets & More
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Music Block's General Music Library Access
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Music Block's Exclusive Digital Guitar Library Access
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An Invitation to an Exclusive Group for Continued Learning
$350 Value ONLY $119!
Student & Parent FAQs
Does the student have to have their own guitar?
Yes. We highly recommend that a student has a guitar before starting their private intro course. This permits a student to take full advantage of their private lessons to be ready and equipped in order to be invited to join a cohort for levels 1-5 or to join one of the workshop programs.
Where can I buy a guitar?
You can buy a beginner guitar on Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, Kline Music, Tim's Music, Skip's Music or Guitar Center. Kline or Tim's might even be renting guitars at this time. You can always ask your teacher at the intro course if they have any concerns about the guitar you bring to class.
Can a parent sit in the class?
Yes. A parent is welcome to sit in and observe the private intro course.
What if we have to miss a class?
If you are taking the intro course and have to miss a class, give us at least a 24 hour notice and the lesson can be rescheduled. (Without a 24 hour notice, the lesson time is forfeited.)
If you have to miss a class in levels 1-5, don't worry, ample resources are given to students so that they can still keep up with the cohort progress and not fall behind.
About the Instructors
Adam Block
My name is Adam Block and I am the business owner and head Guitar Teacher at the Block Academy of Music. I teach bass guitar lessons, acoustic guitar lessons, and electric guitar lessons music theory lessons and group lessons. I am a native of Sacramento and I have played the guitar for 25 years. I earned a bachelor’s degree in history from UC Davis, before attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston where I earned a second bachelor’s degree in Music and Guitar. I have extensive experience performing as a band leader, as a session musician in recording studio on numerous projects, and touring in bands throughout the East and West coasts.
I love playing music, but my true passion is being a music teacher. I love to teach people how to play the guitar, and why music works. Like music, teaching is an art. Teaching is the art of communication, and a successful music teacher is one who knows how to communicate abstract guitar techniques and music concepts to new guitar students in ways that are clear, concise, accessible and easy to understand. I truly thrive on seeing my students succeed.
Lew Fratis
Lew Fratis is a local Sacramento guitar legend, and music teacher with decades of experience as a band leader, song writer, and recording artist. In 1993 he led his band to win a Sammie award for “best blues band” and in 2013 he was inducted to the Sacramento Blues hall of fame. For Lew, teaching guitar is about inspiring students, and helping them to acquire the skills they need to express their selves with music.
Harley White Jr.
Pulitzer Prize-nominated musician and composer Harley White Jr. has been living life out loud, one note at a time, since the moment he picked up his first instrument – a violin – at the daybreak of his youth.
Harley has been involved in the northern California Music scene as a session player, performer, composer, band leader, educator and mentor for decades.
He leads the Harley White Jr. Orchestra which features some of Sacramento's greatest talents in the Orchestra lineup such as, Darius Babazadeh (alto sax), Reagen Branch (tenor sax), Byron Colborn (baritone sax), Justin Au (trumpet), Aaron Smith (trumpet), Brandon Au (trombone), Clark Goodloe (piano) and Erinn Anova (arranger, resident diva).
Harley is passionate about music education and mentoring his students. He brings his experience and insight to offer a rare and rich educational opportunity to his students by helping them to expand their musical capabilities.
Vincent Pantages
Bio
Vincent Pantages is an electric guitar player from Sacramento, California. He has been playing guitar for 15 years, playing in bands in and around Sacramento for the past 6 years, and teaching guitar for the past 5. After graduating from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Professional Music, he returned to Sacramento to rejoin his bands, start a new musical project, and continue teaching guitar. His guitar playing reflects a wide range of influences, including psychedelic rock, jazz, soul, funk, and bluegrass, and those influences show in his music. He loves to write, play, and teach music, and hopes to help his students be the best they can at their instrument while reaching and exceeding their own unique goals.
Sergio Zazueta
My name is Sergio Zazueta, I am a guitar teacher at the Block Academy of Music. I am from Sacramento, and I have been playing guitar for ten years. I am currently pursuing a degree in music at Sacramento City College. I play a variety of music styles and I have performed in various groups for the past seven years. I have a passion for writing music and teaching others, and I hope to help my students achieve their music goals and beyond.
Andrew Clayton Little
Andrew Clayton Little is a blues/jazz/rock guitarist from Sacramento. He is currently the lead guitarist in Mick Martin’s Big Blues Band and is also earning his Bachelors degree in Jazz Studies at Sacramento State University. Andrew first picked up the guitar at the age of thirteen, and hisdesire to play the guitar was first sparked by the sounds of blues/rock guitar. His influences include a number of musical artists such as blues greats Howlin Wolf, Albert King, and Albert Collins to jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Charlie Christian. Andrew has performed as a side man with with numerous bands including Jimmy Pailer and the Prophets, Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers, and he las worked as a band leader with the Andrew Clayton Little Project. Andrew believes that learning to play the guitar and make music requires that students balance the discipline necessary to study theory and technique with the freedom of self expression and creative exploration in music. He seeks to help students find their own voice and to help them to understand the rules and mechanics of making music.
Juniper Waller
Juniper Waller is a third generation singer, songwriter, and performer. After a decade of studying the human voice, Juniper began teaching in 2016. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College, studied music at American River College, and completed training with the Contemporary Voice Teacher Academy. Juniper cut her teeth in the blues scene of New York City before moving back to her homestate of California to start her funk soul band The Gold Souls. With three albums under her belt and several multi-state tours, Juniper is a seasoned musician and bandleader who is passionate about passing on her knowledge and experience to others.
Method:
With an emphasis on voice science and vocal health, Juniper helps singers of all ages and backgrounds to find their voice, define their personal style, and begin to share it with the world in whatever capacity they desire. She has a knack for helping students unlock their power, and potential as singers. Juniper's experience as a breathwork teacher makes her uniquely poised to help singers access breath control for optimal creative expression and health. Juniper's belief that our voices are meant to be used and that everyone can enjoy singing sets the foundation for a safe, open-minded, exploratory lesson space. Juniper is also an experienced performance coach, helping students through stage fright and performance anxiety. Due to her many years of running a working band, Juniper helps those students embarking on the professional track through all facets of getting a music career off the ground, including but not limited to: songwriting and song arrangement, recording in the studio, booking gigs, getting a group together, marketing and media, releasing music, and touring.
![juniper head shot[16579]_edited.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/da27f0_c75458c16d3c449ba99494b4915109d9~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_429,h_654,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/juniper%20head%20shot%5B16579%5D_edited.jpg)
Tuition for the Private Guitar Course Includes:
- 30min Lessons
- Weekly Sessions
- 1:1 With an Instructor
- A Personal Assessment of a Student's Skill Level & Musical Interests
-
Study Materials, Music, Worksheets & More
-
Music Block's General Music Library Access
-
Music Block's Exclusive Digital Guitar Library Access
-
An Invitation to an Exclusive Group for Continued Learning
$350 Value ONLY $119!