How much do lessons cost?

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$125 per month for half hour private guitar lessons once a week.
$250 per month for 1 hour private lessons once a week. ​ $125 per month for 45 minute group lessons once a week.

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Where are you located?

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The Block Academy of Music is in Gold River. Take Hwy 50 to Sunrise Blvd north exit. Then turn right on to Coloma Rd. and we are located on the corner of Coloma road and Gold River Road. The address is 11300 Coloma road. Suite A-4 Gold River CA 95670

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How long are guitar lessons?

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Private Guitar lessons are typically 30 minutes long. As students get farther into studying music and the guitar, they may increase the lesson time to an hour.

Group lessons are typically 1 hour. As the group progresses, students may have an option to increase the time to 1hr and 30 minutes or 2 hours should the group agree to do that.

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What payments are accepted?

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Students are asked to pay at the beginning of each month and not later than the 5th of the month. We accept, cash, debit, check, credit, venmo, paypal, zelle, and cash app.

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How long is the contract?

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The contract is month to month. Students pay for lessons a month at a time and can stop or take a break at any time.

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Do you give make up lessons?

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If students provide at least a 24-hour advanced notice that they cannot attend a guitar lesson or a group lesson they are eligible to request a make-up lesson. We cannot pro rate the cost for lessons. The cost for lessons is a flat rate and cannot be adjusted to accommodate missed days for vacations or travel.

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What kind of guitar techniques will my child be learning?

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The private lessons are tailored to the student’s ability. Our goal is to quickly help each student feel a sense of growth and accomplishment and create a positive experience for the beginning music student. We encourage exploration and invite them to get to know the sound and the feel of the guitar. There is a shallow learning curve in the beginning and the teaching approach can vary from student to student. We use simple music drills and song structures to cultivate and introduce guitar techniques that are technically accessible and easy to understand.

The order of techniques generally follows.

Rhythm study and counting. Playing with the metronome.

Single note basslines or rhythm patterns/ Melodies

Simple Chord and strumming Patterns

More sophisticated Chords and strumming patterns and songs.

Scale patterns/ playing transcribe solos and etudes

Introduction to improvisation

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Do you offer a family discount?

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After the first student signs up for guitar lessons, we offer a 5% discount for the 2nd and 3rd family member.

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What type of Music do you teach?

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We teach pop, rock, blues, jazz, funk, RnB, Reggae, and some world music. We teach some classical music, but it is not the primary teaching we offer.

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Do students need to learn to read music?

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We do not require that our students learn to read music notation, but we strongly encourage them to learn. We also introduce guitar tablature. Learning to play guitar by ear is the first way of learning and is very effective in producing skilled and adaptable musicians. It is important to be able to read music notation, but it is more important to be able to understand how to listen critically to the music one hears. Understanding what one hears is not contingent upon having the ability to read music, though reading does help. If a student has an interest in going to college to study music, or becoming a professional musician then reading is very strongly encouraged.

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What instruments do you teach?

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We currently offer lessons for the Bass guitar, Acoustic Guitar, and the Electric Guitar.

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Do you have guitars available for rent?

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We do not have any guitars for rent. Students are required to have their own guitars.

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Where can I rent a guitar?

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Some local music shops will have guitars for rent. Its best to contact a local retailer in

your neighborhood to inquire about renting an instrument.

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What is the youngest age you will accept for beginning guitar students?

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Generally, 6 years old is the earliest age that children begin to show readiness for learning to play the guitar. Of course, there are exceptions.

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How much practice is expected?

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In the first month, guitar students should expect to practice every day for at least 15 minutes. After their hands and fingers adapt and they become more familiar with the instrument students should expect to practice at least 30 minutes and up to an hour a day.

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Will students participate in performances or recitals?

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Students have the option to but are not required to participate in our annual recital.

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What should a new student expect?

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Students should expect to take at least one month of private guitar lessons before beginning the group guitar lesson program. During the first month, the teacher and student will cover the basic concepts such as posture, how to hold the guitar and pick, how to tune the guitar and some basics such as picking single note melodies and strumming simple chords. Eventually, students will be enouraged to come to the group lessons as they progress in their private lessons.

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What Kind of Guitar Should I Buy?

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There's no such thing as a beginner guitar. For beginning students, buying a new lower priced starter package guitar from your local shop is a good way to begin. If you want to wait before buying a guitar because you want to try a few lessons beforehand, you can find a music shop that will rent you one.

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How Does Your Program Work?

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Students are encouraged to enroll in private guitar lessons and group lessons at the same time because the material covered in the private guitar lessons will be applied during the group guitar lessons, building the relevant and related musical context.

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