Teachers
The Portland Guitar Society has compiled a list of guitar teachers in the Portland area. Teachers of all genres are welcome, and inclusion does not imply an endorsement by PGS. Listed teachers must be active members of Portland Guitar Society.
To edit your entry or add a teacher to this list, please use our Teacher Submission Form.
To edit your entry or add a teacher to this list, please use our Teacher Submission Form.
Andy Arriaga
Email: [email protected]
Styles: Suzuki Method
Instruments: Guitar
Levels: Beginners & Intermediate
Teaching location: NE Portland
Cost: $200/month
Special Interest: Early Childhood Education and guitar accompaniment
Forest Bailey
Website: Https://Forestbaileymusic.com/lessons
Email: [email protected]
Styles:All forms of Rock, Pop, Improvisation, Original Music, Fingerstyle, Metal, beginning classical and jazz
Instruments: Acoustic & Electric Guitar
Levels: Beginner-Advanced
Teaching location: SE, Online
Cost: $80/hr
Special Interest: I have been teaching & performing professionally since 2012 and have taught over 300 students from their first chords to preparing for college and also developing their own music. I have a background in everything from progressive rock to jazz, classical and modern fingerstyle guitar. Every student is unique, and I work with each one to develop the most exciting way to keep them motivated to the next step, from basic technique to breaking down music theory in an easy to understand and personalized method. If you would like to learn more about me and my lessons, please visit Https://forestbaileymusic.com/lessons.
Julia Banzi
Website: http://college.lclark.edu/live/profiles/1871-julia-banzi
Email: [email protected]
Styles: Suzuki Method, Flamenco, Classical, Folk Guitar
Instruments: Guitar
Levels: Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced
Teaching location: SE & NE
Cost: Suzuki Tuition: $200 Month for weekly individual lesson and group class. Non Suzuki Tuition: Inquire.
Special Interest: Early Childhood Education, Flamenco, injury recovery and prevention. I have a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara and am a devoted teacher, composer, performer and ethnomusicologist who truly enjoys working with students of all levels. I teach at Lewis & Clark College, Portland State University, University of Portland and Suzuki early childhood guitar through Suzuki Stumptown. Whether in flamenco, folk or classical, I provide students with a solid foundation on the guitar while guiding students toward creating original music they can call their own! Many of my students have gone on to become professional musicians. I love guitar!
Mark Hanson
Website: http://www.MarkHansonGuitar.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503-780-3130
Styles: All acoustic guitar styles. Specializing in fingerstyle
Instruments: Guitar and ukulele.
Levels: All levels
Teaching location: West Linn and Portland Music at NE 25th and Broadway
Cost: $75 hour
Special Interest: Please check my website to see all of the topics I have written books/DVDs about.
Jill Khovy
Website: http://khovymusic.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503 701 9402
Styles: All except Flamenco
Instruments: Guitar, Ukulele, Piano, Voice
Levels: All levels.
Teaching location: Close In Portland
Cost: Ask
Arthur Lee
Website: http://www.arthurclee.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 971.409.1057
Styles: pop, rock, jazz, blues, classical
Instruments: guitar, ukulele, piano
Levels: Beginning to intermediate
Teaching location: NE Portland
Cost: $50 / hour
Brenna McDonald
Website: http://www.espacioflamencopdx.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503 233 8613
Styles: Flamenco guitar (focus on accompaniment for dance/singing)
Instruments: Flamenco guitar
Levels: Absolute Beginning - Intermediate/Advanced
Teaching location: SE Portland
Cost: $40/hr
Special Interest: My focus is teaching guitarists right hand techniques for flamenco guitar based on teachings from El Entri and the Caño Roto school in Madrid, Spain. My passion is to build flamenco community and in addition to teaching technique I focus on providing guitarists with the tools needed to accompany dancers and singers, and provide opportunity for players to practice using these skills in groups and with other flamenco artists.
Rose Okada
Website: http://www.kiranawest.com & loveisafrequency.com
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Phone: 971-506-0205
Styles: classical, folk, songwriting, Suzuki Method, Indian Classical music
Instruments: guitar, ukulele, violin, piano, Indian classical music - tabla, vocal, violin
Levels: beginner to advanced, age 4 through adult
Teaching location: online only
Cost: $30.00 half hour
Special Interest: I have 40 years experience as a music teacher. I have a Bachelor of Music in Classical Guitar, and trained in the Suzuki Method with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki in Japan. I have traveled ten times to India to study music.
Maria Olaya
Website: http://mariaolaya.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503 758 9807
Styles: Classical, Brazilian, South American
Instruments: guitar, ukulele, cajón
Levels: From true beginer to professional coaching
Teaching location: South East Portland, Lake Oswego
Cost: Please visit my website
Jeff Putterman
Website: http://jeffputterman.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503 708 1721
Styles: finger style & plectrum, jazz & contemporary, solo guitar
Instruments: 6 & 7 string guitar
Levels: For the advancing guitarist
Teaching location: Portland State University & Mt Park/Lake Oswego
Cost: $60/hr lesson
Special Interest: music composition, applied theory & improv. solo guitar
Eric Skye
Website: http://www.ericskye.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503.309.0422
Styles: Jazz, blues, funk, fingerstyle. Also bluegrass and traditional flatpicking
Instruments: Guitar
Levels: All
Teaching location: Great Park Area Of NE Portland
Cost: $150 for four 45 minute private sessions
Doug Smith
Website: http://www.dougsmithguitar.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503-544-3548
Styles: Acoustic fingerstyle (all styles), fundamentals, transcribing, arranging
Instruments: Acoustic Guitar
Levels: All levels
Teaching location: SE Portland
Cost: Please contact
Kristen Waligora
Website: kristenwaligora.com/guitarlessons
Email: [email protected]
Styles:
- Learn from an experienced, University-trained instructor with a patient and effective teaching style. I hold a Bachelor of Music degree from Portland State University and studied at the University of Texas at Austin.
- Each student will benefit from having a tailored lesson plan based on your specific goals and interests.
- Learn proper guitar technique, how to read music, knowledge of the fingerboard, music theory, and music ranging from Bach to Eric Clapton.
- Just beginning? Learn how to play the guitar correctly the first time. Classical technique gives you a solid foundation for all styles of music.
- Intermediate to advanced? Learn the music you've always wanted to play and dip into advanced techniques.
- Professional? Do you want to reach a broader audience for your music? Want to create and sell merchandise and CDs and/or tour? I've been featured twice in Classical Guitar Magazine for my solo and duo albums, as well as BBC Radio, and NPR's Classical Guitar Alive.
Instruments: Classical Guitar
Levels: All skill levels from beginner to advanced
Teaching location: SE Guitar Studio and Online Lessons
Cost: Please see website
Aaron Wolf
Website: http://blog.wolftune.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 734-707-8828
Styles: All styles for beginners; specialties include classical, flamenco, various fingerstyle approaches, blues, folk, and world fusion
Instruments: Guitar
Levels: Novice through advanced
Teaching location: Oregon City and online
Cost: sliding scale
Special Interest: I stand out from most teachers for my focus on the science of music, emphasizing psychology, music cognition, exploration and creativity… I'm also an expert in non-standard tuning systems including Just Intonation and microtonal music. More about my background and teaching philosophy at http://blog.wolftune.com/p/lesson-details-philosophy.html
Peter Zisa
Website: http://www.peterzisa.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503-307-4907
Styles: Student-centered lessons, ergonomic (classical) technique. Stylistic diversity: Classical (Renaissance to 21st Century), Popular cultural styles (Blues, Latin, Ragtime, Travis-picking, folk, Jazz...). Stylistic improvisation (Renaissance, Baroque to Blues and Jazz).
Instruments: 6 and 8 string guitar
Levels: Beginning to Professional
Teaching location: NE Portland
Cost: See Website
Special Interest: Helping students realize their musical goals is my purpose and mission as a teacher and mentor. Learning guitar best begins by developing basic skills (ergonomic habits) using creative and engaging activities. Once foundational skills are established the sky is the limit. For me, music-making is a never-ending learning experience. It is also an immensely personal and creative form self-expression, that is enriching and empowering.
Email: [email protected]
Styles: Suzuki Method
Instruments: Guitar
Levels: Beginners & Intermediate
Teaching location: NE Portland
Cost: $200/month
Special Interest: Early Childhood Education and guitar accompaniment
Forest Bailey
Website: Https://Forestbaileymusic.com/lessons
Email: [email protected]
Styles:All forms of Rock, Pop, Improvisation, Original Music, Fingerstyle, Metal, beginning classical and jazz
Instruments: Acoustic & Electric Guitar
Levels: Beginner-Advanced
Teaching location: SE, Online
Cost: $80/hr
Special Interest: I have been teaching & performing professionally since 2012 and have taught over 300 students from their first chords to preparing for college and also developing their own music. I have a background in everything from progressive rock to jazz, classical and modern fingerstyle guitar. Every student is unique, and I work with each one to develop the most exciting way to keep them motivated to the next step, from basic technique to breaking down music theory in an easy to understand and personalized method. If you would like to learn more about me and my lessons, please visit Https://forestbaileymusic.com/lessons.
Julia Banzi
Website: http://college.lclark.edu/live/profiles/1871-julia-banzi
Email: [email protected]
Styles: Suzuki Method, Flamenco, Classical, Folk Guitar
Instruments: Guitar
Levels: Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced
Teaching location: SE & NE
Cost: Suzuki Tuition: $200 Month for weekly individual lesson and group class. Non Suzuki Tuition: Inquire.
Special Interest: Early Childhood Education, Flamenco, injury recovery and prevention. I have a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara and am a devoted teacher, composer, performer and ethnomusicologist who truly enjoys working with students of all levels. I teach at Lewis & Clark College, Portland State University, University of Portland and Suzuki early childhood guitar through Suzuki Stumptown. Whether in flamenco, folk or classical, I provide students with a solid foundation on the guitar while guiding students toward creating original music they can call their own! Many of my students have gone on to become professional musicians. I love guitar!
Mark Hanson
Website: http://www.MarkHansonGuitar.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503-780-3130
Styles: All acoustic guitar styles. Specializing in fingerstyle
Instruments: Guitar and ukulele.
Levels: All levels
Teaching location: West Linn and Portland Music at NE 25th and Broadway
Cost: $75 hour
Special Interest: Please check my website to see all of the topics I have written books/DVDs about.
Jill Khovy
Website: http://khovymusic.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503 701 9402
Styles: All except Flamenco
Instruments: Guitar, Ukulele, Piano, Voice
Levels: All levels.
Teaching location: Close In Portland
Cost: Ask
Arthur Lee
Website: http://www.arthurclee.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 971.409.1057
Styles: pop, rock, jazz, blues, classical
Instruments: guitar, ukulele, piano
Levels: Beginning to intermediate
Teaching location: NE Portland
Cost: $50 / hour
Brenna McDonald
Website: http://www.espacioflamencopdx.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503 233 8613
Styles: Flamenco guitar (focus on accompaniment for dance/singing)
Instruments: Flamenco guitar
Levels: Absolute Beginning - Intermediate/Advanced
Teaching location: SE Portland
Cost: $40/hr
Special Interest: My focus is teaching guitarists right hand techniques for flamenco guitar based on teachings from El Entri and the Caño Roto school in Madrid, Spain. My passion is to build flamenco community and in addition to teaching technique I focus on providing guitarists with the tools needed to accompany dancers and singers, and provide opportunity for players to practice using these skills in groups and with other flamenco artists.
Rose Okada
Website: http://www.kiranawest.com & loveisafrequency.com
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Phone: 971-506-0205
Styles: classical, folk, songwriting, Suzuki Method, Indian Classical music
Instruments: guitar, ukulele, violin, piano, Indian classical music - tabla, vocal, violin
Levels: beginner to advanced, age 4 through adult
Teaching location: online only
Cost: $30.00 half hour
Special Interest: I have 40 years experience as a music teacher. I have a Bachelor of Music in Classical Guitar, and trained in the Suzuki Method with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki in Japan. I have traveled ten times to India to study music.
Maria Olaya
Website: http://mariaolaya.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503 758 9807
Styles: Classical, Brazilian, South American
Instruments: guitar, ukulele, cajón
Levels: From true beginer to professional coaching
Teaching location: South East Portland, Lake Oswego
Cost: Please visit my website
Jeff Putterman
Website: http://jeffputterman.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503 708 1721
Styles: finger style & plectrum, jazz & contemporary, solo guitar
Instruments: 6 & 7 string guitar
Levels: For the advancing guitarist
Teaching location: Portland State University & Mt Park/Lake Oswego
Cost: $60/hr lesson
Special Interest: music composition, applied theory & improv. solo guitar
Eric Skye
Website: http://www.ericskye.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503.309.0422
Styles: Jazz, blues, funk, fingerstyle. Also bluegrass and traditional flatpicking
Instruments: Guitar
Levels: All
Teaching location: Great Park Area Of NE Portland
Cost: $150 for four 45 minute private sessions
Doug Smith
Website: http://www.dougsmithguitar.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503-544-3548
Styles: Acoustic fingerstyle (all styles), fundamentals, transcribing, arranging
Instruments: Acoustic Guitar
Levels: All levels
Teaching location: SE Portland
Cost: Please contact
Kristen Waligora
Website: kristenwaligora.com/guitarlessons
Email: [email protected]
Styles:
- Learn from an experienced, University-trained instructor with a patient and effective teaching style. I hold a Bachelor of Music degree from Portland State University and studied at the University of Texas at Austin.
- Each student will benefit from having a tailored lesson plan based on your specific goals and interests.
- Learn proper guitar technique, how to read music, knowledge of the fingerboard, music theory, and music ranging from Bach to Eric Clapton.
- Just beginning? Learn how to play the guitar correctly the first time. Classical technique gives you a solid foundation for all styles of music.
- Intermediate to advanced? Learn the music you've always wanted to play and dip into advanced techniques.
- Professional? Do you want to reach a broader audience for your music? Want to create and sell merchandise and CDs and/or tour? I've been featured twice in Classical Guitar Magazine for my solo and duo albums, as well as BBC Radio, and NPR's Classical Guitar Alive.
Instruments: Classical Guitar
Levels: All skill levels from beginner to advanced
Teaching location: SE Guitar Studio and Online Lessons
Cost: Please see website
Aaron Wolf
Website: http://blog.wolftune.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 734-707-8828
Styles: All styles for beginners; specialties include classical, flamenco, various fingerstyle approaches, blues, folk, and world fusion
Instruments: Guitar
Levels: Novice through advanced
Teaching location: Oregon City and online
Cost: sliding scale
Special Interest: I stand out from most teachers for my focus on the science of music, emphasizing psychology, music cognition, exploration and creativity… I'm also an expert in non-standard tuning systems including Just Intonation and microtonal music. More about my background and teaching philosophy at http://blog.wolftune.com/p/lesson-details-philosophy.html
Peter Zisa
Website: http://www.peterzisa.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503-307-4907
Styles: Student-centered lessons, ergonomic (classical) technique. Stylistic diversity: Classical (Renaissance to 21st Century), Popular cultural styles (Blues, Latin, Ragtime, Travis-picking, folk, Jazz...). Stylistic improvisation (Renaissance, Baroque to Blues and Jazz).
Instruments: 6 and 8 string guitar
Levels: Beginning to Professional
Teaching location: NE Portland
Cost: See Website
Special Interest: Helping students realize their musical goals is my purpose and mission as a teacher and mentor. Learning guitar best begins by developing basic skills (ergonomic habits) using creative and engaging activities. Once foundational skills are established the sky is the limit. For me, music-making is a never-ending learning experience. It is also an immensely personal and creative form self-expression, that is enriching and empowering.