Ben Lassiter
Guitar Lessons with Theory Integration by North Carolina Central University Educator
Guitar lessons - Ben Lassiter
Masters degree
/ 30 min
Ben - Know your guitar teacher
Hey! I'm Ben, a guitarist who loves to help others learn guitar! I've been playing about 25 years and have been teaching professionally since 2005. I can take you from the basics all the way to improvising a solo, or how to write your own songs. I'm comfortable in rock, jazz, blues, r&b, and many other styles. I play acoustic and electric. I can teach you about music theory and how it applies to the guitar fretboard. I help students understand the guitar and understand music. What do you want to learn? That's what we will work on in our lessons. As for credentials, I have a masters of music in Jazz Studies from North Carolina Central University, and I got my bachelors degree with a minor in music from Appalachian State University. One of my favorite musical styles to play is swing: the music of Django Reinhardt and jazz from that era really speaks to me.
Strumming made easy in class
89% students say rhythm and timing improved quickly
Guitar lessons have strong results in a short time
91% Parent feel they kids have started playing songs within weeks
Step-by-step guitar classes tracking
86% students see clear milestones across levels
Guitar lessons quick guide
For the adult student, I will ask you, 'What do you want to learn?' The answer to that will be what we will use to structure our lessons. You may need to work on certain right or left hand techniques to achieve what you want to do, so we will develop a plan for that. Many students start by wanting to be able to play a certain song, or the music of a certain artist. For beginners, I break songs down to the first steps, progressively adding more and more layers as your skills develop. I can help you learn to read music if that's what you'd like to do. For younger students, I use method books to guide the creation of basic skills. Parents generally want reading music to be a part of their child's leaning plan, but there many areas of guitar that do not stress that skill. I use backing tracks and play-alongs to augment students' practice experiences. I weave music theory into everything I teach.
Your guitar teacher expertise
Strumming and Picking Techniques
Chord Progressions
Scales and Modes
Chords and Rhythms
Guitar for beginners
Guitar Techniques
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Learning tools used in guitar classes
Guitar Tuner Apps
PDF Sheet Music
Metronome Apps
Chord Diagram Apps
DAWs
Learner for guitar lessons
Guitar for Beginners
Guitar for Advanced
Guitar for Intermediate
Guitar for Kids
Guitar for Adults
Guitar concept taught by Ben
In a recent violin lesson in Boca Raton, Ben guided Ryan through exercises focusing on scales, string switching, and intonation. Ryan practiced the A major scale, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" with triplet rhythms, and "Lightly Row," concentrating on challenging transitions. They agreed to schedule their next lesson for October 7 at 8:30 Eastern, and Ryan was assigned to continue practicing the exercises and pieces covered.
String Switching
A Major Scale (First Position)
Staccato vs. Legato
Bow Pressure & Pitch
Micro-Moment Practice
During their violin lesson, Ben and Uday concentrated on rhythm exercises and left-hand finger placement to achieve accurate intonation. Uday diligently practiced various rhythms with a metronome and utilized a Panotuner to refine his B note on the A string. Ben assigned practice exercises from page 22 (rhythm B) and encouraged Uday to explore the C sharp note in preparation for their upcoming lesson.
Note Separation
Pitch Adjustment (Left Hand)
Bow Strokes
Rhythm & Timing
Violin Posture
Violin Tuning
During a recent violin lesson, two students, one of whom attends John Muir Elementary School in Glendale, focused on violin tuning. They used pegs and fine tuners to correctly tune the A and E strings. One of the learners then practiced various rhythms (A, B, C, D, and E) on the A string, emphasizing accuracy and consistency with a metronome, and also learned to read the corresponding musical notation. Their next lesson is scheduled for the 11th.
Metronome for Slow Rhythms
Rhythm Triplets
Musical Notation (16th vs. 8th Notes)
Bow Perpendicularity
Violin Tuning (Pegs vs. Fine Tuners)
During a recent guitar lesson, the instructor reviewed guitar techniques, focusing on timing, picking, and CAGED shapes with a learner who resides in Alta Mesa. The learner practiced applying these concepts to a Hendrix riff and the Tom Petty song "Honeybee," working on fingering and transitions. For ongoing practice, the instructor assigned the CAGED shapes, emphasizing root notes and fingerings.
CAGED System
Root Note Importance
Blues Scale
Power Chord
Ben and Ryan's violin lesson centered on A major scales, fourth finger exercises, and rhythmic variations of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Ryan dedicated time to improving intonation and smooth string transitions, particularly between the A and E strings. For his practice, Ryan was tasked with the "groups of three notes" scale exercise and advised to concentrate on the more challenging sections of the "Twinkle Twinkle" variations, employing a metronome to enhance rhythm and evenness.
Fourth Finger Technique
A Major Scale (Groups of Three)
Rhythmic Variations (Twinkle Twinkle)
Accents in Bowing
Ben Lassiter guided the learner, who resides in Fossil Creek, through rhythm exercises and introduced left-hand finger placement on the violin. The learner practiced various rhythms with a metronome and worked on achieving accurate finger placement for B and C sharp notes on the A string, using Panotuner for feedback. They were encouraged to practice left-hand finger placement and bow control offline.
Rhythm Practice (Violin)
Violin Tuning with Panotuner
First Position Notes (Violin)
Left Hand Position (Violin)
Triplet Rhythms
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