Devon Salinas-Ordonez
From Struggling With Chords to Playing Your Favourite Songs - Expert Teacher Makes Guitar Finally Click
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Devon Salinas-Ordonez
Bachelors degree
/ 55 min
Devon - Know your guitar teacher
I hold a Bachelor's degree in Jazz guitar with over a decade of experience studying and performing the instrument and 3 years of teaching experience, with academic training in technique, harmony, improvisation, and musical analysis that forms the foundation of my teaching approach. I provide structured, personalised lessons adapted to each student's level and goals, with every session combining technique, repertoire, and theory to ensure students learn songs and understand how music works. Students develop core abilities including rhythm, picking technique, chord vocabulary, and fretboard knowledge while exploring improvisation and harmony, moving beyond memorising shapes to genuine musical thinking. I teach acoustic, nylon string, and electric guitar across jazz, blues, rock, and contemporary styles, like R&B/Neo-soul, addressing common challenges including barre chord difficulties, scale pattern limitations, fretboard confusion, and improvisation struggles by breaking complex concepts into manageable steps and showing how techniques apply in real music. Through this approach, students learn songs faster, gain clear fretboard understanding, and develop confidence and independence as musicians, whether they're beginners or advanced players of all ages.
Meet Devon
Devon graduated from Leeds Conservatoire
Your guitar teacher expertise
Guitar Techniques
Guitar for beginners
Chord Progressions
Fingerstyle
Songs and Repertoire
Strumming and Picking Techniques
Ear training
CoTutorAI modules
Summary
Podcast
Quiz
Learnings
Flashcard
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Learner for guitar lessons
Guitar for advanced
Guitar for kids
Guitar for adults
Guitar for intermediate
Guitar for beginners
Types of guitar lessons
Guitar
Acoustic Guitar
Electric Guitar
Guitar concepts taught by Devon
The Student and Tutor focused on guitar practice, beginning with a review of the Student's recent performance of a learned song. They then worked on various dominant 7th chords and an advanced D chord progression, followed by intensive strumming practice for "Riptide" and a review of "Pumped Up Kicks." The session concluded with an introduction to "Sweet Home Alabama," and the Student requested specific video demonstrations of strumming and picking patterns for their homework.
Introduction to Fingerpicking (Sweet Home Alabama Intro)
Effective Practice & Direct Feedback
Smooth Chord Transitions
Mastering Strumming Patterns & Rhythm
Guitar Chords: Major
Minor
and Dominant 7ths
The tutor guided the student through various guitar chord shapes and transitions, including C, C major 7, and E minor. They practiced rhythmic strumming patterns and introduced a basic chord progression, emphasizing the importance of finger technique and practice for future learning.
Basic Guitar Chords and Transitions
Rhythm and Strumming Techniques
Advanced Finger Technique and Chord Voicings
Breath Support in Singing
Vocal Resonance and Articulation
Pitch Recognition and Intonation
Vocal Range and Head Voice
Musical Dynamics and Emotional Expression
The student and tutor focused on singing techniques, including breath control, vocal warm-ups, and pitch accuracy. They applied these techniques to singing a song, working on lyrical phrasing, rhythm, and vocal registers, with plans to continue practicing the song and vocal exercises.
Diaphragmatic Breathing for Singing
Vocal Warm-ups: Sirens and Humming
Long Tones and Pitch Accuracy
Vibrato: Technique and Control
Rhythm and Phrasing in Song Interpretation
Vocal Warm-ups and Tension Release
Vowel Pronunciation and Jaw Mobility
Diaphragmatic Breathing for Singing
The student and tutor reviewed vocal techniques, including diaphragmatic breathing, pitch accuracy, and diction, using "Perfect" as the main practice song. They worked on specific vocal exercises and song sections, with a focus on integrating technique with emotional expression for future performances. The student was encouraged to continue practicing breath control daily.
Breath Support and Diaphragmatic Breathing
Vocal Pitch Accuracy
Diction and Articulation
Vocal Resonance and Tone
Performance Emotion and Authenticity
Learning tools used in guitar classes
Guitar Tuner Apps
Metronome Apps
PDF Sheet Music
Ear Training Software
Amp Simulators
Looping Pedals
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Every tutor is interviewed and selected for subject expertise and teaching skill.