Learn Guitar From a Working Musician.
Private guitar, bass, and ukulele lessons for ages 6 and up. In person in Suwanee, or online anywhere. I've played Atlanta stages for ten years and taught for five. First lesson is free.
First lesson free. No registration fee. No contract. Cancel any time.
I Teach What I Actually Play.
I started playing at thirteen, the night I saw Buckethead at the Masquerade in Atlanta.
Since then I've studied shred, funk, jazz fusion, progressive rock, and metal. I lead a Progressive Jamtronica band called Free Hat, formed in Atlanta in 2016. I'm the lead guitarist for the Phish tribute band Cadillac Rainbows, and I sit in regularly with the jam collective BadAsh Allstar Team.
I've been teaching guitar, bass, and ukulele for over five years. My students range from total beginners (some as young as six) to adults returning to an instrument after twenty years, to teens who want to learn a specific style. I build every lesson around what the student wants to play.
The goal is straightforward: get you playing songs you actually care about, with technique that holds up over time.
Nine Styles. Pick One or Mix Them.
Rock &
Blues
Open chords, power chords, riffs, blues bends, and the pentatonic scale. The foundation for classic rock and blues.
Beginner to AdvancedFunk &
Groove
Sixteenth-note strumming, string muting, and chord comping. Tight rhythm parts that lock in with a drummer.
All LevelsJazz &
Fusion
Chord melody, soloing over chord changes, and modal playing. Extended chords and how to use them.
Intermediate to AdvancedProg &
Shred
Alternate picking, sweep picking, two-hand tapping, string skipping, and playing in odd time signatures.
Intermediate to AdvancedMetal
Tight rhythm chops, gallop picking, drop tunings, riff writing. From Metallica to Polyphia and beyond.
All LevelsTheory &
Ear Training
Scales, chords, and how songs are built. Learn to figure out songs by ear instead of hunting for tabs.
All LevelsBass &
Ukulele
Not a guitar player? No problem. Bass groove fundamentals or laid-back ukulele. Same studio, same standards.
All AgesSongwriting
Turn ideas into actual songs. Structure, voicing, arrangement, demo-ing your own material.
All LevelsImprovisation
How to build a solo: using scales over chord changes, phrasing, call and response, and trading with other players.
IntermediateDon't See Your Style? Ask Me.
If it has strings, chances are I teach it. The first lesson is free, so there's an easy way to find out.
How to Start Lessons
Free Trial Lesson
Reach out and we'll set up a free first meeting. We'll talk about what you want to play, your goals, and whether we're a good fit. It's free, and you decide afterward.
Build a Plan
Every student gets a custom plan based on their level, the music they actually want to play, and the time they have to practice. We start where you are.
Show Up & Play
Weekly 30-minute lessons in Suwanee or online via video. Easy scheduling, video and audio resources between lessons, and unlimited makeups with 24-hour notice.
Thinking About Lessons for Your Kid?
A Gentle Start
Kids can start as young as six. The first month for a brand-new player is about small wins: how to hold the guitar, a few open chords, and one real song they can show you at home. Nothing scary, nothing boring.
Progress You Can See
After each lesson I send a short practice plan, so you always know what your child is working on and how it is going. If something needs attention at home, I will tell you plainly.
Somewhere to Play
Students who want it get quarterly performance opportunities: low-key chances to play in front of people and build real confidence. Lessons happen in person in Suwanee or online, whichever fits your week.
Pricing
$30 for a 30-minute lesson. $50 for 60 minutes. No registration fee, no contract, no subscription.
Risk-free 30-minute meeting to see if we're a fit.
- Discuss your goals & favorite music
- Assess your current level
- Get a custom roadmap
- Zero commitment afterward
The standard lesson length. Most students start here.
- In-person in Suwanee or online
- Video, audio & sheet music between lessons
- Unlimited makeups (24hr notice)
- Quarterly student performance opportunities
Extra time for advanced technique, deeper songs, or catching up.
- Single 60-minute session
- Good for advanced students or exam prep
- In-person or online
- Pay as you go
What Students Say
"Jonathan is patient and clearly knows his stuff. My son started barely able to hold a pick and now he's playing actual songs he picked himself. Worth every dollar."
"I came in wanting to play in a jam-band style and Jonathan got it immediately. He doesn't push his taste on you, he takes your goals seriously and pushes you forward. Best teacher I've had."
"I'm a metal kid and Jonathan helped me with technique I'd been getting wrong for years. He's also just a sick player so it's motivating to watch him demo stuff in lessons."
I Play Guitar for a Living.
I lead Free Hat, an Atlanta band with three releases on Spotify and a decade of live shows. When I demo a technique in a lesson, it's one I use on stage.
Questions I Get Every Week
Lessons are open to anyone age 6 and up. Every brand-new student gets a foundation track that introduces holding the instrument, basic chords, and reading enough to play songs they already love within the first few weeks. There's no prerequisite beyond showing up.
Yes. Adult comeback students are some of my favorites. We'll start by figuring out what you used to know and what you actually want to be able to play, and build a plan from there. You'll be surprised how fast it comes back.
The lesson itself is essentially identical: same plan, same materials, same teacher. In-person works great if you're in the Suwanee, Sugar Hill, Buford, Duluth, or John's Creek area. Online works great if you're outside that radius, traveling often, or just prefer it. Many students do a mix.
You get unlimited makeups as long as you give 24 hours notice. Things come up: kids get sick, work runs late, you have a hockey game. The scheduling system makes rebooking simple from your phone.
Yes, you'll need an instrument to practice on. For starters, an acoustic or electric guitar in any reasonable condition is fine, and I can help you pick something inexpensive but workable if you don't have one yet. Don't buy gear before our first lesson; we can talk through it.
Yes. Bass and ukulele are part of my regular instruction. Same rates, same approach.
Yes. Beginners need the right foundation: clean technique, a few honest songs, ear training, and that's exactly what I teach them. Advanced players come for specific things: alternate picking, jazz vocabulary, fusion phrasing, prog technique, getting unstuck. The level changes; the habit of starting from what each student actually wants doesn't.
Book Your Free Lesson.
The first lesson is free, and there's no commitment after. Tell me a bit about you and we'll find a time that works.
Prefer to reach out directly? Email Jonathan · Call (404) 717-7078