Angeles Academy is the largest premier Music Academy in Los Angeles, with a specialty in offering the highest quality one-on-one guitar lessons. The Academy has multiple locations across west Los Angeles and now a new facility in the heart of Tarzana. This new location is conveniently accessible from surrounding areas such as Encino, Woodland Hills, Reseda, and Sherman Oaks. The guitar lessons cater to any age and any level, accommodating beginner students as young as four, as well as adult beginners and advanced players of all ages and styles. The faculty is university trained, plus certified in a special training program by the Academy. With over seventy-five instructors on staff at the Academy, individuals or their children are sure to find the right fit.
The philosophy of Angeles Academy is to “blossom talent.” They achieve this by meeting students exactly where they are, understanding the music they love, and then creating a custom approach to the curriculum based on each individual and their needs and interests. The Academy works with students that need a creative custom approach, with more focus on playing rather than theory, to students that need step-by-step disciplined programs, with theory requirements, like RCM or ABRSM, to semi-professionals and students preparing for admission to leading music schools. The diversity of instructors on staff includes a wide range of specializations, such as jazz guitar graduates from USC, to classical concert guitarists from the Juilliard School of Music, and music education graduates who are especially skilled with the very young.
Angeles Academy of Music provides guitar lessons tailored to a diverse range of ages and proficiency levels. We accommodate total beginners as young as four, individuals who have never played an instrument before, and adult students who have always harbored the desire to start learning the guitar. Additionally, our instruction extends to child prodigies, students preparing for music school in performance programs, and adult hobbyists seeking to return to playing the guitar after a hiatus spanning several years. With the broadest selection of lesson times, we operate seven days a week, allowing younger students to attend classes in the morning or afternoon, and adults to schedule classes during lunchtime or after work, as late as our closing at 9 p.m., for convenience.
Our instructor have a lot of experience with total beginners, and know how to guide them through to an advanced level.
We have a large group of adult students that enjoy weekly lessons with us.
Great Instructors “a great school is just an amazing group of teachers.”
In our hiring process, we filter hundreds of prospective instructors in search of the qualities that make a great instructor. There are four qualities we are looking for. The first is a strong, positive personality. This is just essential to keep you excited about music, and engaged during the lessons. Secondly, we look for the instructor’s ability to create intelligent, achievable goals, that are customized to your needs. Great teachers will help you learn the techniques and skill you need, but do it though the music you love. Thirdly, a great instructor is intuitive. They have the sensitivity to know if what they are teaching you is being understood, and if their delivery is effective, (Keeping the energy and excitement high). Finally, we look for outstanding educational credentials. Our instructors possess degrees from some of the finest music schools in the world, places like Juilliard, USC, Berkley School of Music, Indiana University, and Royal Conservatory of London.
Angeles Academy sets itself apart with the highest caliber performance opportunities in leading venues around Los Angeles, such as the Beverly Wilshire Ballroom, (Four Seasons), where such events as the Emmy’s are held, as well as the BP hall at the Disney Center. The rare opportunity to perform in these world-class facilities increases student recital participation, preparation, and results. Recitals are optional, but we encourage participation from all enrolled students. There are approximately 30 recitals every six months, divided into the following categories for the benefit of students:
The guitar is the second most popular instument to learn. Nearly every song we know and love encorperates guitar in some way. It is a very portable instument, making it easy to practice while out of town or on vacations, and has a mellow and pleasant sound even in the initial stages of learning. The guitar is extremely versitle, with syles ranging from Classical and Flaminco, to Jazz, and Pop, and Rock. This means there are endless musical worlds to explore once you get the basics. While it is a serious solo instrument, it can also be great to accompany yourself while singing, or to play with bands and ensembles.
Generally around 6 or 7 years old. Although there are exceptions, the challenge of learning guitar for the very young is that pressing the strings down can quickly get tiring. Certainly there are exceptions however, and it really depends on how focused and interested the child is. We usually recommend that kids try it for a couple months and see how it goes.
You will often see results in a few months, however it’s hard to predict. It really depends on how consistent the student is with classes, and of course with daily practice. We find that setting clear goals and also participating in recitals tend to boost progress.
No. This is a question we frequently get from adult students. Over the years, we have trained hundreds of adult students, from college age, to students in their 90’s. We train adults who are getting back to guitar after a long hiatus from lessons, as well as adults who are starting the instrument for the first time. Our instructors really enjoy working with adults, and we even find some adults learn faster than children because they often have longer attention spans and great ability to understand the mechanics of the instrument.
Sitting in a chair, put your feet on the floor and make sure your posture is upright Put the waist of the guitar on your right leg, and rest the guitar against your stomach and chest. The neck of the guitar should be horizontal with the floor. Be careful not to use the left hand to hold up the neck of the the guitar, but instead rest your upper right arm on top of the guitar to stabilize it. Once comfortable with this position, its time to place your left hand, (or your fretting hand), on the neck and frets. First, make a C shape and put your thumb between your first two fingers. Place your hand on the frets with the thumb resting behind the neck of the guitar, and press the tips of your fingers against the strings. Avoid touching the frets. Practice moving the hand up and down the neck. Maintain a good curved shape but do not squeeze. Your hand should be able to comfortable move up and down the neck.
Sight reading is an important skill for any aspiring musician. To begin, students are taught about treble and bass clefs, (different ranges), and to identify notes that are on the lines, and notes that are in the spaces between the lines. To remember the notes on the lines, students learn phrases such as, “every good boy does fine” The first letter of each word are the notes on the lines of the treble clef from bottom to top. E, G, B, D, F. The notes that are in the spaces between the lines spell the word “Face”, F, A, C, E. As students become faster at identifying these notes based on these simple phrases, the phrases wear off and they simply recognize the note for what it is. In addition to identifying notes, sight reading includes understanding rhythm. Rhythm is differentiated in notation by notes filled in or empty, and with different stems and beams. These indicate different speeds of notes. Even the most accomplished musicians can often improve their sight reading. More advanced training involves pushing speed and looking ahead, and through creating progressive goals.
Music theory teaches us how recognize and identify patterns across all music. It is fascinating because it starts to bring together a clearer understanding, and patterns once complex become simple. Imagine a complicated math equation that actually has a very simple answer.
Learning theory involves a mixture of ear training, (the ability to identify harmonies and melodies), as well as identifying and labeling these patterns on paper. Harmony is seen in notation vertically, and is often what might be described as the background in which a melody is set. Harmony consists of chords, (3 or more notes heard simultaneously), and can be Major, Minor, Diminished, and several others. These differences in sound are often described emotionally; happy, sad, or scary. The beginning of music theory training might involve identifying the difference between a couple of these chords. Ultimately, advanced theory students are able to write out the music they hear, and to analyze harmonies and melodies in musical scores. A full grasp on the structure of music can take years to develop.
Learning theory involves a mixture of ear training, (the ability to identify harmonies and melodies), as well as identifying and labeling these patterns on paper. Harmony is seen in notation vertically, and is often what might be described as the background in which a melody is set. Harmony consists of chords, (3 or more notes heard simultaneously), and can be Major, Minor, Diminished, and several others. These differences in sound are often described emotionally; happy, sad, or scary. The beginning of music theory training might involve identifying the difference between a couple of these chords. Ultimately, advanced theory students are able to write out the music they hear, and to analyze harmonies and melodies in musical scores. A full grasp on the structure of music can take years to develop.
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