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Teacher

Click here for practice tracks and musical samples.
 

Ben Glaros has studied with world class musicians such as classical masters Lawrence Zbikowski and Jeffrey Van, guitar wizard Dean Magraw, and rock legend Richard Lloyd from the band Television. They‘ve inspired him to pass along the gift of music in the role of teacher, and he’s discovered that he gets as much positive energy out of it as he gives.   Ben now considers teaching to be one of the best things he’s done for his own musical development.

Like his playing, Ben’s approach to teaching is very spontaneous and flexible, and his easy going personality, enthusiasm and wide ranging experience make him the perfect teacher for students of all styles and skill levels.

Ben is now a full time music instructor teaching guitar, songwriting and music theory to students age 12 and up in his own studio at the Center For Performing Arts in southwest Minneapolis.

If you like more info or would like to schedule a lesson you can contact Ben directly HERE.  He'll be very glad to hear from you and talk about your musical goals!

*check out this article on ESPN 1500 Ben was interviewed for on the value of mentoring and teaching in sports or music!: Ben Glaros/Xavier Rhodes ESPN interview
 

Ben’s Top Ten Tips for Developing Guitarists

1. Practicing regularly is more important than long sessions. Don’t wait for a free hour to pick up the guitar. Pick it up often and you’ll make steady progress. And you may find you had more time for it than you thought!

2. Keep your guitar out where you can see it. The extra step of taking it out of the case can be a surprisingly tough obstacle to overcome. Leave it out and it will beckon to you.

3. Break it down. Whatever it is you are working on, break it down into manageable chunks and practice them one at a time. I like to “loop” a section over and over without stopping to critique myself.

4. Memorize. When playing the guitar your attention is already spread between your two hands. Memorize what you are working on and you won’t have to also look up at the sheet music.

5. Use a metronome. It may take some getting used to but you’ll come to love it. If you can’t play something with the metronome you can’t really play it! Slow the tempo down as far as necessary and gradually speed it up from there.

6. Ben’s “rule of three”. If you got it right once you got lucky, twice you got REALLY lucky, three times I’m convinced and it’s time to speed the metronome up a notch or move on to the next piece.

7. Don’t look at hands. It’s a leap of faith but think about it like typing. Looking at your hands can really slow you down. Close your eyes and develop your tactile relationship to the guitar.

8. Develop your ear. In these days of electronic tuners and online tablature it’s easy to ignore your sense of pitch. Practice tuning up by ear and figuring out songs and licks on your own!

9. Play with others. There is so much to be learned and experienced by playing music with other people that you can’t get any other way. To me it’s one of life’s great joys.

10. Perform. There’s no line you have to cross to be “ready” to share your music by performing. I say the sooner the better. A recital or gig is a great motivator to help you focus your practice time, and of course you’ll get nervous but that’s part of the fun, like a roller coaster!

11. Take lessons. It’s great that there are so many resources for guitarists online but there will never be a substitute for sitting down with someone who knows what they are doing and will take the time to get to know you and your goals. And if you’ve had a less than satisfying experience with a teacher they were not the right one. Not all great musicians are great teachers or the right one for you.

Whoops, that’s 11! And there’s more where that came from… Drop me a line on the contact page for a lesson!
 

 
 
 
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