Dan Emery was a successful performer and private guitar teacher in New York City in the early 2000s. But Dan wasn't only a guitarist – he was a science nerd with a Masters degree in education from Columbia University. When he realized there was no guitar curriculum based in te exploding science of deliberate practice he set out to create a class for beginners based on the newest scientific findings. In 2006 NYC Guitar School was incorporated to provide the resulting step-by-step course, Guitar for Absolute Beginners. By 2014 over 10,000 New Yorkers had successfully learned to play guitar in the class at NYC Guitar School's four city locations. The accompanying book, now distributed by Carl Fischer, is a top selling and top rated guitar title on Amazon. NYC Guitar School has now published four follow-up courses to Guitar for Absolute Beginners, each with the same blend of highly effective step-by-step material, motivating and achievable exercises, and empowering tone. Now these courses are available online, too, so that would be guitarists who don't live in the big apple can still take advantage of this proven approach to learning and succeeding at guitar.
Our Teaching Philosophy
To foster personal greatness through the medium of guitar lessons.We don't merely teach guitar information. We teach people.
People succeed at guitar when they practice. They practice because they are committed. Their commitment is strengthened when their goals are motivating, when their pathways to achievement are believable and achievable, and when they are supported by other people who care about their success.
As teachers, we succeed when we help our students to identify and behave as guitar players. So we teach kids and adults fundamentals in the context of the music they are inspired by, whether it is Bach or Green Day. We break down long term goals into small and achievable steps. We give our students opportunities to hear others play, to perform, and to experience the positive role model of a teacher who excels in guitar.
Some of our students achieve great success in music. Others find a positive outlet, pastime, or experience which adds to their life. We are happy either way.
