Category: Lessons

  • Support My Work

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    In my 25 years as a creative arts professional, the landscape has changed dramatically. The advance of technology and prevalence of personal electronic devices have impacted the earning potential in creative fields. With these tools at hand – now almost anyone can pursue work in areas of music, graphic design, photography, copywriting, illustration, web development,…

  • Music Lesson Openings

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    Hey Gang! I have openings for new students in 2024. All ages and experience levels are welcome. Students can choose in-person lessons, or online sessions for a variety of instruments and techniques. Gift Certificates are also available from my online shop.

  • Finger Lakes Ukulele Group

    For the past several years I have studied and taught ukulele in Washington and Hawaii. Both places have a vibrant ukulele culture with active community groups designed to bring ukulele enthusiasts together, while providing opportunities to learn and develop their skills. I have been fortunate to teach hundreds of people how to play ukulele through…

  • Music Anatomy | chords, scales, and keys

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    Feel unsure or intimidated by keys, chords, or scales? Wish you knew which scale to play and when? Want to learn songs by ear? Need a better sense of how to write songs? Learn music theory fundamentals from an experienced musician and teacher. I understand how music works…but more importantly I know how to explain…

    Music Theory with Michael George
  • Ukulele Lessons in the Finger Lakes

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    Ukulele lessons in the Finger Lakes with Michael George. Michael has been performing and studying music since he was eight years old. As a youth he started with voice and trumpet playing in various bands and choirs during his school years. In his early twenties he picked up the acoustic guitar and began to write…

    Ukulele Teacher | Michael George Gonzalez
  • Travis Picking

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    After learning the common cowboy chords and strumming patterns many guitar players are unsure how to develop their rhythmic approach to get variety in their sound. One option is fingerstyle guitar. Playing with a pick is an essential skill, but learning fingerstyle techniques will add depth and sophistication to your sound. Sell your beats online…

  • New Student Openings

    I’m happy to announce openings in my schedule for private students in the Geneva area. This includes parts of Monroe, Wayne, and Ontario counties. All ages and skill levels are welcome to sign-up. Receive a discount when you pay by the month. Special rates for seniors. All lesson programs are tailored to the individual. The…

    gonzo music lessons
  • Mandolin Lessons

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    Michael has been performing and studying music since he was eight years old. As a youth he started with voice and trumpet playing in various bands and choirs during his school years. In his early twenties he picked up the acoustic guitar and began to write songs and study music theory. For the past fifteen…

  • Blues Guitar Lessons

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    Michael has been performing and studying music since he was eight years old. As a youth he started with voice and trumpet playing in various bands and choirs during his school years. In his early twenties he picked up the acoustic guitar and began to write songs and compose chord progressions. For the past fifteen…

  • Guitar Triads: Three Note Chords

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    What is a chord? A Chord is a group of three or more notes played together. Three note chords are called Triads. These basic triads are fundamental building blocks of harmony. The first note of the triad is called the Root Note (1). The root note is also what gives the chord its name. The…

  • Lyons LEAP Program Guitar Class

    Group Guitar Class I will be teaching a five week group class as part of the Summer LEAP Program. The classes are Tuesdays and Wednesdays and option to students in grades 6-12. There are three different hour long time slots each day and students can sign up when they arrive in the morning. About the…

  • Ukulele Harmonized Scales

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    Major Scale The Major Scale is a system used to organize music notes into a group. With this “music alphabet” we can create melodies, harmonies, and chords. Each group of notes is commonly referred to as a Key. For example, here is the Major Scale for the Key of C: The Numbers Sometimes musicians use…

  • Blues Ukulele

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  • Note Intervals on Ukulele

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    In this Blog lesson I will be exploring the basic concept of music note intervals. These are a universal concept of music regardless of what instrument you play. This lessons demonstrates how they come from the major scale, and how they are played on the ukulele. Major Scale: The Major Scale is a system used…

  • C-A-G-E-D Guitar System

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  • Beginner Guitar Packet

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  • Group Music Workshops

    I’m developing some group clinics and workshops to be presented in 2014. These events will cover a variety of topics, instruments, and skill levels. This post is intended to show some of the ideas that are in the works. To help make these better I would love to hear some of your suggestions, ideas, or…

  • Funk Guitar Lessons

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    Michael has been performing and studying music since he was eight years old. As a youth he started with voice and trumpet playing in various bands and choirs during his school years. In his early twenties he picked up the acoustic guitar and began to write songs and compose chord progressions. For the past fifteen…

  • Twelve Bar Blues

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    Each genre of music has certain characteristics that distinguish it from other musical styles. These familiar attributes can be found in the rhythms, chords, and notes. Blues music is based on a common song form with three basic chords. This form is commonly called the twelve bar blues because it contains 12 measures. Typically contains…

  • Common Blues Rhythms

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    After learning the common cowboy chords and strumming patterns many guitar players are unsure how to develop their rhythmic approach to get variety in their sound. Studying the common blues rhythms can add interest and style to your playing no matter what kind of music you play. In this lesson guitarist and composer Michael George…

  • Essential Mandolin Chords

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    Chords in Music Chords in music are like words in a spoken language. When you assemble the ‘right’ combination you make meaningful phrases that have direction. Self-taught students often make the mistake of trying to memorize many chords to grow their chord vocabulary. This approach may work in time, but a better way is to…