Learn the Art of Classical Guitar
Ron Dunn teaches beginners through advanced players. His decades of classroom and private instruction have given him a broad palette of materials and approaches for teaching beginners, and he has prepared many intermediate and advanced students for university guitar studies.
The guitar is a tool for learning to listen, to feel, to express
Guitar Lessons
with Ron Dunn
Guitar lessons are 30 or 60 minutes and can vary a great deal in content and structure. For all students, demonstration by the teacher, and repetition/imitation by the student, is a large portion of each lesson.
Regardless of the style, lessons will combine review/performance of current pieces, with demonstrations and guidance on technique, accuracy, and interpretation. As students progress, music fundamentals such as scales, chord construction and harmony, rhythms, and finally, more advanced music theory concepts are introduced.
Lessons are peppered with humor, and constant positive feedback, along with lovingly-delivered critique.
When we develop our artistic selves, especially as young learners, we cultivate persistence, patience, emotional expression, community, and often, a lifelong dedication to the joy of creation. I hope to help you on this journey.
For Young Classical Guitar Learners
We tend to focus on short pieces from graded anthologies such as the Suzuki method, with occasional isolated technical exercises. Students learn to sit with correct posture and hand positions and music reading is incorporated early in our studies.
For Students with an Interest in Popular Guitar Styles
We will start with strummed chords and easy melodies, introducing music reading early in the relationship. I often arrange songs and transcribe melodies that students are interested in learning that are appropriate to their level.
For Advanced Students
As students mature, I tend to focus more directly on technique through studies and exercises as well as repertoire, with a focus on building a repertory of pieces “at the ready” for the student’s level of development. We spend more time in each lesson on learning an efficient, relaxed technique, and the nuances of interpretation.
Experienced players, especially those who are self-taught, benefit from my approach to technique, whereby we examine and refine those areas that are holding back their musical expression.
What Students Are Saying
(See original reviews on Yelp/Santa Cruz Music Academy)
“Ron is a Master of Guitar Technique. He would diagnose any technical problem right away and suggest the solution. I took private classes with Ron for almost two years and participated in his guitar workshop. My tone improved greatly because of the right hand technique he suggested. He also recommended a luthier, and I am very happy about my new instrument.”
— Eugenia T
“Ron Dunn is a wonderful guitar teacher. Students will immediately appreciate how deeply he loves music and loves teaching of guitar. His interpretation of music pieces resonates very well with students and audience alike. I have been attending his guitar workshop, and many of his tips for practice and musical interpretation as well as the master class-like environment tremendously helped me improve my guitar playing. I strongly recommend Ron Dunn as your guitar teacher.”
— Maseo Y
“I had been taken Mr. Ron Dunn's classical guitar classes at De Anza College and also his guitar performance workshops for several years. I have learnt from the very basics like note speller, sight reading, fingerboards to a more advance levels with better techniques, tone reproduction, dynamics, phrase expressions, etc. Best of all, he is very patient with every student at any level. You will definitely learn a lot from him!”
— Loc H
“I've been taking group lessons with Ron for the past 5 years now and I see improvements in my own playing and in all the other performers constantly. He has been very good at knowing just what is needed to make a piece of music sound better. His love of the music resonates with the class leading everyone to appreciate the music more and enjoy playing it. For anyone seeking to improve their guitar playing Ron is an excellent teacher.”
— Greg F