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Jazz Guitar Lessons
(
for the career-minded player or the serious amateur.)
also
Jazz Techniques and Jazz Theory for Non Guitarists.
Toronto area

Private lessons are $80.00, for a 1 hour lesson
But the lessons usually last much longer than 1 hour.
We usually get together once every 2 weeks.


Strict Cancellation Policy:
I require 48 hours notice from the student if they can't make it to a lesson. If I do not get proper notice I will charge you for the lesson you missed when we get together next time.
If I can't be there for a scheduled lesson I will give you 24 hours notice or else your next lesson with me is free.

Planning on auditioning for the jazz programs at Humber College, U. of T., York U., Mohawk, Berklee or sim?
I specialize in helping folks just like you to prepare.

For a sampling of the types of things I teach, and to get a feeling for my teaching style, please download some of the excerpts from my book,
"Joe's Guitar Method - Towards A Jazz Improviser's Technique".

Topics covered may include (depending on the student):
Harmony:
Chord construction, chord form fingerings and execution, reading chord charts, harmonizing of melodies (aka "chord melody"), comping styles, basic harmonic analysis techniques (Note: I always advise my students to study harmony separately with a teacher who specializes in this subject but I can get you started), voice leading, like-function substitutions, tritone substitutes, approach chords, block chords, shell voicings, clusters, voicings derived from chord-scales, quartal harmony, etc.

Fretting hand - single note techniques (i.e. melodies, scales and arpeggios):
position playing (i.e. vertical), single string and string-combination playing (i.e. horizontal - across the entire fretboard), string bending, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slurs, etc.

Pick hand techniques:
alternate and reverse alternate picking, sweep picking (aka economy picking), pick + fingers (for chording) and a little bit of finger-style. (Note: I am not qualified to teach correct classical guitar technique although I can play some of the repertoire and I do borrow some classical techniques in my own playing.)

Improvisational Techniques:
chord-scales (including - the diatonic scale and its modes, the harmonic minor scale and its modes, the jazz minor scale and its modes, the harmonic major scale and its modes, the blues scale, pentatonic scales, symmetrical and synthetic scales), chord tone melodies, guide tones, rhythmic awareness (accuracy and thematic development), traditional melodic techniques and analysis (i.e. passing tones, appoggiaturas, tensions, cambiatas, escape notes, etc.), thematic development, superimposition, back-cycling, triad pairs and hexatonic scales, intervallic sequences, transcribing and playing of transcribed solos, etc.

Jazz repertoire development.

Sight reading and studio styles.

Guitar set-up, tuning, (whammy bars etc.).


Styles in which I am comfortable, both playing and teaching:
Traditional Jazz, Main Stream Jazz, Modern Jazz, Bebop, Fusion, Rhythm & Blues, Blues, Classic Rock, Pop, (a little Country and Classical too), etc.

About Myself
I have been performing and teaching around Toronto for over 45 years.
I attended Berklee College of Music (Boston) in the early 1970's where I had the great privilege to study with Pat Metheny, Mick Goodrick, Gary Burton, Hal Crook, William G. Leavitt and many other truly great and inspiring musicians.

I have also attended clinics with Lenny Breau and Howard Roberts.

I studied electronic music briefly at York University - Toronto.

For about a year and a half, circa 2000, I was studying via correspondence with the great jazz techniques teacher, Charlie Banacos.

I have been teaching privately since approximately 1980.

I taught jazz guitar and improvisation in the Mohawk College (Hamilton, Ontario) jazz program from the Fall of 1986 through the spring of 2010.
Other faculty members included Dave McMurdo, Mike Malone, Adrian Farrugia, Kevin Dempsey, Kim Ratcliffe, Pat Collins, Kieran Overs, and Ted Warren.

Beginning in the Fall 2009 and ending after the Winter semester of 2021, I was teaching at Humber College in Toronto.
Humber's faculty is a who's who of the very best jazz musicians in Canada, including: Pat LaBarbera, Kirk MacDonald, John MacLeod, Allistair Kay, Brian Dickinson, Rich Brown, Mark Kelso, Mike Downes, and many many others.
Other Guitar Department faculty members include jazz guitarists Ted Quinaln, Geoff Young, David Occhipinti, Trevor Giancola, Emile Deon, Kim Ratcliffe, Nathan Hiltz, Rob Bulger and Andrew Scott.
My time at Humber ended after the Winter 2021 semester.

My attitude towards teaching jazz guitar might seem a little bit different than what you're used to...

1. I'm used to teaching 1st and 2nd year students at the jazz colleges here in the Greater Toronto Area (Mohawk and Humber).
I consider my goal to be getting a student who can't yet improvise over changes to becoming someone who is competent at it.
Once you can do that, my attitude is that you're largely on your own.
I try not to ram any particular style of jazz down the student's gullet, but it IS jazz we're working on and part of the goal is to make it sound idiomatically correct and swinging.
The bulk of the work, at first, will involve learning lots and lots of different fingerings for chords, scales and especially arpeggios and then trying to use those sounds to improvise off of.

2. I'm not good with beginners or hobbyists.

3. My attitude is that I'm NOT here to inspire you.
Come inspired already and I can probably teach you something.
I'm a good player.
I'm not a GREAT player.
You should look to great players for your inspiration.


Some of the people with whom I have either recorded or performed as a sideman:

Jazz Artists:

The Shelly Berger Electric Jazz Orchestra, John MacLeod's Rex Hotel Orchestra (2010 Juno Award Winners - Best Traditional Jazz Album,) The Vito Rezza Group, Darcy James Argue, Ingrid Jensen, Phil Wilson, Kellylee Evans, Diane Nalini, Ron Allen, Ralph Bowen, Michael Farquharson, Freeflight, Darcy Hepner, David Hutchison, Graeme Kirkland, Anthony Panacci, John MacMurchy, Campbell Ryga, The Gene Pool Boys, Sidewinders, Mike Field, Bernie Senensky and many others.

Popular Music Artists:

Mellissa O'Neil, Mark Cassius, Al Martino, Paul Christopher, Patsy Gallant, Bobby Herriot, Sheree Jaecocke, Molly Johnson, George St. Kitts, George Olliver, Della Reese, Liberty Silver, Gwen Swick, Vivienne Williams, The Coasters, Paul Gellman, Mellisa O'Neil, Nicky Lawrence, and many others.

Shows:

Shaw Festival (Niagara-On-The-Lake)
2004 - Floyd Collins (entire season)
2005 - Happy End (sub)
2006 - High Society (sub)
2007 - Mack & Mabel - Hotel Peccadillo (entire season)
2008 - Sondheim's Follies (short run)
2012 - Ragtime (entire season)
2014 - Cabaret (entire season)
2015 - Sweet Charity (entire season) - The Next Whisky Bar (short run)

St. Lawrence Centre For The Arts
Something's Rockin' In Denmark (2008)
Hey Marilyn (2009)

Sheridan College Theatre
Two Gentlemen Of Verona (2008)

Stage West (Mississauga)
Roy Orbison Story (1995?)
The Wedding Singer (2010)

Drayton Entertainment
Dance Legends (2010)

Studio 180
Parade (2010-11)


I've also recorded 3 albums as a leader/composer (Currently available through CD Baby):
The Joey Goldstein Quartet - Thanks Charlie .... featuring John Johnson (saxophones), Jim Vivian (bass) and Vito Rezza (drums). (2013)

Joey Goldstein & Friends - A Strange Little Tune .... featuring Doug Riley (piano), Michael Farquharson (bass) and Vito Rezza (drums). (1993)

The Joey Goldstein Band - Time's Square
.... featuring Boko Suzuki (keyboards), Mark Kelso (drums) and Michael Farquharson (bass). (1988)

Please visit my Home Page for a more detailed bio.

My students have included:
@ Humber College:
Vladimir Redzic, Cody Copland, Armando Liebek, Julien Bradley-Combes, Adam Filaber, Kevin Bolger, Dylan Burchell, Youngchan Na, Oscar Kempe, Sean Patrick Clarey, Adam Beer-Colacino, Fraser Melvin, John Kennelly, Dylan Moore and Matt Greenwood.

@ Mohawk College:
Harly Card
, Jason Reed, Andrew Aldridge, Rob Chapman, Adam Scott.

@ My Home:
Levon Ichkhanian, Iain McNally - Amanda Marshall Band, Andrew Scott, Adam Smale, Tzevi Sherman, Fergus Hambleton - Sattalites and Michael Eckert.
And many many more.

If you're thinking of studying with me, ask some of these guys about their experience beforehand.
I'm pretty confident they'll recommend me.

Private lessons are still just $80.00, for a 1 hour lesson
But the lessons usually last much longer than 1 hour.
We usually get together once every 2 weeks.

Strict Cancellation Policy:
I require 48 hours notice from the student if they can't make it to a lesson. If I do not get proper notice I will charge you for the lesson you missed when we get together next time.
If I can't be there for a scheduled lesson I will give you 24 hours notice or else your next lesson with me is free.


Joey Goldstein
(416) 782-2620
Near Allen Rd. and Eglinton
Contact via Email
(Note: You must change "AT" to "@" and "DOT" to "." to use this email address.)
[Home] [Jazz Guitar Music For Your Private Party] [Recordings] [Jazz Guitar Lessons in Toronto] [Online Lessons]
[Joe's Guitar Method (my book)] [Gigs] [Technical Exercises] [Audio Clips]
[Contact]
(you must change " AT " to "@" and " DOT " to "." to use this email address)  


© 1998 J. M. Goldstein