Guitar Lessons by Taurus

For my local friends here.(Gainesville, Florida and surrounding area) Please share this :)

​Free Mobile Guitar Lessons – (doing a remodel on the studio at the moment)

Scholarship for Families in Need

​I have played and taught guitar for over 40 years, and I want to give back to the next generation of musicians.

​I am offering a limited number of free, mobile guitar lessons specifically for youth who are currently unable to access music education due to financial constraints. I bring the lessons to you, so transportation isn't an issue. (within 20 miles)

​The Mission:
This program is strictly reserved for families experiencing financial hardship. If you are in a position where paying for extracurriculars is an impossibility, I want to help your child find their voice through music.

​(Note: For families who have the means to pay for instruction, I do offer separate paid lesson options—please feel free to inquire about those instead.)

​I am looking for students who are:
​Genuinely interested in learning and ready to practice.
​Reliable and committed to a schedule.
​Between the ages of 12 and 18. (I am open to younger students depending on maturity).
​Requirements:
​A parent or guardian must be present during the lesson. Live within 20 miles of me.
​

​To Apply: Please send me a private message telling me a little bit about your student and why this opportunity would be meaningful for them.

https://www.facebook.com/share/18BHTRNTo5/

Guitar Lessons by Ta**us I have been playing and teaching guitar and bass for over 40 years. Beginner, intermediate and Advanced lessons.

PLAY YOUR GUITAR!

The Quest for Playability: Repairs, Shops, and a New "Michael Kelly" Arrival

​Part 1: The Repair Dilemma
​Both of my go-to guitars recently developed some issues, and my search for a reliable repair shop turned into quite the saga.

I checked around for quotes, and the results were all over the map:

​Shop A: Quoted $80 plus strings for a setup, with an additional $1.50 per minute for labor.

​Shop B: Offered a more reasonable $50 for the setup plus strings, with a $45/hour labor rate.

​The "Shade Tree" Option: A private individual offered to do the work but was vague on the cost, promising to "let me know the price" only after I dropped them off.

​While I understand not wanting to commit to a price sight-unseen, I’m not in the habit of handing my treasures over to a stranger and simply hoping for the best. More importantly, none of these options seemed particularly eager to take on the work.
Honestly? I think it’s finally time I learn to solder!

​Part 2: The New Arrival

​After crunching the numbers, I realized that for the cost of repairing both instruments, I could explore getting a "new-to-me" guitar instead.

I checked the local stores, but the selection and service in my price range were... to put it mildly... underwhelming.

​Since I needed something for recording pronto, I turned to Facebook Marketplace. After a few great exchanges with a solid seller, I scored a fantastic deal on a Michael Kelly Custom Collection 65 Strat. It features upgraded pickups and a high-end bridge, making it a total powerhouse.

​This guitar is an absolute blast to play, sounds incredible, and looks stunning. It’s exactly the spark I needed to get back into the studio.
​Stay tuned... a full review of this Michael Kelly 65 is coming soon!

New horse in the stables!!!

Upgraded MIK Michael Kelly Custom Collection 65 Strat.10.5 to 16 neck radius, 22 fret, Grover locking tuners.

CTS Push Pull volume to split the bridge pickup,fender 5 way switch,toggle for fulltime neck pickup. Planet tone hand wound made to order elite pro single coil pickups in the neck and middle position,very sweet sound. Purly Gates Trembucker at the bridge when you want to rock!.

Fender trem with bar, This is one of their early models ,the body is two piece Alder wood.Striped dark ebony top ,Spalded maple neck, Rosewood fingerboard.

Frets have a little wear from me playing it.comes with hardshell case and original pickups and original trem bridge. There might be a scratch somewhere if you can find it,but its in excellent condition.very nice looking guitar.You can try it out I have amplification. $425 with hardshell case.To sweeten the deal I'm throwing in a TC Eletronic g sharp guitar and multi effects rack unit for free. Its like new as well.

Been out shopping for a guitar. EXTREMELY underwhelmed by the service offered at Guitar Center in Gainesville. How do you let people with money in their pocket to spend walk around for an hour and not have one person ask me if I needed help? Two guitars I wanted to try out but ended up walking out. :/

Working in the recording studio today... It's been a long few years of recovery. Hurricanes, roofs and recording studios are not a good mixture :/ will at least be up and running again. Anybody here do any home recording???

Mastering the Art of Practice

​Over the last 25 years, the majority of my students have been middle schoolers, high schoolers, or retirees.

I’ve noticed that young people tend to focus on the "moment they are in" and what is happening immediately around them. Meanwhile, people in their 20s and 30s are often preoccupied with building careers, starting families, and seeking entertainment. Those in the 40+ "middle-aged" bracket tend to be so focused on balancing work and family life that they struggle to dedicate time to practicing an instrument or creating art.

​Regardless of your age, it is vital to exploit the time you sacrifice to become a better guitar player and ensure you get the most out of your practice sessions.

How long you practice, how frequently you do it, and exactly what you practice all make a significant difference.

​What? You mean it takes knowing how to practice to get the most benefit from practicing? Who knew? 😄 Well, now you do!

​The "Guitar Hero" Effect

​Back when the video game Guitar Hero first came out, there was a massive influx of young students wanting to be the next Slash, Eddie Van Halen, or Tom Morello. These kids had no problem dedicating hours to the game, but nearly nine out of ten who started because of the video game quit within a couple of months.

​They quickly realized a hard truth... playing a video game doesn't feel like practice, and practicing guitar doesn't feel like a video game. In the game, success happens instantly through simple muscle memory, whereas the reality of playing guitar or bass requires much more.

​Building the Habit

​I start every student’s first lesson with a talk about how to establish effective practice techniques, regardless of their skill level. I ask each student to practice for at least half an hour a day. Including their one-hour weekly lesson, that totals 3.5 hours a week, or 14 hours a month.

If the majority of us spend 14 intentional hours a month doing anything, we will improve.

​While 30 minutes a day might not seem like a massive commitment, these small, daily steps build the foundation for growth. Once you build the habit, the habit gets easier; soon, a half-hour will feel like a mere warm-up, and an hour of playing will be no problem at all.

Once practice becomes habit we can focus on WHAT we practice more precisely. So set time aside to practice each day and watch that habit turn into skill.

Command thy strings to breathe a melody.
Or in layman's terms
PLAY YOUR GUITAR!!!

I would like to wish everyone here a happy and wonderful Christmas. Also, please remember that this is a very tough time of year for a lot of people. Reach out to those who are struggling and be a light for someone in the darkness.

Why Bother playing guitar or even making music anymore?

​I’ve reached the 55-year mark of my life, and I’ve spent over 40 of those years making music. Aside from one year where a hand injury convinced me I’d never play again, I doubt there have been 100 days total where I didn’t pick up a guitar.

​After dedicating so much of my existence to this instrument, I find myself wondering was it all worth it?

​The landscape has changed. Finding like minded musicians who "groove" with original material feels nearly impossible.

Venues have disappeared and continue disappearing at an alarming rate, and the crowds are thinning.

While I haven’t stopped looking for a band, I’ve stopped expecting to find the "perfect fit." and even if the "perfect fit" happened, lack of stages to play and fewer people who go see live music make it questionable if it would even be worth it at all.

​Even the home studio music production has changed. AI has shifted the music production world so drastically that what used to take me months to perfect can now be replicated in minutes by a phone app. Soon, thousands of dollars in gear just to be able to make simple music recordings may feel "unnecessary" to the average listener and even some musicians.

​So, why even bother anymore?

​For me, music is so deeply ingrained in my identity that without it, I am lost. That year I spent sidelined by injury was one of the darkest of my life. I was deeply depressed, the loss of creativity felt like a part of me had died. my very own identity was challenged.

​Since regaining my ability to play, my skill has grown exponentially. With the techniques I have now, I would have been a force to be reckoned with "back in the day." Yet today, there are fewer people to jam with and for and fewer places to play.

​I literally shed tears the day I realized I could play again. That was ten years ago, and I haven't stopped writing or creating music or learning and improving my craft since. But the question remains: Is there a reason to keep going?

​Why bother?

well ​because, for me, it is like breathing. I don’t breathe because it’s impressive, or because people like the way I do it, or because breathing pays well or that chic's dig guys who breathe ;)

I breathe because it is part of my being and I need it to survive. I play guitar and make music because it is woven into the DNA of my soul.

​Beyond the spiritual need, the benefits are undeniable. Learning an instrument builds muscle memory, increases cognitive ability, and exercises the deepest functions of the brain. Simply put, it makes us feel alive and makes us better at being a human being.

​Music and art allows the human part of us to connect to the human part of others. AI may manufacture sound, but it lacks the human element, the soul of you will. Without that connection, music is stagnant, cold and dead. My favorite quote from a past discussion on AI and music is "AI can’t play gigs, and chicks don't dig AI." ;)

​Playing live is a biological event. The scene has changed, but the opportunity is still there. I see solo artists with a looper pedal and a guitar providing a full night of soul for a coffee house or even at private events, the same way my bands played house parties pre club gigs 37 years ago.

​So in simple terms, why bother?
​Because I am still human.
and so are you.

​ Go play your guitar. Sing in the shower or in your car. Go to a concert. Make music and connect with others and Be human.

​