• Offered year-round (month-to-month commitment)
• 30, 45, and 60 minute lessons available
• Scheduled by appointment. Please call to schedule your first lesson. 
• Levels: Beginner – Advanced
• Ages: 6 – adult
• Styles: Rock, Classical, Country, Blues, Jazz, Indie, Metal, Folk

Learn to play the guitar in a fun, encouraging, and up beat environment!

Northwest School of Music offers guitar lessons for students of all ages, levels, and styles.

Beginner Guitar Lessons

For those with no prior training or experience, guitar begins with introductory study of the foundational concepts and techniques of playing guitar masterfully taught by utilizing a progressive series of well known songs from various musical genres. Incorporating fundamental technique into songs the students already know promotes a higher level of individualized learning to make playing the guitar an exciting and rewarding experience.

Lessons are individualized to each student’s specific genre preferences, skills, goals, and progress. During your one-on-one beginning guitar lessons you can expect to play familiar melodies, and learn technique, guitar care & maintenance, and basic music theory concepts including chords, tablature, and reading music.

Intermediate Guitar Lessons

Students who have been playing for 1 – 3 years have already learned the basic skills, and are ready to dive deeper into their favorite style of music. Our program makes sure that they get the opportunity to focus on the style that they are most interested in, while still continuing to progress through important fundamental skills.

Intermediate students grow in their understanding of music theory, picking and/or strumming techniques, and learn to read music more proficiently. The experienced instruction of pro guitar teacher Mr. John Savage ensures that they truly enjoy learning these new skills and get the opportunity to explore and master a variety of songs.

 As an advanced student, you’ll continue to progress and be taught new, high-level techniques. Mr. Savage will offer you qualified guidance that will allow you to continue to grow as a guitarist and reach new heights. 

Group Guitar Classes

Next term begins April 5, 2017

Ages 8-13 Beginners (level 1) Tuesdays: 6:00pm – 6:45pm

Adult Beginners (level 1) Wednesdays, 6:30 – 7:15pm

Introductory class teaches all the fundamentals you need to know to get rockin’! Learn great, familiar songs, plus the skills you need to get a running start on ANYTHING you want to play.

Guitar class covers the basics of technique, including chords, strumming patterns, and basic picking.  Music theory is also introduced in an understandable and engaging way.

John Savage, Instructor of Guitar & Piano

About Instructor John Savage:

John Savage has been performing and teaching on the West Coast for over 40 years. At the Anacortes Jazz Festival in 2007, Clarence Acox Jr., Director of the Seattle Jazz Philharmonic, proclaimed John to be, “The real deal”.

A musical powerhouse, John originally taught himself upright bass, electric bass and piano. He later studied at Oregon State University and with such greats as, Herb Ellis, Howard Roberts, Tal Farlow and Jamie Finley of the Guitar Institute. John is also a singer and prolific song writer. He has extensive experience in studio recording.

John taught at Skagit Valley College for 21 years, before returning to Oregon in 2015. He teaches guitar, piano, bass (electric and acoustic) and voice and has just joined the teaching faculty at the Northwest School of Music of Salem. 

In his tenure at Skagit Valley College, John worked with jazz choirs, individual artists and directed Jazz Big Bands. He enjoys public speaking and has taught numerous workshops and group-focused events. In addition, he has been the musical director and played in the pit for several theater productions in the northwest and has coached several praise team musicians in the Northwest.

On the West Coast, John has performed with many prestigious musicians in a variety of venues including; The Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra, John Hodgkins, Robert Cray, Chuck Berry, Tom Anastasio, John Anderson, Trish Hatley, Louise Rose and Josh Cook. In the 1970s, he performed at the Pioneer Club in Los Angeles’ Watts District with such R&B luminaries as Smokey Wilson, Etta James, Otis Rush, Jr. Walker, Luther Alison and Jr. Wells among others.