Guitar Lessons For Kids Salt Lake City

Guarantee your child's musical success Even if they've never played and you don't know anything about guitar

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3 things to consider when choosing a guitar school:

1.

Kids want to play the guitar because it looks like fun. Too many times their hopes and dreams are crushed because the teacher or learning experience was BORING. 

2.

What is the track record of success at the school? Are the kids having fun, can they play, are they getting a quality musical education? Check for proof of the students abilities and transformational experiences.

3.

When a kid wants to play the guitar they tend to be greatly influenced by those who can do what they want to do.  Thus their guitar teacher and even other students at the school will have a positive or negative influence on their development. Not just musically, but also in their personality. Here at SLC Guitar we take this very seriously and be sure that your kid is influenced to become great in all aspects of life. 

“Enrolling my daughter in SLC Guitar
was the best decision we ever made!”

“We had been looking for quite some time and trying different classes and browsing, until we met Preston. Our daughter had classes in the past with other teachers and schools, but we didn't see any progress... Since our first meeting with Preston, we were amazed how he had a different approach and was engaging and dedicated to teaching. Our daughter was so excited that she couldn't wait to start her first lesson.

“What makes Preston different from other teachers is that he makes it fun for kids and is such a great instructor with lots of approaches and ideas. She has been taking lessons for 3 months, and we are amazed at what she has learned and how her life is so affected with everything she has learned so far. She found herself in guitar! Watching her every time she comes home from class with so much excitement and motivation to do more makes us so happy. I can't wait to see what will be in the next 3 months.”

- Mirjana / Parent

An Open Letter to Parents

From: Preston Howard
Salt Lake City ,UT

​


Dear Parent,


Learning to play the guitar is such an exciting time in life for kids!


I still remember that day in 8th grade when my friend Brad brought his electric guitar to school to show it off. He played the intro of “Enter Sandman” by Metallica in the all and i couldn't believed it! It never occurred to me that was possible or that perhaps there was a chance I could learn to play my favorite songs too.


He lent me a Musicians Friend magazine and I probably went through at least 100x looking at guitars.  I then convinced my parents to let me buy my first guitar with the money I’d saved from harvesting potatoes (we lived in a little farming town in Idaho). Dad was skeptical at first because it wasn’t the “traditional” acoustic guitar type; however, after convincing him that it did have a volume knob and wouldn't be too loud I got my first guitar, an Ibanez GRX 20 (see below). I couldn’t put it down, and it quickly overtook video games as my new favorite childhood obsession!

Guitar | SLC Guitar

Singing Kumbaya Songs with the 
Lady in the Basement!


However, none of my family members were musical, and there wasn't too many guitar teachers around but my mom found a lady who did guitar lessons out of her basement....


She'd teach the lamest songs and if that wasn't bad enough she'd sing while me and some other kids played. Kumbaya, Muffin Man, 

"Mama Don't Allow." It was the worst! I was 15 years old and wanted to play rock and roll, but I thought, “Ok FINE! If this is what it takes, I'll do it...”


Over the years, I've had 11 guitar teachers. I had everyone from stay-at-home moms, to college kids who thought they could teach because they played in bands, to hippies with really bad breath, to guys with big music degrees who would just show off the whole time! I even tried looking up stuff online, but it was all so confusing.


Long story short:  Thousands of dollars, hundreds of lessons, and years later, I realized that most guitar teachers are not equipped to really train kids how to play correctly. This became even more apparent to me when I ran my first class as a substitute teacher years ago.


The shocking “substitute teacher” experience
that finally caused me to start my own school…


When I first moved to Salt Lake City, I made friends with a local guitar teacher. I let him know I wanted to pursue a career in music. Long story short: I ended up being a substitute teacher for him one day and was shocked at what I discovered...


… I realized every student I met with could barely do anything on the guitar, even though they’d been taking lessons for 2+ years!


They all had binders full of music sheets but could barely play a scale or any of the songs they had. They were still trying to remember their basic chords and were fumbling through simple riffs. After I explained and demonstrated what a scale is and what it’s used for, another teacher ran out of his lesson and was blown away at what I did. 


Wait, what? I was so confused... 


It really wasn't anything special, just some basic blues licks. I thought, shouldn't this be normal? I mean, aren't we supposed to be the "pros" here? 


Needless to say, I was never invited back, as the students began asking me for lessons... Thus, SLC Guitar was born. :)


Fast-forward nearly 8 years, and SLC Guitar is now one of the most sought-after schools in the greater Salt Lake City area. I’ve developed my own custom method that’s superior to what 98% of schools teach (more on that below)...


To learn more, click the button below to apply for a free consultation. I'd be happy to chat with you to see if you'd be a good fit for my school.


Sincerely,


Preston Howard

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 How To Avoid Choosing The Wrong Guitar Teacher

After quitting piano as a kid, taking HS band, working with 11 different guitar instructors, studying music in college, and working with 100s and 100s of guitar students over the years who’ve had previous lessons, I've learned a lot about how music and guitar is taught. 

Here's the 3 most common methods used to teach guitar

1.

The Read-A-Book Method:  In this method all the teacher does is help the kid read a book. Not only does it take forever to get good but it's freakin boring. What kid wants to practice for years and when asked to play has to run and grab his book (because he wasn't trained to play from memory) and play "Blow Ye Gentle Winds" or some other lame song written 100yrs ago? There is such a disconnect with the kids who have a vision of playing cool songs to impress friends & family. Piano is usually taught this way but its common for guitar as well. Maybe that's why I quit piano as a kid...

2.

The Wing It Method #1: Teach Random Songs Method: Every week the kid goes to his lesson the teacher asks… So what song do you want to play? No structure, no strategy, and hardly any musical training. Just moving fingers around to what the teacher scribbles down on scratch paper. Imagine a teacher asking a kindergartner who doesn’t know much about anything yet what they want to learn each week?  It’s a bit more fun than the boring read a book method but this is hardly anything to be called "professional guitar lessons." 

3.

The Wing It Method #2: Drown The Kid In Random Theory Concepts: Similar to the show-random-songs method, but instead of songs, its random musical concepts: scale patterns, arpeggios, triads, the modes, tertian harmony etc. College grads showing off their knowledge to kids... Just like how you would never teach calculus to a 1st grader it doesn't make much sense to drown a little kid with music theory jargon. ​

Yes, some teachers are better than others and most are also nice people. But due to the flawed approach that 98% of guitar teachers use, most students ultimately fail to learn how to play the guitar like they wanted. It was either too boring or too confusing, and sadly the kids are left thinking they weren’t "good enough," they lacked “natural talent” or didn't have some special gift that only others have. But the truth is, the entire premise of the teaching method being used set them up to fail.

What makes SLC Guitar totally different?

  • Gives your child the opportunity to “find themselves” in music. Many students have experienced life-changing transformations as they start to excel in a skill WAY beyond what is average, giving them a major boost to their self-esteem!
  • A well-organized, structured training program that’s designed to get students results quickly. It’s a proven process that’s guaranteed to work faster than any other method out there.
  • Adaptive learning that matches your child’s unique personality, learning style and experience. This is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Although we follow a specific process, we can also adapt it to meet the student’s unique learning style without throwing out the structure.
  • Gives guidance on how you, the parent, can help your kid succeed (even if you don’t know anything about guitar). Discover how to reinforce and support what your child is learning in class so they can get the most out of their home practice sessions.
  • Builds a rock-solid foundation that will be strong -- and deep -- enough to support a lifetime of learning (when kids don’t get this, they end up hitting a big plateau after a while, and they can’t seem to get better because so much was skipped).
  • Did you know there is a secret technique and training method that can easily get students playing extremely fast? This is how Milica, the 9-year-old girl in the above video, was able to play 700+ notes per minute after only 3 months of playing! (Check out her progress video on the Student Demonstrations page.) There’s tons of guitar secrets like this that we'll train your kids on at SLC Guitar.  Watch their confidence soar as they find themselves becoming the best guitar player in their school. 
  • How to have a blast while also going after results. Kids learn how to take their training seriously but not to take themselves too seriously! They learn a valuable life lesson: you can have fun, enjoy the journey and be super competitive at the same time!
  • Lessons are held in a nice commercial location in a professional building surrounded by local shops (not in a stranger’s garage, basement or living room). Do some shopping, get your nails done, or get some work done in our waiting room with free bottled water and WiFi.
  • Get expert level feedback. Preston is a full time professional guitar teacher who has the knowledge and foresight to give the right advice at the right time. While most teaches will say, “just keep practicing” Preston will dissect the issue, give specific step by step instructions, so that your kid knows exactly what to do to win.
  • Learn songs very quickly. After 90 days, most students will be able to play the following: 12+ famous guitar riffs, 7 chords (and know what key they are in), 3 etudes and 2 full songs from memory! In this time, they’ll also learn basic music theory concepts (i.e., what rhythm is, how rhythm works, what a "key" is, how to read 2 types of music notations and much more!). They'll even have written 2 to 3 short songs themselves!
  • Our school will help your child develop critical life skills, such as time management, organizational skills and goal setting. At the end of the day, we're going to reinforce the life skills you want your kid to have but through something they enjoy! Cool right?
  • A program that takes EVERYTHING into account such as Physical skills needed to play the guitar, KNOWLEDGE side (how music works) the emotional side (building confidence and keeping them motivated) and the creative side (learn to create music like a mad musical scientist
  • Students learn advanced level learning techniques and are trained by learning experts. This is critical because a great method with poor learning techniques applied won’t work (e.g. it's common to have a kid leave after his first day with an entire 16 bar etude learned and memorized).
  • Guitar-Parent Training: Most parents aren’t guitar players, let alone guitar teachers, which means you probably aren’t quite sure how to help your kid succeed with guitar. We’ll help you understand what to do and how you can help. It’s actually pretty easy and hardly takes any time or effort, but it makes all the difference!
  • Exclusive access to our private online members area. So your kid can learn in an organized and approved way at home. They’ll have online access to tons of support materials to supplement what they do in class and not be expected to “figure it out” at home or look up amateur videos on YouTube.
  • Preston (owner of SLC Guitar) is a full time expert guitar teacher who is 100% dedicated to your kid's success. With over 5,000 hours teaching many satisfied clients and proof of taking students from 0 to high levels of playing in record time, SLC Guitar is the guitar school that every parent wishes their child had.
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After just 90 Days, your child will know...

  • How basic rhythm works and ability to keep rhythm
  • 12+ famous guitar riffs
  • 7 + chords which key they are in and ability to change chords in time
  • 3 Etudes (Short songs from memory!)
  • 2 Full Songs
  • How to play 300+ notes per min (seriously!)
  • How to learn and memorize quickly
  • How to read 2 types of guitar music
  • and more!!

Oh yea, and they'll have written 2-3 songs of their own!

Is It Worth It? Ask These Parents & Students

My 9 yr old can't get enough... Preston and team really know their stuff

My son has been coming here for the past nine months and we have nothing but great things to say. He was a complete novice when he started. Now he has an extensive knowledge of riffs, etudes, chords... the list goes on and on. It is so exciting to watch his progress. He takes a particular liking to creating his own songs, an easy feat for him now because he learns music theory and composition along with amazing instruction on how to actually rock out. My 9 year old happily goes to TWO hours of guitar classes every week. It is NEVER a fight to get him to go to guitar. He actually keeps begging me to let him take MORE lessons a week, he cannot get enough. Preston and team really know their stuff and we are so glad to have found them.

Kari C.

He teaches guitar in a way that is fun and effective.

Our 11-year-old son has been taking lessons from Preston for 7 months now. He's never played the guitar before and I can hardly believe how fast he's learning and how good he's getting now, all thanks to Preston's teaching style, his dedication and his interest in each and every student's success. I am so glad we found Preston. He teaches guitar in a way that is fun and effective. If you want to learn in a fun, engaging and good-paced environment, you can't go wrong with SLC Guitar and Preston.

Paulina G.

Preston is an amazing teacher.

Preston is an amazing teacher. My daughter has learned so much the short time she has been taking lessons from him and we are so pleased we went with SLC Guitar for her lessons.

Cydne O.

We definitely recommend.

Preston is a great teacher and very knowledgable - he basically eats, sleeps and breaths guitar. This is reflected in his teaching. He cares very much about his student's progress, while maintaining a fun atmosphere for us to learn in. His classes are very organized and well-planned. He also has a student resource center which is helpful for slower learners like myself. We definitely recommend.

Cameron F.

I had previous lessons with another music school for about 5 years, and I really think Preston could have taught me everything they did in less than a year.

​I've been taking guitar lessons here for about 3 years, and my progress is unbelievable. I had previous lessons with another music school for about 5 years, and I really think Preston could have taught me everything they did in less than a year. Preston is the best guitar teacher you'll find anywhere near Salt Lake City. If you want to learn how to play guitar correctly and be creative with it, don’t look anywhere else.

Randy S. 

Andrew’s Timeline: Age 5 to 8

Andrew began taking lessons in 2016 at 5 years old. He works VERY hard, and we put together a timeline of his progress to demonstrate a few things he has learned.

Who Is SLC Guitar For?

​SLC Guitar is for students who want to learn guitar (the right way) in a fun, enjoyable atmosphere and excel. So, if you don’t want your kids to have fun and laugh as they learn, then this probably isn’t the place for you. And if you don’t want them to be pushed to excel, set goals and achieve them, then we probably wouldn’t be a good fit either.

However, this program is for you if…

  • Your child is new to guitar and you’re looking for a teacher who knows how to get results.
  • You want them to be in an atmosphere that’s both fun and challenging.
  • You’re looking for a guitar school that’s well-organized and structured.
  • You get excited about seeing your child develop new abilities.
  • You’re willing to commit to your child’s interests in guitar and take an active roll to support them.
  • You’ve tried other guitar teachers but weren’t happy with the results.

About Preston Howard

Preston Howard is a full-time professional guitar teacher and the owner of SLC Guitar. Having studied with 11 private guitar teachers over the years and studying music in college, he decided to start his own school based on a unique process known as The Complete Guitar Mastery Method.™ It’s proven to get results faster than the other three methods typically taught.


Preston has devoted 100% of his time and energy into his method. He spent 6 years as a member of an international network of guitar teachers and music school owners brainstorming the most effective methods, and he’s spent 1000s of hours developing and testing his own unique method known as The Complete Guitar Mastery Method.™


Now, with over 5,000 hours of face-to-face coaching under his belt, he’s learned how to break down complex concepts into simple, easy-to-digest lessons. His students say his method is unlike anything they’ve experienced before in that it’s very structured and organized (a rare trait among musicians) while also being fun and lighthearted!

When not helping his students learn the guitar, or improving the methods at SLC Guitar, Preston enjoys playing guitar himself, studying music, composing music, He also enjoys snowboarding, kickboxing, and reading. 

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FAQs

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Click the button below to apply for a free consultation. After you submit your application, we’ll have a short phone call to get to know each other. If we feel like we’d be a good fit, then I’ll invite you and your child to come into the school for a free consultation.

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