Educational

I have many years of teaching experience privately, and at formal institutions. I've taught at places such as: The Hit Music Studio (Pembroke Pines), Sounds of Excellence School of Music (Miami, FL), Musicall (Kendal, FL), Boston School of Music Arts (Boston, MA), and currently a Graduate Adjunct Instructor at New York University (New York, NY).  While I am predominantly a guitar player, I have experience with and have often enjoyed teaching musical/compositional concepts as well as improvisational tools and music theory to other instruments. 

Here are a few topics I can discuss with students:

  • Beginning to advanced Music Theory
  • Introduction to Jazz Guitar 
  • Patterns and ideas for creative scale practicing
  • Guitar Fretboard knowledge
  • Individualized approaches to learning and improvisation
  • Transcription and analysis
  • Compositional/Songwriting techniques
  • Jazz Harmony/Theory
  • Trio playing, and being a band leader
  • Arranging for various ensembles
  • Counterpoint and Guitar Polyphony
  • Harmony, the study of creating interesting voicings with moving lines
  • Guitarist left and right hand technique (with or without a pick)
  • Hybrid picking, alternate picking, economy picking, legato technique
  • Time metronome exercises
  • Polyrhythms, polyphony, and polytonality in composition and improvisation
  • Open triads and creative chord voicings
  • George Russell's Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization
  • In addition to many other topics upon request!

On the right, I've attached some samples of one topic I find very useful and share with all my students, chord scale relationships.

I'm available for in person lessons in the New York area, as well as Skype/Facetime lessons in 30, 45, or 60 minute intervals. 

Video Lessons

Testimonials

"As someone who's fallen out of practice, I had a lot of questions on what to tackle next as a guitar player. I was really happy that Nicholas took the time to give me concise, but thorough explanations on topics that I was curious about but had no idea how to proceed with as a guitar player. He threw a lot of information out on some questions I had on where to start in playing jazz as a guitar player, but he was really encouraging and patient in making sure I had the materials and resources to keep diving further on my own." 

-Diego Ugaz