Private Guitar Lessons
by Thomas Coffey
Why Private Lessons?
While this website is designed to assist you in bettering yourself as a guitarist, my private lessons provide you with two things you cannot get online, or from books or DVD's. The first is correction. New techniques are only as strong as the techniques which came before them. This is why weekly correction is so important. The second is individualized instruction. My private lessons are taught one-on-one in a manner best suiting each particular student. These lessons are customized to accommodate the individual's musical and personal goals.
If you go to the Sheet Music page, you will find a list of pieces and the number of months of private lessons required by the average beginning student to master the techniques required to play the piece. Note that many of the pieces will be accessible to you within the first couple of months of private lessons.
Students who invest in private lessons progress at a rate which is exponentially faster than learning on their own and bad habits are avoided before they ever have a chance to occur.
What Do I Need To Begin?
You will need an Acoustic (Steel String) or Classical (Nylon String) Guitar (beginners should start on a Classical Guitar) and a three ring binder filled with loose leaf paper. All music and handouts will be initially provided as your lessons are customized to your individual wants and needs.
Rental Guitars are available CLICK HERE
What Is The Cost?
Tuition begins at $140/calendar month. Lessons are taught one-on-one on a month-by-month basis. No long-term commitment is required.
For More Information:
Please contact Thomas Coffey at
813.961.9167 or
guitarteacher@tampabay.rr.comSerious inquiries only please
Testimonials:
"We are
pleased to write this recommendation for Thomas Coffey, a fine musician and
educator who has been a part of our Arts in Education Program conducting
guitar presentations and workshops for elementary through secondary students
in Hillsborough County Schools.
Thomas has used his musical skills and knowledge to present
wonderful in-school performances that have included the traditional music of
a variety of different cultures. He has been able to charm his audiences
with the excellent music he performs onstage and has received many positive
comments on the educational value of his presentations from students and
teachers alike.
His strong musical background has also made him a popular
hands-on instructor for beginning to advanced guitar students in the
secondary schools. This together with his excellent record as a private
guitar instructor and his published composition and recording work, makes
him the premier guitar instructor of choice for anyone seeking
top notch guitar instruction.
Combine these incredible artistic skills with a kind and
affirming manner and you have in Thomas all of the qualities of the best of
teachers."
Lynn Norton
Director of Education
Arts Council of Hillsborough County
"I am always glad to
recommend Thomas Coffey as a private teacher to guitar students in search of
excellence. He has a strong background of musical training and many years
of successful teaching experience. His students have won prizes on the
state, regional, and national level, and have been admitted into some of the
most respected college guitar programs in the nation. His
published compositions and recordings of original works add a unique
dimension to his teaching perspective. I would recommend Thomas to any
serious student of the guitar."
John Parris, Faculty Chairman
Fine Arts Department
Blake School for the Arts, Tampa, FL
“I have been a student of music for 19 years. That would have been cut short, were it not for Thomas Coffey. I met Thomas at the age of thirteen, after my last guitar teacher moved from the area. I was on the verge of putting the guitar down for good. Practicing the instrument had become such a chore without reward that, on one occasion, I went so far as to cut a string with a pair of scissors half an hour before a lesson so that I would not have to go. I knew I had a good teacher, so it was I that had failed as a student.
Walking into Thomas’ studio was the rebirth of my love for music. Though, I was hardly the perfect student, Thomas was never less than an excellent teacher. From start to finish, he always gave me the exact solution to the problem; always meticulous, always striving to make me a better musician. I have realized the ultimate difference between a good teacher and a great teacher…at the end of the lesson the student feels inspired, energized, and motivated to practice. This was the feeling I had walking out of every lesson, no matter how poorly prepared I felt going in.
The lessons Thomas gave me have become the core beliefs that I now share myself as a teacher. One always hears, “the proof is in the pudding,” in this case, I can say with certainty; there is no better guitar teacher I have met. In the seven years since I left Thomas for college, not one teacher has attempted to alter my technique, and I have been fortunate enough to be a prize winner or finalist in several international competitions and to have received numerous scholarships, assistantships, and performances all over the world (including an invitation to attend the Paris Conservatory of Music and study with Roland Dyens). This good fortune is solely the product of Thomas Coffey’s tutelage, friendship, and profound understanding of music. I owe him my most heartfelt appreciation.”
Andrew Stroud
Former Student
“I’ve been a guitar student of Thomas’s for about six years now. I continue to be amazed at his uncanny ability to watch me play a piece I’m learning and instantly diagnose multiple areas that need correcting. He can spot a misplaced finger on the fret board, a tiny glitch in right hand fingering and problems with the pace and flow of the piece--all from watching and listening to me play it only once! Thomas is then able to suggest the exact remedy that is needed to correct each problem.
I’ve also been very thankful for Thomas’s extraordinary patience in dealing with a student like me who has no musical talent or experience and not much of an ear for music. He can sense just how far and fast he can challenge each of his students to help them grow and develop as a player without becoming frustrated.
I initially began lessons to relieve stress but now playing the guitar has become an important part of my life thanks to Thomas.”
Bill Blank
Current Student
"While studying guitar with Thomas Coffey, I gained
the musical knowledge and guitar technique that I needed to compete on a
national level. With his guidance I become one of twenty Presidential
Scholars in the Arts in 2002, made the finals of two national solo
competitions, performed concerti with three symphonies, performed on
National Public Radio’s From the Top, won scholarships, and was named
the Young Artist of the Year for the Florida chapter of the American
String Teachers Association in 2003. His teaching method and advice were
always on point and helpful. I am graduating from
Ben Pila
Former Student