Buffalo Creek's drummer, Nick Bearden is offering private Guitar & Drum instruction while not on tour with Sara Haze (www.myspace.com/sarahaze), Kai Clark - son of Gene Clark, founding member of the Byrds (www.myspace.com/kaiclarkmusic), Buffalo Creek (www.myspace.com/buffalocreek), Bryn Loosley (www.myspace.com/brynloosley), Alyssa Jacey (www.myspace.com/alyssajacey), Selena Garcia (www.myspace.com/selenagarciamusic), or other solo ventures. Please read below for the official press release:

There are many awesome guitar players. However, great guitarists are not necessarily good teachers. I believe that the ability to teach effectively... takes a *teacher*. I have two college degrees, one of which is in Instructional Technology, which is a fancy way of saying that I might know a thing or two about teaching what I know to someone who might not know. :)

As a teacher / tutor / mentor, I teach rock, country, pop, classic rock, funk, rockabilly, fingerpicking, slide, dobro, open tunings, folk, and blues... both acoustic & electric. I have students who are absolute beginners, students who have played a little and want to "start over" and learn from the ground up, and students who want to take their playing to the next level. Currently, my students range in age from 9 to 53 years old. I am self taught, industry taught, and traditionally taught all at the same time. I have learned a lot of things through the school of hard knocks and only wish that someone would have shared some vital information years ago that one only learns by really being actively involved in music. There is a HUGE difference between learning to play the guitar, and learning the guitar to play with others. All too often I encounter guitar players who are good on their own, but can't play well with others.

Consider this... How many guitar players play "a little of this, and a little of that"? They can play an AC/DC riff, but can't play the WHOLE song? I don't take the easy way... I begin with fundamentals, and use songs to teach CONCEPTS and SKILLS, NOT only so you can play that song, but to help you build a strong knowledge and skill base. Soon... you'll be playing LOTS of tunes from START to FINISH. Fundamentals are the KEY to success.

Skills we'll work on include: "open" chords, barre and power chords, triads, inversions, strum patterns, picking techniques, chord location and composition, song writing, tab, pentatonic & major scales, and lots more. If you are a singer as well, I can assist with basic vocal skills to get you started. If you play in a band, I can assist with arrangements, dynamics, etc. The bottom line is that I want to teach you how to eventually teach yourself.

The first lesson is always free. Consider it a meet and greet where we can talk more about what you are looking to learn, your goals, strengths, weaknesses, etc. I would also ask you to come up with 3-5 songs that you think that you would be interested in learning. I have found that an excellent way of learning a lot on the guitar is through song, versus just showing you techniques and no way to apply it. By putting yourself in the shoes of another guitar player that you admire, we can reverse engineer guitar licks, strumming patterns, rhythms, groove, dynamics, key changes, scales, and so on.

I will tell you this: I am a professional touring musician. I play festivals and venues throughout the country, but really enjoy teaching students when I am not on the road. Take a look at www.myspace.com/sarahaze , www.myspace.com/buffalocreek , www.myspace.com/kaiclarkmusic to hear some of my work. My calendar is filling up quickly, so reserve your first lesson now. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I can provide audio samples, bio, images, or testimonials from other students if desired. I look forward to playing guitar with you soon!

Nick Bearden
www.myspace.com/nickbearden
www.nickbearden.com
http://www.itunes.com/buffalocreek
orangecountyguitar@gmail.com