Guitar Classes

Fall 2024 Zoom Guitar 2/3 Registration Now Open!

I am offering a Friday Noon Guitar Zoom Class this fall. If you’ve been in Friday Zoom or Beginner 2, then this is the right class for you. If you have been in Monday Beginner 3 class before, this still may be a good fit for you. I will find common ground or offer differentiated instruction should folks have a wide range of skills. This is a great way to keep your accountability for practice and have a weekly check in and inspiration. I am also considering offering some in-person workshops/coaching sessions. Indicate interest for that on your form or email me to discuss. We will have a Neighborly Music Recital in December at Pacific Crest Community School where you will have an opportunity to perform solo or in a small group for your friends and family and the other Neighborly Music students.

NOTE: We offer an all levels guitar section at our in-person String Band Class at Pacific Crest Community School on Tuesdays 7pm. Some of you might enjoy playing with others in the old time bluegrass community Patrick and I are a part of in our String Band Class.

“Maggie really was able to break down the art of making music in a way that made it feel accessible… and it was great of course to learn songs that my little one could enjoy.”
S.L.

“I love your class, your enthusiasm, and doubtless love of music and the teaching of it.”
C.M.

Guitar Beginner 2/3

Fridays 12pm -1pm on Zoom October 18 – December 13 (8 weeks – no class on November 1)

Self-paced access to Friday Beginner 2/3 Class (watch the recording of the lesson, plus resources): (8 weeks)

If you know most first position chords such as A, Am, A7, B7, C, D, Dm, D7, E, Em, E7, F, and G and you are fairly comfortable playing several songs, this class is for you! We will work on rhythmic competence, strumming techniques, singing while playing, finger picking, simple melodies, and basic music theory. My goal is to help you develop your musicality and confidence playing songs you enjoy. We will do a combination of review/new songs and skills each week. I supplement our lessons using a virtual classroom with demonstration videos, instructional videos, practice videos, source recordings, and chord charts.

Payment Information

I am raising my tuition to bring my rates closer to those of other classes with similar offerings and teacher experience. Going forward, I plan to raise our tuition a small amount annually to account for cost of living adjustment and my gained experience as a teacher. Inspired by the Portland Underground Graduate School’s Radical Pricing and Generosity Policy, which allows anyone to attend classes at the wage they earn, I am offering a tiered pricing system. We at Neighborly Music and Portland String Band Class want to make it clear that no one will ever be turned away from our classes for lack of funds. We believe music education should be accessible to everyone and we all benefit from an economically diverse class environment. Select your payment tier by reflecting on these resources:

Sliding Scale Fee Guidance Flowchart to see how you might place yourself on the sliding scale.
Use this Income-Based Guidance.
Or the 3 Bottle / and 4 Bottle Bottle sorting methods.
These are the current Portland area median income statistics.

The cost for the Zoom class that meets Fridays at noon:

TIER 1 – $300 (I am financially comfortable)
TIER 2 – $260 (I am financially stable)
TIER 3 – $180 (I need subsidized tuition to afford class)
TIER 4 – $80 (I cannot attend without a scholarship)

Self-paced access to Friday Beginner 2 Class (watch the recording of the lesson, plus resources):

TIER 1 – $160 (I am financially comfortable)
TIER 2 – $120 (I am financially stable)
TIER 3 – $80 (I need subsidized tuition)

If these rates do not work for you, please let me know and we can work something out!

Pay via…

Venmo: @maggiebanjo
PayPal (maggiebanjo@gmail.com)
Check to payable to Neighborly Music 4416 NE 20th Ave, Portland, OR 97211.

Guitar Beginner 3/4 ON HOLD

This is a class for folks who have worked on basic guitar skills, want to stay inspired and also be challenged with new concepts and skills. In this class we will work with all of the basic chord shapes and we will stretch into bar chords, bass runs, simple melodies, fills, finger picking, and sometimes complex rhythms to make your songs more dynamic. If you enjoy making music with other people in a relaxed setting and want to get a weekly work out and stretch a bit, this is the class for you. We will do a combination of review/new songs and skills each week. I supplement our lessons using a virtual classroom with demonstration videos, instructional videos, practice videos, source recordings, and chord charts.