I am a guitarist with over 25 years of playing experience. I have taught students young and old, from complete beginners to intermediate level players who need to improve their technique or get out of a rut! Guitar is my passion and it can be yours too! Experience the joy of learning with a teacher who provides organized lessons and utilizes modern educational resources.
I bring a unique perspective to music tuition. As an analytical problem solver, I have a background as a risk consultant and auditor at a professional services firm before starting my teaching career in 2019. I hold a Bachelor of Commerce with a focus on Accounting and Commercial Law. My strong affinity for process and analysis enables me to provide structured and engaging lessons that effectively meet my students' needs.
Lessons are priced at $30 for 30 minutes at my address in Pukerua Bay (or online), or $45 for 30 minutes at your place (Paremata, Whitby, Plimmerton).
Available Hours:
Monday: 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Tuesday: 2:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Wednesday: 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Thursday: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 2:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Available Hours:
Tuesday: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Thursday: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Friday: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Can't make it in person? No problem! I also offer online lessons via Zoom or Skype.
Online lessons are suited for intermediate level players who are comfortable with basic guitar techniques and can maintain good posture and hand positioning independently.
Lessons usually focus on a specific song chosen by the student—or by me if it is useful to develop specific skills. Technique and theory are discussed in the context of the song. There are also dedicated lessons solely for technique and theory. The type of lesson and content depends on your goals and the style of playing you wish to develop.
Quick Check-In: A brief chat to see how your song practice is going and identify any challenges.
Song: We work on a specific section of your song where a key skill (like alternate picking or chord transitions) needs improvement. This helps with learning the song and developing your technical skills.
Musical Ideas in Context: You'll learn how the musical ideas behind the song connect to underlying theory.
Immediate Feedback: Targeted, hands-on corrections help you make quick progress.
Practice Instructions: Dedicate focused time to practicing the song section, applying the techniques we worked on, and reviewing any theory concepts discussed.
Music Theory Concepts: These sessions explore scales, chord structures, rhythmic concepts, and common forms (e.g., 12 bar blues) to build a solid foundation for your musical intuition.
Application: Learn how to apply these concepts in your playing through songwriting and improvisation.
These sessions concentrate on refining your technical skills through targeted exercises and drills. These may be new techniques or ones you are developing.
This comprehensive approach ensures that every lesson—whether focused on a song, theory, or technique—contributes to your overall development as a guitarist.
"Mike is brilliant. He is authentic, patient, and he knows his stuff. I am learning guitar later in life and was worried I couldn't do it. Mike has given me the confidence and structure to practise and persevere."
- Greg Le'Maire
"The progress my son has made since starting lessons with Mike has been fantastic. Mike took the time to find out what he wanted to learn and has taught him not just practical skills but also music theory which has really increased his song writing confidence. He comes home from every lesson enthusiastic and inspired."
- Clare Knighton
"Mike is an excellent teacher with a great understanding of the level you are at and how best to help you improve your playing skills. He also provides very helpful follow up notes or videos to help you practice."
- Nigel Smith
"I just want to shout out to my main man and guitar tutor, Mike Nelson. I came across Mike at a time when I really wanted to dedicate more time and commitment to my guitar playing. He has been amazing! He has helped me further develop in many styles, but has also pulled me back to work on miss-learnt habits and techniques. I would without hesitation recommend Mike to anyone wanting to focus on guitar - beginner, intermediate, advanced, young or old. He's the man! 🎸🤘👍"
- Jonathan Burchell
Reviews are from Google.
Please complete this form to give me some info about your availability and I will get back to you with dates and times.
You can call me on 022 127 2154
You've just started learning to strum basic chords.
Key Skills:
Chord Fundamentals: Learn open major and minor chords (A, Am, C, D, Dm, E, Em, and G).
Melodic/Single Note Playing: Use simple melodies on one or two strings to build finger strength and accuracy.
Rhythmic Development: Use basic strumming patterns (quarter notes and simple eighth notes) while tapping your foot to maintain a steady internal pulse.
Music Theory: Learn note names and understand how the third interval differentiates major from minor chords.
Fretboard & Reading Skills: Use targeted exercises and basic fretboard diagrams to identify note names along the E string, and develop the ability to interpret chord charts and lyric sheets.
Technique: Develop an effective, comfortable pick grip and incorporate proper hand placement.
You've learned a few songs and can serenade friends around a campfire.
Key Skills:
Chord Fundamentals: Continue working with open chords and introduce additional chords—including Major 7, Minor 7, and Dominant 7—while developing chord changes.
Melodic/Single Note Playing: Refine single‑note melodies and begin integrating simple multi‑string riffs. Develop clarity and precision in your playing.
Rhythmic Development: Explore varied strumming patterns that incorporate subtle syncopation and develop your rhythmic feel.
Music Theory: Expand your understanding of chord construction using chord charts and fretboard diagrams. Begin exploring foundational forms like the 12‑bar blues.
Fretboard & Reading Skills: Reinforce note identification along the E string, extend familiarity to other strings, and develop your ability to read chord and lyric sheets.
Technique: Continue developing a comfortable pick grip and incorporate proper hand placement.
You've mastered barre chords and are now integrating scales into your playing.
Key Skills:
Chord Fundamentals: Use barre chords (with E string and A string roots) while refining overall chord transitions.
Melodic/Single Note Playing: Develop scale proficiency by using single‑note patterns covering the Pentatonic, Major, and relative Minor scales.
Rhythmic Development: Use varied rhythmic patterns—eighth notes, sixteenth notes, and triplets—and use a metronome to improve timing and precision.
Music Theory: Explore the concepts of intervals and diatonic harmony with hands-on, tab-based activities and written guides to deepen your comprehension of chord progressions, scales, and harmony.
Fretboard & Reading Skills: Develop your skills in reading chord, lyric, and tablature sheets.
Technique: Incorporate hammer‑ons, pull‑offs, slides, palm muting, ghost notes to add rhythmic and tonal variation, and further develop these techniques.
You can craft improvisations, jam with others, and write your own songs.
Key Skills:
Chord Fundamentals: Continue refining chord transitions with increased speed and precision. Introduce shell voicings, voicings on different string sets, and expand your chord vocabulary to include diminished, augmented, m7b5, and triad forms.
Melodic/Single Note Playing: Expand your use of scales and modes—including the diminished scale—and incorporate their corresponding arpeggios. Develop your improvisational skills.
Rhythmic Development: Use varied rhythmic patterns—such as eighth notes, sixteenth notes, and triplets—and use a metronome to enhance your timing. Integrate complex rhythmic patterns and syncopation to develop expressive timing and rhythmic complexity.
Music Theory: Study intervals and diatonic harmony through practical, tab‑based examples and written material to deepen your understanding of modal concepts and chord substitutions, and to enhance your theoretical insights.
Fretboard & Reading Skills: Develop your skills in reading chord, lyric, and tablature sheets, and further develop your knowledge of notes on the fretboard.
Technique: Continue developing hammer‑ons, pull‑offs, slides, and palm muting with ghost notes; and introduce advanced techniques such as tapping, string muting, alternate picking, and pinch harmonics.
You craft sophisticated solos that apply advanced techniques and theoretical concepts.
Key Skills:
Chord Mastery: Learn advanced chord shapes, including extended, altered, inverted, and drop voicings on multiple string sets.
Scale Mastery: Explore advanced scales—including diminished, whole tone, harmonic minor, melodic minor, and their modes—and integrate them and their corresponding arpeggios into solos and improvisations. Develop your soloing, improvisational, and arpeggio skills.
Musical Expression: Develop a nuanced performance style with dynamic variation, precise technique, and expressive phrasing.
Advanced Rhythmic Development: Use intricate subdivisions—such as complex sixteenth note passages, triplets, and dotted rhythms—within sophisticated arrangements to improve your rhythmic precision.
Advanced Music Theory: Study harmonic analysis, modulation, voice leading, and advanced chord substitutions using comprehensive written materials and diagrams to deepen your theoretical insights.
Fretboard & Reading Skills: Continue advancing your ability to read complex tablature and chord charts.
Technique: Incorporate advanced picking techniques such as sweep picking and pick slanting for fluid, expressive lead playing, and further develop your advanced technical skills.
I've created this comprehensive guide to major scale modes and arpeggios to help you master essential guitar shapes and patterns across the fretboard.
Download the Major Scale Modes & Arpeggios Guitar Shapes Guide for NZ$20. Available at Gumroad.com.
By building a solid foundation in guitar fundamentals and music theory, and by equipping you with transposition techniques, this guide will empower you to confidently explore and learn additional scales. In doing so, it opens up a world of musical possibilities. Here's what you'll discover:
Understanding guitar tab goes beyond simply knowing the order of the notes.
This four-level model guides you from the basics of reading tabs, through mastering rhythmic notation (including subdivisions), to recognizing chord and scale shapes, and finally applying music theory for a comprehensive interpretation of the music.
Date: 20 March 2024
Identify the Strings: The six horizontal lines represent the guitar strings (low E at the bottom, high E at the top).
Read from Left to Right: Tabs are read horizontally, so play the notes in the order they appear.
Fret Numbers Indicate Finger Placement: The numbers on the lines tell you which fret to press; for example, "0" means an open string.
Basic Symbols: Recognize essential symbols like hammer-ons ("h"), pull-offs ("p"), slides ("/" for sliding up and "\\" for sliding down), bends (arrow symbols), vibrato ("~"), muted or ghost notes ("x"), and duration markers ("----|").
Additional Resources: Utilize sites like Songsterr and YouTube for playthroughs and tutorials.
Understanding Timing & Duration Indicators: Look at rhythmic notation to determine how long each note or chord lasts. This understanding enhances your rhythmic feel and helps ensure that you're playing with accurate timing.
Understanding Subdivisions: Grasp how each beat divides into smaller units. For example, in common time, a quarter note can be subdivided into two eighth notes or four sixteenth notes.
Pattern Recognition: Familiar chord and scale shapes help you quickly identify the correct fingering—even when some notes are omitted—like seeing pieces of a puzzle come together.
Efficiency in Learning: Relying on shapes you already know reduces the need for extensive memorization.
Common Pitfalls: Guitarists who view tabs note-by-note often use incorrect fingering, and relying solely on tabs without understanding shapes can result in holding notes for an incorrect duration.
Key and Chord Relationships: Understanding the key of a song and its associated chords helps predict and make sense of the notes in tabs.