1^st lesson free

Raphael

Rate $56
Response 1h

$56/hr

1^st lesson free

Guitar
Acoustic Guitar
Electric guitar
Bass guitar
Ukulele

Understand Guitar Chords by Hearing What Changes When One Note Moved, Understand the whole fretboard

Guitar
Acoustic Guitar
Electric guitar
Bass guitar
Ukulele

Lesson location

- online

About Raphael

I’m Raphael and I would rather help you understand one useful musical relationship than give you six shapes you cannot use without a diagram. I explain theory when it answers a question that has become audible: why a chord sounds brighter, why a bass note changes the effect, or why a melody note fits one harmony differently from another. You can ask for the full explanation, but we will also put the guitar back in your hands and hear it. I do not expect unfamiliar terminology to make sense merely because I have said it confidently.

You do not need to arrive with a polished goal or a particular kind of music taste. A child may begin with a tune they can sing and want to find on one string. A teenager may bring a riff or chord sequence and want to understand how it works beyond the tablature. An adult returning to guitar may remember plenty of shapes but feel disconnected from rhythm, confidence, or the sound they hoped to make. I can work from those different starting points without treating one as more serious than another. As your interests become clearer, they help determine which techniques and musical ideas deserve more attention.

I will not turn a missed chord into a lecture about how much you should have practiced. First, we need to know whether the task was clear and whether your practice was targeting the actual difficulty. If a verbal explanation becomes confusing, I may play two versions and ask what you hear, or demonstrate the movement without its musical labels. My feedback will distinguish between a cleaner sound, an easier movement, and a more convincing musical choice, because those are related but not identical achievements. I want you to recognize progress in your own playing, rather than depend on my approval to know whether something is working.

About the lesson

Chord shapes are easier to remember when they mean something to your ears. We use small changes to uncover how chords work, rather than collecting diagrams that seem unrelated. For example, the familiar open E minor and E major shapes differ by one note: the open G on the third string becomes G sharp at the first fret. We would pick that string, hear the change, and then listen to it inside the complete chord. A new guitarist gets an audible explanation of major and minor before needing a page of theory. Someone with more experience can follow that same question into different chord colours: which note changed, and what did that change do?

From there, we explore the fretboard through connected versions of familiar musical material. Instead of learning a new chord position as an entirely separate shape, we identify the notes it contains and find another arrangement of them nearby. You might keep one note on top while changing the harmony underneath, or choose a chord position because it puts the melody within reach. Intermediate players can use this to move beyond a small collection of habitual grips. Advanced work can develop into chord melody, more deliberate accompaniment, or improvisation that responds to changing harmony. The point is not to name every note before playing anything; it is to make the neck feel related rather than fragmented.

Your hands still need clear, practical guidance. When a chord sounds muffled, we pick through its strings and distinguish a fretted note that buzzes from a neighbouring string touched accidentally. More squeezing will not address both problems. We may adjust a fingertip’s approach, move it closer behind the fret, or change how the hand supports the shape. During chord changes, we look for fingers that can stay in contact as guides and fingers that genuinely need to travel. Beginners learn a usable movement before building speed; returning players can examine an awkward change without assuming the solution is to start their entire technique again.

Rhythm and songs stay present throughout this work. If your strumming stops whenever a chord changes, we can keep the hand moving through the beat while temporarily simplifying which strings it contacts. That lets us hear whether the interruption comes from the rhythm itself or from preparing the next shape too late. Picking and fingerstyle receive the same attention to clear timing, intentional string contact, and unwanted noise. We then put the work into a song section, including its entrance and ending. You will leave knowing which part needs attention, how to check it, and how the exercise connects to something you actually want to play.

Rates

Rate

Pack prices

5h: $280
10h: $560

free lessons

The first lesson with Raphael will allow you to get to know each other and discuss your needs for future lessons.

online

$56/h

Understand Guitar Chords by Hearing What Changes When One Note Moved, Understand the whole fretboard

Lesson location

About Raphael

About the lesson

Rates

Rate

Pack prices

free lessons

online

Similar Guitar tutors in New York

Albert

Justin

Luke

Amy

Shane

Ryan

Dave Coleclough

Jonathan

Nigel

Binny

Richard

Isla

Don Celsus Shenal Iranga

Kim

Tyrone

Chris

Floyd

Felix

Sameer

Gregory

Understand Guitar Chords by Hearing What Changes When One Note Moved, Understand the whole fretboard

Lesson location

About Raphael

About the lesson

Rates

Rate

Pack prices

free lessons

online

Similar Guitar tutors in New York

Albert

Justin

Luke

Amy

Shane

Ryan

Dave Coleclough

Jonathan

Nigel

Binny

Richard

Isla

Don Celsus Shenal Iranga

Kim

Tyrone

Chris

Floyd

Felix

Sameer

Gregory

Share

levels

All languages in which the lesson is available

Reviews

Reviews

Recommendations

free lessons

Report this listing