Frequently Asked Questions

Guitar, bass, ukulele, banjo & mandolin (acoustic and electric).

Classical, jazz, blues, rock, pop, country, bluegrass, folk, metal, funk, flamenco, reggae, samba, bossa nova, salsa, merengue, and more!

$90/month for weekly half-hour lessons; $180/month for weekly hour lessons.

No. Lessons are billed monthly.

Cash, check, Paypal, Venmo, Apple Pay, and credit/debit card.

First week of the month.

Yes, however it is only for one month at a time. Lessons are paid on a month-to-month basis, and can be discontinued at any point. That said, once payment has been submitted for a month, it is non-refundable. In order to officially sign up and take lessons, our lesson policy must be signed by students/parents. Alan always provides a copy of the lesson policy on the first free consultation lesson.

This is covered in our lesson policy, which Alan will give to you on the first free consulation lesson. That said, here are the main points:

-If you need to miss your lesson, please let Alan know (text, call or email), preferably in advance.

-In order to be eligible for a make-up lesson, we require a 24 hour notice.

-For day-of cancelations, make-up lessons are not provided.

-If you miss your lesson and fail to reach out to Alan, it will count as a no-show. Out of respect for his time (as well as common courtesy), please communicate effectively with him.

-If you no-show twice in a row, your time slot will be given to someone on the waitlist.

The monthly fee covers four lessons per month, on a specific day and time. Some months will end up having a fifth week/lesson, and any time that happens, the fifth lesson is a "freebie" - there is no additional charge. Really though, you are paying for reserved time on Alan's schedule - this is ultimately the best way to think about it. The number of lessons you get each month depends on how consistent you are with your attendance.

Yes! This gives folks a chance to meet Alan, ask any questions they might have, and get a feel for whether or not they'd like to officially sign up.

Below are the different age requirements for the five instruments that Alan offers lessons for:

-Guitar/Ukulele: ages 5+

-Bass: ages 7+

-Mandolin/Banjo: ages 12+

Absolutely, parents are always welcome. Some kids are more comfortable with a parent present, especially at first. Other kids find it distracting, so Alan leaves it up to each family.

Yes.

Yes, but to no more than two people at a time. In Alan's experience, group lessons are not as effective as private lessons. It usually only works well if both kids are the same age (or close to the same age). Eventually, one starts to progress quicker than the other, leaving the slower student requiring extra help, and the faster student not getting the same amount of time and attention. In addition, if both kids have different interests stylistically, it makes it that much more challenging. Dividing the time up across two students results in both getting less attention than they would ordinarily receive in private lessons. For this reason, it is not Alan's preferred format. Despite this, Alan also offers parent/child group lessons, and finds that it works best when both the parent and their child are working on the same material.

3114 SW Warberry Avenue, Bentonville.

No. NWA Guitar Lessons isn't a public retail business or store, and is strictly a private lessons/recording studio. We don't sell musical instruments, accessories, materials or equipment of any kind.

While we don't loan intruments to students, there are plenty of instruments at the studio for students to try out and use during lessons, if need be.

Text is usually the best way, as he can quickly respond between lessons. Alan's number is 479-544-8250. You’re welcome to call, however if it is during teaching hours, it’ll go to voicemail. He is typically pretty good about returning calls either before or after the work day. You can also email nwaguitarlessons@gmail.com, and you'll hear back from either Alan, or Sally (his assistant), usually within one business day.

For young kids, it’s best to do half-hour lessons, due to their attention span. Teens and adults usually do fine with hour lessons. 

No, lessons are taught on a weekly basis. The reason for this is because in the past, the times we've offered this option, it has always proven to be very difficult, from a logistical and scheduling standpoint. For this reason, we no longer offer the option of bi-weekly lessons.

Yes. Alan is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Yes. He studied music and took guitar lessons all throughout elementary, middle and high-school, and later majored in Music Education at William Carey University, Music Recording and Production at Middle Tennessee State University, and Guitar Performance at the Atlanta Institute of Music. For more detailed information, check out his bio on the About The Studio page. He has over 20 years of experience!

Alan has taught professionally since 2010, right out of music college. He taught at Ben Jacks Music from 2010 to 2013, then at Arkansas Musicworks from 2013 to 2018, and has been teaching ever since from his own studio.

Impossible to name them all, but below are some of the main musicians that influenced Alan growing up:

Guitar: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Pass, George Benson, Pat Metheny, Stanley Jordan, Lenny Breau, Mike Stern, Scott Henderson, Frank Gambale, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucía, Biréli Lagrène, Yamandu Costa, John Williams, Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Robert Fripp, Frank Zappa, Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, Ritchie Blackmore, Kiko Loureiro, Guthrie Govan, Johnny Hiland, Scotty Anderson, Chet Atkins, Tommy Emmanuel.

Bass: Billy Sheehan, Victor Wooten, Adam Nitti, Stanley Clarke, Dave LaRue, Tony Levin, Stuart Hamm, John Myung, Oteil Burbridge, Steve Bailey, Anthony Jackson, Marcus Miller, John Patitucci, Jaco Pastorius, Abraham Laboriel.

Ukulele: Roy Smeck

Mandolin: Mike Marshall, Yank Rachell, Jacob do Bandolim, Bill  Monroe.

Banjo: Béla Fleck, Earl Scruggs, Roy Smeck, Steve Martin.

Every day except Sunday. Official teaching hours are as follows:

Monday: 12pm-8pm

Tuesday : 12pm-8pm

Wednesday: 12pm-8pm

Thursday: 12pm-8pm

Friday: 12pm-7pm

Saturday: 12pm - 6pm

Yes, he teaches year-round.

Yes. Your monthly payment reserves your time slot on Alan’s schedule.

Alan is more than happy to accommodate your schedule change, as long as there is another available time on his schedule to choose from that works for you. 

There is a $60 holding fee for half-hour students; $120 for hour students. 

Yes, as long as A.) his schedule permits, and B.) students provide advance notice prior to canceling. In order for students to be eligible for make-up lessons, they must provide a 24 hour notice prior to canceling. For day-of cancelations, make-up lessons are not provided.

If Alan ever has to cancel or miss a lesson, he will either schedule a make-up lesson for you, or credit (discount) the following month's fee. The only time he does not do this is when he misses on a day that there happen to be 5 of in the month. If there are 5 lessons in a month, and he misses 1 (the freebie lesson), you should still get the total of 4 lessons you are paying for.

No. Due to the large volume of students he teaches on a daily basis, it simply isn’t possible. All lessons must be taken at his studio, as he sees someone every 30 minutes. The only exception to this rule is for video lessons.

Yes. If your emotional support animal does not do well with dogs, please let Alan know - he has a dog, Chico, who spends his leisure time at the studio. That said, he can easily keep Chico out of the studio during your lesson, if need be.

Of course. If your service dog does not do well with other dogs, Alan can easily keep his dog (Chico) out of the studio for the duration of your lesson.

Yes! Alan offers online video lessons through Skype and Zoom. Sometimes students will do online when they’re home sick, but don’t want to miss a week. These also work well for students with disabilities, who have a hard time leaving their home.

Overall, virtual lessons work great, as long as you have high speed internet and a good connection. Alan is able to demonstrate very well with great close-ups of his hands, and can explain the material just as easily as if it were in-person. With Zoom and Skype, you can share screens, and he can show you materials right off his notation software. He can also email you materials beforehand, or after the lesson. Honestly, the only limitation or drawback with online lessons is the inability to play to the same beat in real-time together. That doesn't necessarily mean that you can't still jam together, however! If you're working on soloing and improvisation, he can still provide a backing chord progression for you to play over, despite the fact that you'll be hearing it slightly after he does. All in all, online lessons are very effective, and have become more and more popular over time. They are especially convenient for students that don't live in Bentonville, and who don't want to commute to get to their lesson every week.

In Alan's experience, Skype and Zoom tend to work the best. We used to offer online lessons via FaceTime, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, however these platforms are far more glitchy, and lack the useful features that Skype and Zoom have.

Absolutely.

Yes.

At least 30-45 minutes a day, at least 5 days per week, minimum. If you can do 45-60 minutes every day, that would be ideal.

There is no easy answer for this, as there are a couple of different factors to consider. First off, it depends on how talented you are, and whether or not musical ability comes naturally to you. Some people are naturally gifted, and have "the music gene", while others don't (by no fault of their own). Alan can always tell on the first sit down with someone if they have what it takes to become proficient. Secondly, it depends on how well you follow instruction, and how much time you are willing to put into it. Like anything in life, you are going to get out of it whatever you put into it. If you want results, practice. If you want results sooner, practice more often. Alan can also always tell what type of student someone is on the first sit down. Ultimately, the rate at which you progress is up to you. Teachers can only lay down the steps before you - they can't make you take them, or put in the work. Rest assured that, even if music doesn't come quite as naturally to you as it does to others, that doesn't necessarily mean that there is no hope for you! Talent will only get you so far. Oftentimes the best students are the ones that work the hardest - not necessarily the most talented. In the end, everyone progresses at a different rate anyway, so rather than focusing solely on the destination, enjoy the ride!

We strive to do recitals every spring and fall/winter, however this doesn't always happen. There is a lot of time, effort and expenses that go into putting a recital together, so in order to make it worthwhile, we require a minimum of at least 10 students signed up. Unfortunately, we can't always get that many students interested in participating, or committed to signing up.

Yes.

Yes, to those who are receptive and interested.

Yes, absolutely. There are two main reasons why one should learn music theory: first, it helps you to better understand your instrument, and secondly, it helps you to communicate effectively with other musicians who also know theory. Learning theory can't hurt, and can only help. Having said that, Alan doesn't force students to learn theory, as he understands it can sometimes be intimidating and overwhelming, and can take the fun out of learning to play the instrument - especially for younger children. Usually once students get to the point where they can play (and are having fun), then they are more receptive to learning theory. Everyone is different, however, so whether or not Alan introduces theory at the beginning of lessons depends on the person.

Yes.

Yes.

Of course!

Starting out, a three-ring binder, with plenty of loose-leaf paper. Alan provides a lot of his own material, however he does also use a variety of method books, depending on the technique and style of music the student is interested in. At such time, he can recommend which books to get. Aside from your instrument and three-ring binder, other recommended accessories include a clip-on tuner, as well as picks, strap and foot rest.

There are plenty of instruments at the studio that you are welcome to use during lessons, however it is imperative that you have your own instrument to practice on at home - that is where most of the work gets done.

For children 5-10, it’s best to use a 3/4 size guitar. Electric guitars typically have thinner strings, which are usually closer to the fretboard, and easier to press down. Full-size guitars are normally fine for children over 10 or 11, and either acoustic or electric is fine - it’s a matter of preference (same for adults).

Either is fine, however small children seem to do best starting out with ukulele, and then transitioning to guitar. The ukulele has four strings, as opposed to six, and most chord shapes are easier to hold. Having said that, kids usually do fine learning on 3/4 size guitars, before later transitioning to full-size.

We recommend getting a tenor ukulele, as it's the perfect size for most people (not too small, not too big).

The ideal age to start is 8-10, however Alan will teach children as young as 5, as long as they play on a 3/4 size guitar.

The ideal age is 10, however Alan will teach children as young as 7, as long as they play on a 3/4 size bass. Kids usually do fine on a full-size bass once they are 11-12. 

The ideal age is 8-10, however Alan will teach children as young as 5.

We recommend starting at age 12. The mandolin is notoriously difficult to play, as it has 4 courses (each of the 4 main strings has a double), and 8 strings total. Mandolin strings are very hard to press down (especially if the action is high, which is typically the case with most mandolins), and in our experience, kids under the age of 12 usually have a very difficult time with it overall. They usually don't have the strength to apply enough pressure to the course, and therefore struggle to get clear sounding notes. For this reason, if your child has expressed an interest in learning to play the mandolin, we recommend waiting until they are at least 12 years old.

Because of how uncommon 3/4 size banjos are (very hard to find), we recommend starting at age 12.

Nylon string guitars are usually easier on the finger-tips, and have a warm “harp-like” sound. They are associated with classical guitar, as well as flamenco, jazz and latin music. Most nylon string guitars also have a wide fretboard, and therefore wider string-spacing. This means there is more room for the finger-tips, however the downside is that a little more stretching is required to form certain hand shapes. Steel string guitars have thinner fretboards and narrower string-spacing, so while there may not be as much stretching involved, it also means there is less room for the finger-tips. Steel strings have a bright “tinny” sound, and are more commonly used in western music such as rock, country, folk and blues. They are also a little tougher on the finger-tips. Aside from that, both types of guitar differ in their construction. As far as which you should get, it’s ultimately a matter of preference. The best thing to do is try both, and see which you like the sound and feel of best.

Starting out, it's probably best to get a 4 string bass. This is standard, and later you can transition over to a 5 string once you're comfortable and familiar with the instrument.

While Alan can play the upright bass, he does not currently offer lessons for upright bass. The reason for this is because there has been virtually zero demand for it ever since he started teaching back in 2010. Having said that, if you're looking for upright bass lessons and would like to talk to Alan about it, I'm sure he'd be open to the possibility.

Of course! Alan teaches all his students how to re-string their instrument, sooner or later. He also goes over how to do a basic set-up, including truss-rod adjustments, as well as bridge and saddle adjustments.

No, there are plenty of different amplifiers for students to plug into at the studio. Having said that, you’re welcome to bring your amp if you have questions on how to use it, and would like Alan to go over it with you. 

Yes, he teaches a variety of slap/thump techniques for both bass and guitar.

Yes. This includes regular slide playing, as well as dobro and lap-steel guitar.

Yes. He teaches the classical fingerstyle method, as well as other methods, such as travis picking.

Yes. This includes “Van Halen style” tapping, as well as two-handed tapping, or “touch-style” playing.

Yes, Alan teaches all of the most common forms of picking technique. This includes alternate picking, economy picking, sweep picking, hybrid picking, directional picking, selective picking, fingerpicking, etc.

Yes, Alan teaches all of the most common forms of picking technique. This includes alternate picking, economy picking, sweep picking, hybrid picking, directional picking, selective picking, fingerpicking, etc.

Yes! He offers lessons for 7 & 8 string guitar, as well as 6 string bass.

Yes! He has put together a great deal of material over the years for many different alternate tunings. This includes chord shapes, scale patterns, arpeggio diagrams, etc.