Looking for beginner lessons or advanced songwriting & performance classes? Click the tabs for more info.
"I chose Marcus as my guitar instructor because of his unique, flexible teaching style. Everyone perceives and learns in different ways. Marcus intuitively understands each student and structures their lessons to suit their needs, goals and personalities." - Duane F.
"i am the kind of guy that can't even tap his foot to 'we will rock you'; nevertheless, i am determined to master guitar no matter what. i have been to several instructors in the past over several years, with the cumulative benefit of learning basic open chords and being able to strum along to a simple folk song or two -- provided the music was loud enough that i couldn't hear myself. after only a few months with marcus, i am actually playing music, not just strumming chords. not only am i tapping my foot, i am understanding the beats. the guy rocks." - Ray T.
"Marcus really motivated me and helped me to learn the fundamental techniques for writings songs and how to put them together. He has given me a lot of good performance tips as well as excellent tips for making my songs stronger and better. His involvement in the music industry makes him a very practical and realistic counselor as well. He is such a positive teacher and I highly recommend him for anyone with song ideas that just doesn't know how to take them further. I would not be doing what I am doing if it was not for him, so that is something I am very thankful for. Thank you Marcus you are the greatest!" - Leigh F
"I was impressed that not only is Marcus a fantastic guitar player, but also a very good teacher. Marcus was able to incorporate my particular interests and ideas into the framework of the lessons and has kept each class different and interesting. I walk out of most classes thinking 'wow, cool!'. Highly recommended." - Brent W.
Are you a university or college student? Get a 12% discount on lessons and pay only $150 for 4 lessons! Mention this offer when you sign up.
Give the gift of music-making! Good for birthdays or special occasions. Gift certificates for guitar lessons are available - contact me for more details.
Interested in learning how to play guitar? I'll teach you the basics, and help you develop the skills to continue learning on your own.
I am a full time musician and have been teaching since 1995. I have developed my teaching through some amazing teachers (and some not so amazing teachers).
In addition to writing and touring solo and with my band ARCTIC, I have recorded or toured with Harmony Trowbridge, Adrienne Pierce and Paula Toledo.
I have condensed how I learned to play guitar into a successful method for the beginner.
My lessons are private, enabling us to focus on each individual student's strengths and weaknesses. Each lesson is broken down into weekly exercises, chords, and rhythms. You must allocate 15 minutes per day for these exercises. This gets your hands in shape so you have more control.
My lessons are not designed to be taken on a long-term basis; I teach the student how to focus on their weak points and overcome them on their own. My students are taught to know what to listen for, and how to apply it to their playing.
I don't teach you your favourite songs. I find this approach financially draining, because it doesn’t give you the skills to learn the songs on your own. There is a difference between learning guitar and learning songs.
Instead, I teach you how to listen and apply the lessons so you can put on a CD and play along with it. We do work on a couple of songs of your choice so I can teach you how this method works. I do not teach from one particular book; I find each student has an unique way of learning and I lay out the lessons accordingly.
I am located in Kits Beach. The fee is $40.00 per hour: you buy a group of 4 lessons (4x$40.00 = $160+GST = $168 payable at the first lesson). My fees are structured in this manner to ensure that the student is committed. I allocate one hour per week per student.
Please email me at marcus@vancouverguitarlessons.com to get started.
Thanks for your interest.
Sincerely,
Marcus Martin
Can you already play guitar, but are not sure what to do next? Do you dream of taking the stage, singing your own songs or your favorite artist's biggest hits? Now you can, with some hard work and lots of fun.
We will focus on song structure, dynamics, lyrics, chords & arrangement.
You will be responsible for keeping a weekly practice schedule, working on the song ideas & parts that we cover on each lesson.
You will need a USB key, minimum 2GB in size.
Not sure where to start on your own songs? Studying cover songs can teach you a lot. The ideas that we develop in this course can be applied to your original songs.
You should have at least three song ideas that include partial lyrics & chords as a starting point. If you don't have this yet, but it is one of your goals, then we can work on cover tunes to get started.
When you're ready to hit the stage, visit Open Mic Vancouver to find places to play!
