Bill Nesbitt — Music Teacher

I teach private music lessons in Little Rock. I'll teach anybody, old or young, who shows genuine interest. I teach:

• 5-string bluegrass-style banjo
• Guitar — Specializing in Bluegrass flatpicking — Also fingerstyle, bluegrass rhythm, folk, acoustic pop, basic swing styles. Sorry I don't teach classical or jazz. UALR has a very good guitar program if you're serious about those styles.
• Mandolin — fiddle tunes for mandolin; bluegrass style mandolin — note for note, tremolo styles, Bill Monroe style.
• Upright bass — basic bass technique and advanced bluegrass style bass

I've found that playing an instrument and being able to teach others to play are two entirely different things. My teaching environment (I teach in my home studio in central Little Rock — see photo at left) is warm, pleasant and, most of all, positive. It's also family-friendly, with a big couch for mom or dad to sit and toys to help little brother or sister pass the time.

I won't constantly hound you about practicing your instrument; however, I will expect improvement from week to week until a level of proficiency is reached that works for both of us. My long-term goal is for you to be a better musician than I am. I'm proud to say I have actually succeeded in attaining that goal a time or two, although it is a difficult goal, since I continue to work hard to improve my own skills.

Practicing isn't always fun, especially when you're just starting out and there are fingers to toughen and muscles to develop. The goal is to progress, over time, away from "practicing" the instrument to "playing" the instrument. If it's play, you'll never get enough of it. There will always be of self-discipline involved, but it becomes much more of a joy.

Below is my current schedule, color coded by available time slots.

I've recently opened up Monday evenings for lessons in addition to my afternoon schedule.

I currently have a good selection of openings if you or someone you know might be interested. I'll be glad to set up a free introductory half-hour

My rate is $20.00 per half-hour lesson, once a week, payable monthly.

For those who prefer a single lesson rather than scheduling for regular weekly lessons, my charge for a one-hour, one-time lesson is $50.00.