Lessons

If you are a beginning player, my primary objective is to familiarize you with the instrument and nurture your curiosity. You will learn playing fundamentals and how to approach practice with a positive mindset. If you seek to gain an improved command of the instrument, I help optimize technique and hone focus. If you need new perspectives and theories, things become pretty exciting! Most importantly, I strive to help you understand the connection between technical and theoretical aspects in a way that allows a healthy, self-examined, and adventurous relationship with music. Yes, we can learn that favorite song of yours, too.

Guitar lessons are offered in-person in North Seattle and online via Zoom.

As a student, you will receive a Google Drive folder. This folder will contain your practice routine, notation/tabs, and demonstration videos I create as study guides. Having all lesson content available provides a robust study framework that is highly organized and accessible from anywhere, giving direction and momentum.

I want to understand what you love most about music and where you want to improve. Where do you see yourself three, six, and twelve months after beginning our lessons? What are your strengths and weaknesses as a player? How do you learn most effectively, and what type of structure do you require? I am happy to meet you for a phone or video chat to answer questions and see if we are a good fit. Weekly lessons are ideal, but we can meet whenever you are available.

"Coire quickly became the best guitar teacher I've ever had by really understanding my musical goals. He helped me develop skills to reach those goals by using music I was interested in and exercises that challenged my comfort zone."
- Max D.

PRESS

"Brooklyn's Best Guitar Lessons"

- Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 2014

"Best Guitar Lessons 2022"

- Expertise.com

As a person who had little to no experience with guitar, but always wanted to learn, I was nervous about where to start. Coire was happy to start lessons with me. Each lesson covers something new. Be it how to strum, read tabs, music theory, picking, Coire is helpful at every step. He has created lesson plans, notes, drills, practices, and helpful videos all tailored to my specific needs/goals. Coire is as patient as he is helpful. Easy to talk to and jam with. While everyone has their strengths, he’s been thoughtful in how I can improve in specific areas. Finding ways and giving me the tools to get better on my own. He’s been available to answer all my questions throughout the week if I get stuck or need assistance. The one and only downside is that the lessons go by so fast, but times flies when you’re having fun!
- Zachary B.

I’ve taken lessons from Coire for a few months and am really happy with the progress I’ve made in that time. The classes themselves are fun, too. He has a huge amount of knowledge about guitar & a communication style that’s approachable and tailored to the student’s level. I’ve appreciated the mix of lessons and exercises to help build certain skills while also exploring things like song writing. Highly recommend!
- Nikki L.

Coire is a skilled and patient teacher, and explains things clearly. After only a few lessons, he identified some bad habits I needed to work on - his advice was clear, and easy to implement. Coming out of lessons, I’ll have both written tabs or chord charts he’s created, and snippets of videos illustrating his main points - it makes practicing the lessons easy.
I’ve had a ton more fun playing since I started studying under Coire, and I’m excited about where I’ll be in a year. Coire loves all sorts of music, and is enthusiastic about it all. And his videos are great!
- Christopher W.

Coire is patient, polite, and good-humored. He's really good at tuning into what you'd like to work on most. As I'm still in my beginner stages, he's adapted to a lot of my needs without question, and helped to harness my focus as we continued lessons together. Wish he were still in NY, I would keep taking them.
- Rachael B.

Coire will help you reach your goals! This is the first music teacher I’ve had who creates individualized practice plans for each student. He will tease out your interests and build a practice routine for you that will push the skills you want to develop. Coire has a wealth of knowledge to draw from and he’s become a valuable companion in my pursuit of guitar. I hope you’ll consider him as a teacher, he’s never farther than an email or text away!
- Alva M.

Coire is great! I am a total beginner to guitar and have tried repeatedly to learn on my own with no success. Since signing up for lessons, I've been making amazing progress. Coire works with me to define my goals and provides a structure to keep me motivated to practice. He gives me personalized advice and I've learned a ton after only a few months.
- Caroline R.

Coire is an absolutely amazing teacher! First of all, he is extremely talented and can figure out any song by ear. As a result, we've had a lot of cool lessons where we deconstructed songs that wouldn't normally be played on the guitar and created new versions of them together, something I doubt a different teacher would have been so enthusiastic about. He is the type of teacher who encourages you to practice without ever telling you to because his love for music is so contagious. I would strongly recommend Coire as a teacher, especially if you're tired of learning by books and you want to jump into playing songs you love, even as a beginner. Learning guitar definitely does not need to be boring and does not require memorizing scales, and I think Coire epitomizes the type of teacher who makes music exciting.
- Neela E.

I have been taking guitar lessons from Coire for ~ two months through virtual, and this is working well. I feel as if he is in the room. He is in tune with the individuals needs, and I needed that objectiveness for new ways of approaching the guitar, and sparking my motivation. We are working on bringing out the musician that is inside of me. Coire is very knowledgeable about theory, and has methods that are "right on" to help you achieve your goals. It is the first time that an instructor will also follow up reinforcing the last lessen by providing you your own folder. I plan on continuing to move forward on my mission, and goals. I feel Coire will help me get there!!! This is a great time to pick up music -guitar !!!! Andrew B. Michigan
- Andrew

Coire is a great guy and a talented and generous teacher. I use principles and techniques he's taught me on a daily basis. I always appreciated the way Coire custom-tailored each lesson, taking into account my personal taste in music, and my goals as a player. Equally important, Coire's just a great guy to hang out with. If you're going to put in the time to learn an instrument, you're inevitably going to spend a lot of time with your teacher. He gets a solid "A" on the good-hang factor. I highly recommend him.
- Nate F.

I was a beginner a few months ago, but thanks to Coire, I am now a master guitarist of multiple chords and tabs.
Coire is patient, knowledgeable, and friendly- he was even willing to help me pick out my perfect guitar. His explanations are easy to understand and he is very accommodating with all types of schedules. Due to my new job, I haven’t had much free time and I was worried that it would be impossible to fit in the guitar lessons into my schedules 😢, but Coire had a plan which worked for me ☺️. I contribute my new passion for guitar to him and would recommend him to anyone!
- Nicole

Coire is a great teacher. He took some songs I wanted to learn in a few different styles and helped me build techniques to grow and develop on my skills to be able to grow on a weekly cadence in each session. He tailored each week to build on the techniques from the previous week. Not only was he able to teach and build on each week, he was a blast to work with each week and I looked forward to my lessons each week. I would highly recommend Coire to anyone who is trying to learn how to play the guitar.
- Harvey C.

For a while I’ve been trying to learn guitar with little progress but after taking lessons with Coire I’ve definitely gotten better and my love for the guitar has grown so much. Coire is a very fun and uplifting teacher to have who is always on pace with the student to not overwhelm them too much. On top of that Coire is just an all around great guy who you can just have a chat about anything, not just guitar. I’m glad to have Coire as my teacher and I hope many others can feel the same way.
- Kevin

Coire is top notch. He is really trying to help you become a better guitarist and musician. He gives a ton of helpful advice on technique, explains theories patiently, and encourages creativity. His lessons are fun and inspiring. I highly recommend him.
- Jung Y.

Coire is a lovely guitar teacher and I enjoy taking lessons with him! I was worried about how difficult it would be to pick up an instrument through Zoom lessons, but I have already learned so much from him. He provides extremely detailed explanations and structures the lessons to my needs as a song writer. I am so thankful to have found Coire and I can’t wait to grow as a musician with his help :)
- Natasha W.

I've been working with Coire for a couple of months and he's been an excellent and patient instructor as I've adjusted to integrating this new habit and practice into my life. He helps hone in on motivators and the more nuanced elements of learning, in addition to the practical aspects. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking to either learn from the beginning, as with me, or someone more advanced and looking to supplement their knowledge.
- Becca J.

I am a guitar beginner, and Coire has helped me build basic skills and advance quickly in just over a month. He is friendly, patient, and encouraging. Lessons are student directed, and he offers support with identifying and even arranging songs within my skill range. Pandemic bonus: Coire is great at facilitating remote lessons via Zoom!
- Charlotte K.

Coire is an amazing guitar teacher! We are so lucky to have found him. His low pressure, collaborative approach makes learning intuitive, enjoyable and productive. He allows the student to lead with their interests and then works in the theory and performance tips. I would highly recommend Coire to anyone looking for personalized guitar instruction at any level.
- Rachael V.