Learning fingerstyle guitar

I write and perform finger style guitar arrangements and provide the following services. Pleaseuse the contact form if you have questions.

    Solo performances (2 hours)
    Lessons
    Small ensemble

About
I started out flat picking when I was 7, and started to play classical when I was about 19 as I planned to study music. When I was 21 I was accepted into the University of Massachusetts in Lowell, where I studied classical guitar performance with Harry Chalmers. I gravitated to jazz guitar though, and ended up studying Jazz with Lenny Stylos -- an amazing guitarist/composer out of Berklee -- and playing in the UMass Lowell Jazz band, directed by Fred Budda (drummer for Herb Pomeroy and for the Boston Pops). Freddy would remind me of the sound he wanted to hear by yelling "Freddy Green! That's it Jonny!" at rehearsals. I told my teacher Lenny that story and so he had me comp 3-note chords for 30 minutes and then work on a chord solo every week. The lessons were intense!!

After graduating, I studied flat picking with National Flat Picking champ, Orin Starr (1955-2017). He was a great teacher, very disciplined and an expert in playing a Doc Watson style right hand. Orin specialized on playing super clean, single line numbers - watch him on You Tube. I loved lessons with Orrin. The lessons were relaxed and he was really easygoing during lessons. He also had a very dry sense of humor - he was a good comedian for sure. Orrin taught everything by ear, I can't remember seeing Orrin using notation at all and he recorded my lessons to make sure the parts were right.

During that period of my life I brought my steel string everywhere hoping to find bluegrass meetups or shows. I met so  many great people, excellent musicians, jam sessions, and loads of parties ... all because of my guitar. The parties ended when when I changed professions. I gave up music when I turned 30 to work as a software developer. At one point I turned a page but I never closed the book. Music has always been - and always will be - part of who I am.

Enjoy!

Jonathan Adams
BA Music (guitar) Certificate, Music Education k-12
Adams Piano Service - Master technician (7 years)
Lowell Public Schools - General Music, Elementary (5 years)
Salem Summer Stock Theater - pit musician, guitar / bass (3 seasons)
Tewksbury Music Center, Studio teacher (4 years)
Clelsea after school music program (2 years)
Boston University, Taught undergraduate, guitar for non-majors (3 years)
Boston University; student teacher field supervisor (2 years)

100+ finger style arrangements written, American Jazz standards, Brazilian Jazz, Popular music.