Ben Zussman
Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele
Bay area native, Benett Zussman, has performed throughout California. He earned a Master of Arts in improvised music at San Jose State University and a Bachelor of Arts in classical guitar performance under the tutelage of Maestro Jose Rey de la Torre. These days, he devotes his time to performing and teaching and happily shares his life with his wife Diana, daughter, and their furry companions Gibson and Fender.
Ben offers private instruction in acoustic, electric and bass guitar, as well as ukulele. His lessons cover many styles including Rock, Blues, Jazz, Flamenco and Classical. Not only will you learn to make music on this astounding instrument, you can also expect to gain an understanding of improvisation, composition, theory, reading lead sheets and much more. All students are welcome… from age six to eighty-six!
Here is a brief outline of Ben's course content:
•Music reading in the first position, notes of the fingerboard, rhythmic values, and key and time signatures
•Music theory: the spelling and playing applications of scale formulas and modes, triads, seventh chords and other extended harmonies.
•Techniques for left and right hand development; rasguedos, rest/free strokes, tremolo picking, arpeggios, slurs.
•Performance of traditional and contemporary songs and effective practice techniques.