Music Instructor

I earned an independent degree in Music with honors at Washington & Lee University in 1974, but I’ve never had a guitar lesson.

What I have had is time with older players. Lots of it.

I’ve spend most of the past fifty years walking in the wilderness of learning to play Blues and slide guitar, old-time banjo and fiddle, and to sing.

During that time, I promise you, I’ve fallen into every swamp, been caught in every thicket, and dropped two wheels into every ditch out there.

As a teacher, it’s my job to point you down the right road and spare you some of that aggravation.

– Scott Ainslie

Private, Skype Guitar Lessons, & Music Camps

Scott began teaching at the summer music camps in 1995 with Common Ground On The Hill in Maryland; Augusta Heritage Days’ Blues Week in West Virginia; the Summer Acoustic Music Week in New Hampshire; and The Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina. In the years since, he has returned to those camps and Euro-Blues Week in Northampton, England.

He is a masterful teacher. Not all good players are.

Scott’s goal as a teacher is to map the territory before you and point you down the best path. He works to offer you a comprehensive understanding of the technical and physical skills that will help you reach your musical goals, while teaching a skill that is related to what you already know and is well within your grasp.

While Scott will teach particular repertoire pieces, his focus is on technique. With proper right and left hand technique, and an understanding of standard and various open tunings, you will have the wherewithal to pursue music, wherever it leads you.

To arrange private lessons in person or via Skype, contact Scott.