Roger Ferguson — Bainbridge Island, WA, USA

More About Me

Hi

I teach at my home studio on Bainbridge Island, and at Olympic College in Poulsbo. More and more I am teaching students from all over the country using Skype and would like to expand to other countries as well. My home studio is also a recording room equipped with high-quality multimedia programs that aid in the learning process. In the Summers, I teach at music camps including; Puget Sound Guitar Workshop Northwest Regional Folk Life Festival, and the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop in Sorrento, BC.

I've been teaching guitar for over 30 years - as well as mandolin, fiddle, and bass - from many different styles and genres. I've been playing and studying music for 40 years - and know its challenges and rewards! I welcome all students from beginners through advanced and am excited that I can now offer convenient, affordable lessons to anyone - anywhere - via the internet.

I am very "hands on" and intuitive when it comes to music, and work from my own proven method. We first determine exactly what it is you want to learn. - then considering such things as your individual learning style, aptitude, time restraints, etc., I offer the most direct approach for reaching your goals as quickly and smoothly as possible. My lessons include all the material you will need. I provide audio and/or video summary of our private lesson - either background tracks to play along with or short "loops" of a particular passage or lick, adjusted to the optimal tempo to both challenge and encourage the student. These personalized recordings are often in the students mailbox by the time they get home!

~ MY BIO ~

Northwest native, Roger Ferguson enjoys a reputation as an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and music-lover who loves to share with enthusiastic learners. He currently teaches guitar and bass at Olympic College in Poulsbo, at his home studio on Bainbridge Island and now... INTERNATIONALLY - thanks to the internet In 1978 as a music major at Olympic College, Roger joined the faculty and soon began teaching the guitar classes there.


Roger is a national flat-pick guitar champion and acoustic string multi-instrumentalist, whose forty years of playing, teaching and exploring acoustic music of all kinds has steadily earned him a reputation as a world-class player and gifted music teacher.


Roger offers beginning, through advanced, music instruction - in various styles - to all students (12 yrs and older). While any expertise is in Acoustic Americana/Roots music, (Bluegrass, Blues, Country, Traditional Jazz, Swing, etc.) he's equally comfortable with electric guitar repertoire (Jazz, Rock, Blues, etc), along with the latest on Youtube.


Roger fosters independent learners by showing HOW to learn. With a down-to-earth and laid-back teaching style, he has guided several who have gone on to become professional musicians, audio engineers, and/or music educators.


Many of Roger's instructional articles have been published in "Guitar Player Magazine". He is featured, along with BB King, Steve Vai, Al Dimeola, John McLaughlin, et al. in GP Magazine's compilation book, "Licks and Lessons from the World's Greatest Guitar Players and Teachers".


He has toured the U.S. - performed in a duo with Mark O'Connor - "opened" for many Greats, including - Taj Mahal, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Doc Watson and Laurence Juber... and performs with several bands as well.


Roger has his own recording studio and in addition to CD projects, has recorded a lot of music for videos. Audio post clients include Boeing, Wilcox Farms, and the Washington Thoroughbred Association. Roger has also recorded and composed music for many nationally televised PBS documentaries - some of which were awarded Emmys for the music scores.


Formal musical training includes two years of classical performance, composition and analysis at Olympic College with private instruction from Don Mock - of the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT). Two years of Jazz improvisation with Floyd Standifer - previously w/Quincy Jones, and later - two years of performance with Jeff Morrison - former head of the jazz re-harmonization department at the Berklee School of Music in Boston.