Lance Allen Studios

Lance Allen is a guitarist and composer with over 10 years of teaching and performing experience. He began teaching a small class in church when he was only 15 years old! Lance started playing guitar at a very early age. His father would show him things and he knew very quickly that he needed lessons. So he took lessons from a local guitar teacher and began to learn rock and roll tunes from Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, and many others.

After a move to Ohio, and a new teacher, Lance began to develop great guitar technique under the guidance of Jimmy Felts. Jimmy introduced Lance to finger style guitar, which is the art of playing guitar with your fingers. Much like the classical guitar method, finger style guitar offers a more current and innovative approach to playing guitar. Just imagine the bass line to a song, and then the melody, and perhaps a harmony, all at once, then you have fingerstyle guitar.

Some things that Lance has done professionally include two instrumental guitar albums. Sometimes in Life and Naturally are filled with personality and Lance's ability to create solo guitar music. Lance has also written for numerous publications including MelBay's guitar sessions, Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and others to come. His generous donation of his music to PBS, allows him to be heard all across the nation in local programming and weekly TV programming such as Tennessee Crossroads on Nashville Public Television.

In 2008, Lance was inducted to the International Thumbpickers Hall of Fame. As a horizon winner, Lance continues on the tradition of Kentucky thumbpicking created by legendary guitarist such as Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, and Tommy Emmanuel.

Also in 2008, Lance was invited to bring his music internationally to London, England. He traveled there to play for a fingerstyle guitar club, where he had a sold out concert.

Many people in the music world have heard Lance's music and have showed their appreciation. Peter Frampton, Tommy Emmanuel, Phil Keaggy, Edgar Cruz, John Knowles, Meagan Taylor (Chet Atkins niece), Les Paul, Steve Vai, Pete Huttlinger (Guitarist for John Denver and Leanne Rimes), Richard Smith, Brent Mason and many others are among the finest musicians who have heard Lance's music.

In 2009 Lance competed in an international fingerstyle guitar contest for the first time. He placed fourth in the contest and was highly acknowledged.