Zach Nichols Guitar Instruction

It's always a good time playing with my good friend Jason Minton and the rest of the band. Jason is a very gifted singer and songwriter. We had a lot of fun playing some cover tunes and some of his originals. It was a cool little joint out in Chapel Hill called Knight's Pizza. Here's the only pics that I got with my phone: The first one is my view of Jason during the show.

A: I have taught age 4 to 70 year olds, so it is never a bad time to begin. Attention span is the main determining factor for a successful young starting student. Interest, experience, exposure, and ability can also be actors here, but many are ready at 7. After a month, we are usually able to see if continuing lessons is best or if waiting might benefit a student.

When narrowing down your choices, take a more experienced guitar player along with you for their opinion (they don't have to be a professional guitarist to provide valuable insight). It's best for beginners to start with an acoustic guitar versus an electric guitar, but going with electric first will not ultimately impede the student.

Yes, your lessons will move more slowly, but all is not lost. A weekly session with a weight trainer is still beneficial if you do no exercise during the week. You will get into shape faster and more noticeably if you are working on your own between sessions, but you will improve nonetheless. Unless you are at a professional or collegiate level, lessons for most things that require practice are designed to withstand a lack of practice. Don't think of your practice sessions in just a traditional sense.

It's like a sport. Learning the rules of the game is like learning the method of guitar. It doesn't take long to start "playing." But professional athletes practice 6 hours a day to do what they do (and so do many pro guitarists). So give yourself some time. It's the strangest thing. One day you wake up and your fingers start being able to do what you've trained them to do.

I picked up the guitar at age ten, inspired by my dad's love of music. Throughout my high school years in Kansas I studied with Kevin May of Roomful of Blues. Like many aspiring teenage guitarists I grew as a player in high school jazz bands, state bands, and bands of my own.

I continued my studies in Jazz Guitar at Wichita State University, a program well-known for the work of Jerry Hahn. From there, I studied Commercial Music at South Plains College in Levelland, TX, of which alumni include Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, Leann Womack, Ron Block of Allison Krauss & Union Station, Matt Jenkins, Jerrod Nieman, and Jed Hughes, a guitarist for Keith Urban.

While attending SPC, I taught for David Brandon, a well-known classical guitarist who co-published reputable materials with Christopher Parkening.

While still a student, I was asked to come on staff to teach private guitar and lead Rock and R&B Ensembles at the college. I stayed on staff at South Plains College from 2000 to 2005 before moving to Los Angeles, and eventually Nashville.

I have played as lead guitarist for hit songwriters such as BlissBliss, The Henningsens and many independent artists both in the studio and live. I am currently a session player for Diffrent Wirld Productions, and I also perform originals as a duo with my wife, singer-songwriter, Joni Nichols.

We live in Middle Tennessee with our 3 young children and hope to have more.

Though blues is my love, I enjoy playing and teaching all styles.