“Often when being self-taught, one can pick up on various theory and technique concepts. However, it’s just as easy to pick up improper habits, techniques that just don’t fit together, or theory that’s only demonstrated through a narrow context. I have been taking lessons with Wake for a few months now, and much of my confusion has been instantly cleared through his approach to theory and the structure he provides on a weekly basis. If you’re considering lessons with Wake - they’re 100% worth it. You will learn A LOT and will get an immense amount of value with each lesson. It’s hard to imagine how much further I’d be in my guitar progress had I started with Wake (and I’ve used previous guitar teachers, books, YouTube, etc). Reach out to Wake for lessons - you won’t regret it.”

“Taking lessons here has been such a pleasure. Wake is extremely knowledgeable and has a good system down for teaching. Whatever level you’re at he can help you at. Pretty stoked I found him for my teacher.”

“Wake is a great teacher— he doesn’t mess around, we’ve been sticking to the fundamentals of music theory and finger yoga for the past couple months and I feel I have a better grip on understanding what I’m doing and a better foundation for learning than I ever did trying to pick it up on my own. He explains things clearly and moves at a pace that’s appropriate for my skill level. Excited to see where the next few months will take us!”

“Wake clearly knows music, music theory, and how to teach it. I wanted to learn and understand, not just how to play the guitar but to understand music and how it is constructed. I’ve been playing guitar for more than 20 years but never really understood it. Through these lessons I started gain that knowledge, starting from the beginning. I highly recommend this school if you want a thorough education on music theory through guitar.”

“I have learned far more in these few months of lessons than years of self teaching. Very detailed and straight forward lessons that get to the heart of guitar playing and music theory!”

“I have really enjoyed lessons with Wake. His course is thoughtfully planned and I think the style he introduced me to was a good one.”

“Fantastic instructor and a great teacher for our 9 year old son. He is taking lessons with Wake for the last 7 months and has been showing great progress. Amazed with the level of patience he has to keep a 9 year old focused through his class. We are very impressed with his teaching and we value his efforts to teach our son which is a lifetime lesson. To summarize Wake is driven and passionate, we are glad to have met him. Thank you so much Wake !!”

“Wake is a great guy and from a Music/Guitar theory standpoint, his knowledge is second to none. He has a strategic approach to his teaching and is able to simplify things so even the most beginner of guitarists can understand. He runs a top notch business and I would highly recommend him to all levels of aspiring guitarists.”

“Great teacher. Music theory wizard. Will continue in the future to take lessons.”

“Indy Guitar school and Wake have been great! My understanding of music theory and guitar ability have increased every week! Well worth the time and money.”

“I learn a lot from Wake. I appreciate that he is thorough in covering music theory and giving root explanations for the myriad relationships. Understanding the syntax and chord/scale formulas is empowering. It starts to make fundamental sense after going over it with someone who has the bigger picture. Definitely a swim-in-the-deep-end music theory experience! Don’t settle for anything less; Wake genuinely understands music theory.”

“Wake is an amazing teacher. One of the things I have really enjoyed most is that he works in a very methodical way, but at my pace. I have learned so much about music theory (which it turns out that I love), the fretboard, and playing with both hands. We have a good time in our lessons, too, and he’s just a nice person. I recommend lessons at Indy Guitar School unreservedly. These are the kinds of lessons that I have really been looking for!”

“My experiences with Wake have been nothing less than wonderful!! I would describe myself as an “intermediate” player, and Wake has taught me things that totally revolutionize the way I think about the guitar. With Wake, the guitar has become both a puzzle to learn about and a canvas to express myself. He truly loves what he does and his passion for teaching is second to none.”

“I taught myself how to play guitar and have been playing for 15 years. I picked up bits and pieces of music theory over the years playing in cover bands, but never fully understood it. I reached a plateau with my playing where I was able to play most of the classics, but unable to create interesting musical pieces on my own without lots of trial and error. Wake really helped demystify music theory and add context where I was missing it. He adapted to my unusual circumstances quickly and effectively so that I didn’t feel like my time was wasted going over things I already knew. He creates a ton of teaching materials himself and is incredibly knowledgeable regarding music history, contemporary guitar styles, and modern music production gear/techniques. He’s a hard-working, dedicated tutor, and I only wish I could have had his instruction years ago.”

“My nine year old son has been taking lessons at Wake’s guitar school for about 4 or 5 months now and the progress has been downright amazing. Wake teaches college level materials and he is very skilled at breaking down and explaining complicated notes, chords, music theories, scales, and all things guitar. He takes his time to thoroughly explain in detail on all of his instructions and makes sure my son understands. The classes are supposed to be one hour long, but Wake doesn’t care how long it goes as he wants to make sure my son completely understands each piece that he instructs during each lesson. My son is now playing a very complicated piece which was unimaginable when we first got here. My son is also began learning to write his own music, and I’m not talking about simple songs, but very complicated neo-soul type of jazzy/blues guitar music, which is very beautiful to listen to. I’m very glad that we didn’t sign up for gimmicky programs like School of Rock or other programs, which don’t teach you anything much than how to play a few songs. For the quality of instructions he provides, his fees are extremely reasonable. If you are truly serious about learning all things guitar, don’t look else where, give Wake a call!”

“I have been taking lessons with Wake for a few months now and it feels like each weeks lesson has helped me learn concepts or techniques that would have taken me months to understand or correctly perform if I was still attempting to learn them on my own.

The lessons have covered everything from understanding the anatomy of the guitar, reading sheet music and tabs, playing songs, music theory, writing songs and general knowledge on the music industry. Wake has developed an incredible system and sequencing for putting together all this information and provides helpful reference documentation, tools, and exercises to make sure you can apply it.

Wake has also been incredibly helpful in tailoring each lessons to be built around where I currently am related to both technique and understanding of theory.

I think that for anyone who wants to really learn how to play guitar or just about music overall, they can’t go wrong with choosing Indy Guitar School!”

“Wake has been an excellent guitar teacher. I’ve played for a while and have self-taught, but it has been great to have a teacher who can rapidly identify and efficiently fill in the gaps in your music knowledge. You can immediately tell Wake has a broad and deep knowledge of music theory and different styles, and he has been flexible and accomodating when I would like to focus on something in particular.”

“I’ve played guitar (self taught) going on 14 years. I found myself wanting to grow as a musician and really dedicate myself to the craft. When I first spoke to Wake over the phone he understood that I would be coming into his lessons with some understanding but obviously not a traditional or even academic knowledge of guitar. As we’ve progressed over recent months Wake has been able to help me connect the dots of my knowledge and even expand that knowledge and awareness on the guitar. Wake is a wonderful teacher. He’s patient, he’s clear in his direction and he really pushes his students to learn and explore. I work 2 jobs and have a complicated schedule. Throughout our lessons Wake has made a point to work around my schedule and has been flexible even when my schedule hasn’t allowed me to do the same. We generally meet for 1 hour a week, most recently we met for 2 hours when I wasn’t able to make it to one of our lessons. This speaks volumes to Wakes character. He really invests in his students. Money is secondary to his teaching and you can tell that your success is equivalent to his success. He loves to teach and it shows. My classes with Wake have included songwriting, scales, modes, and different styles of guitar playing (neo-soul and jazz for example). Wakes classes are challenging without being overwhelming or too daunting. He shows you the road, you just have to walk down it. What that means is outside of class you’ll need to dedicate time to the lessons your taught. Wake manages to take his lessons and condense them down to manageable assignments that you then need to practice to really hone your skill. If you’re looking for a guitar teacher in Indianapolis, Wake’s your man.”

“I have had the pleasure of working with Wake for awhile now. Thanks to him, my music theory and improv skills went from non-existent to advanced. He is very patient, and tells you EXACTLY what you need to know to succeed. Wake has guitar mastery down to a formula. If you’re looking for a guitar teacher—whether beginner, intermediate, or advanced, I couldn’t recommend Wake higher. We’re lucky to have you here in Indy!”

“I thoroughly enjoy my sessions with Wake. He explains the fundamentals of guitar so well that it seems easy to understand. I also enjoy the “homework” or practices for the week. I didn’t think I could learn barring the guitar in such a short amount of time. All in all, Wake is a great and fun teacher. Thanks, Wake!”

“I’ve been taking lessons with Wake for 3 months now and I am amazed on how much I’ve learned in that time. Not only does he teach you how to play the guitar, he gives you a fundamental understanding of music theory, guitar scales and chords, and trains you how to visualize the fretboard. You get the knowledge and tools you need to not only learn and play the your favorite songs but also begin to create your own music. He’s been a great, professional, and patient instructor. Of course it’s up to you to do your part and put in the practice but if you’re willing to do the work and put in the time, his methods will make you great guitar player!”

“I have had 8 lessons with Wake now, and am very inspired by what he has helped me to learn. I admire and respect his direct head-on approach to teaching me the vast and complex realm of music theory. Because of this I now understand a level of music theory that would have taken me probably a year of trying to learn from Youtube. I can now see the fretboard as an organized tool, and a much less confusing, and intimidating mystery. By the second lesson, Wake effectively taught me what a chord is, and how it relates to the fundamental major scales. And by lesson 4, We jumped into our first song Blue Bossa. It is a Brazilian Jazz song focusing on major and minor chords with root/5th baseline changes. At first, I was incredulous that I would be able to learn it, however now after the 8th lesson, I got it down baby!”

“Great teacher! Will help you to learn the necessary skills to start playing on your own!”

“Wake is such a knowledgeable and patient instructor! His class not only taught me how to play guitar the right way, but also the theory behind guitar and music in general. Meanwhile, he made sure I understand those knowledge by teaching me fun and exciting songs. So far we have cover so many different genres of guitar songs, including Jazz, Bossa Nova, Classical and Heavy Metal. Besides, Wake is also a very responsible teacher! After each individual class, Wake send me an email which includes all the guitar exercises I should do during the week, as well as a recap on what we covered during the class. He will even go overtime to make sure I have a solid understanding of the materials. I give Wake a 100% recommendation!”

“Wake’s enthusiasm for learning and teaching is fantastic. He has a very well thought out approach using clear documentation and note taking (which he guides you through). If you want to cut right to the chase and understand how music “works”, I recommend reaching out. If you put the practice time in outside of the lesson, it’s amazing how much you can progress with just a one hour lesson each week. Why didn’t someone just explain it this way to me before!”

“Wake is a great teacher. Learning theory is hard, but he helps break it down into simple components you need to start writing songs. He understands music is a life long pursuit and so while he gives you all the tools, he then takes the time to help you master them in the long term.”

“Wake is a great guitarist and instructor. He has extensive knowledge of theory and technique and has a talent for packaging the more complex ideas into actionable lessons and practices. Importantly, he makes learning new methods and styles collaborative—he’s dedicated to perfecting his craft and involving you in that process as well. I’ve learned a great deal working with him and I’d recommend him to both experienced and novice players alike.”

“I have been taking lessons for a couple of months now and I am more than pleased with my progress and the tools that have been given to me for my own development. Wake really cares about guitar and is genuinely excited to teach even at a basic level. The prices are reasonable. Classes are structured and flexible enough for each lesson to be chronological in progression as well as susceptible to styles that I want to learn.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of taking guitar lessons from Wake for the past six months. Wake’s approach to teaching is very methodical and thoughtful. He’s incredibly passionate about music theory and deeply knowledgeable in jazz, heavy metal, and more. If you’re interested in taking guitar lessons, I’d highly recommend choosing Wake as your instructor.”

“Wake is a unique guitar teacher. His command of music theory is exceptional, and this is what sets him apart from other instructors. He is consistently challenging, and provides a wide range of guitar instruction in jazz, blues, rock... Wake is also open to taking a new direction within a lesson, to work on things which you are working on, other than the normally assigned practice material. He is also flexible, and is priced reasonably considering the quality.”

“Wake is awesome. He has a solid grasp on musical theory and will give you a great foundation to build on top of no matter what style of music you like to play. I went into the lessons thinking that I just wanted to get better at playing chords (I’m a singer/songwriter mostly), but I surpassed my own expectations! I am now able to play scales in all of the modes and solo over backing tracks. I would recommend to all levels of guitar players who are serious about learning/improving their guitar skills. Thanks Wake!”

“Wake is great at helping you to understand the music theory behind guitar. Very knowledgable and professional. He is eager to help you learn to play guitar.”

“Wake’s awesome - super personal and responsive to my learning style. He teaches music theory thoroughly that lets you take guitar to the next level while making sure you have a solid foundation. After just 4 lessons, you become infinitely more comfortable with the entire neck of the guitar and you start “getting” the relationship between notes, chords, and scale degrees. Highly recommended!!”

“Wake has taught my son for the last few months and my son has improved dramatically. Thanks Wake, your teaching is amazing.”

“Wake is a very knowledgeable and experienced guitarist and music teacher. With his friendly style, he invites you to appreciate and learn music as he sees it, which is the way everyone should see it : music is to be enjoyed whether playing or listening.”

“We lucked into Wake because we were looking for a more flexible teacher for our 14-year-old son and all the other teachers required a rigid schedule and long term commitment. At the first lesson we were blown away by the clarity of his teaching method, his obvious talent, his amiability and enthusiasm, and also (most important for us) his ability to encourage and inspire our son at an especially unreachable age. I can’t stress enough how effective a teacher he is — we are Suzuki school dropouts and have tried previous teachers who just didn’t click for whatever reason. Wake manages to relay an immense amount of knowledge without ever being boring or bossy and our son has made amazing progress in a handful of lessons. He practices without complaint and looks forward to lessons. Wake manages to hold our son’s interest and is relentlessly positive, even when he needs to correct mistakes. He may look only a little older than a teenager himself, but he’s a natural mentor and I can’t believe how quickly and painlessly he has built confidence and ability in our hard-to-teach beginner guitarist!”

“Best kept secret. Wake has given my daughter a new dimension for her love of music. Enthusiasm combined with skills has really helped my daughter to practice more, learn more and challenge herself more. Classes are well structured, fun and with lots of things to learn. Scheduling is simple and Wake is very responsive to our emails. One big plus is that after every class Wake sends a detailed email regarding the “homework”. It is not really homework, but a brief description of what to do for the rest of the week. That is something I have not seen before so I applaud his commitment to his students.”

“Wake is an extremely patient and fun instructor. I had never picked up a guitar before and naturally felt nervous at first to take on a new instrument. But Wake made me feel very comfortable and excited to learn. I’m excited for what’s ahead and would absolutely recommend the Boston Guitarist to future guitar novices!”

“After one month, I have learned A LOT of scales and chords easily and efficiently following Wake’s method. Now I’m learning how to play my first jazz song and have completed the melody! Thanks Wake!”

“Wake is an accomplished guitarist who is very patient and goes at the student’s pace. He possesses incredible knowledgeable and teaches both how to begin playing as well as the music theory behind what you’re practicing. He creates a relaxed environment and will do so either at his place or at yours. You could not find a better instructor! Can’t wait for next week!”

“Wake has been an amazing teacher! I had little to no experience walking into the first lesson, so his passion for music theory and guitar have help me learn the fundamentals and more. Wake’s creativity and patience have made each lesson work so well for me. Despite all the questions I ask and difficulties I feel I have with the music and learning the whole new language of music, he is always encouraging and points out my progress - which I feel make him a great teacher. I would recommend Wake for both beginners and advanced guitarists.”

“We have been working with Wake for a month and he is awesome!! He is very smart, creative and makes learning fun. His knowledge about music is impressive and he is able to adjust to our child’s desire to advance in guitar as well as with overall music theory. He is able to change his teaching strategy based on her level of understanding. When met with a challenge of a broken arm he quickly rose to the occasion and adapted to help our daughter continue her learning! Impressive response time, adaptation and eager to help a serious student.”

“Wake’s energetic and patient demeanor is perfect for an instructor, but what really sets him apart his is unique appreciation for musical theory. He leaves no detail overlooked in the learning process, setting up even a beginner like myself to be the best guitarist I can possibly be down the line. Thanks Wake!!”