

Matt's profile and their contact details have been verified by our experts
Matt
- Rate $68
- Response 2h
-
Students50+
Number of students Matt has taught since their arrival at Superprof
Number of students Matt has taught since their arrival at Superprof

$68/h
1st lesson free
- Guitar
- Acoustic Guitar
- Electric guitar
- Classical Guitar
- Ukulele
Learn. Practice. Master. Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Classical Guitar, Ukulele, Tenor Banjo (4 strings), or Bass lessons.
- Guitar
- Acoustic Guitar
- Electric guitar
- Classical Guitar
- Ukulele
Lesson location
-
At Matt's house: West Chicago
- online
-
Super Tutor
Matt is one of our best Guitar tutors. They have a high-quality profile, verified qualifications, a quick response time, and great reviews from students!
About Matt
I realized how music affected me positively on several levels. Throughout my learning process, I wholeheartedly felt in my soul that I wanted to share my knowledge and passion with others through teaching the guitar. I’ve always wanted to be a musician since I was young. Whether it was singing to songs on the radio or dancing to records in my bedroom, music has always had a special place in my life. To turn my passion around and teach others how to awaken their own hidden talents with the guitar, came with the first student I had taught over 20 years ago, and that passion has only flourished! It’s always a reward seeing my students progress over the years…some having started as beginners and then years later playing live shows and recitals with professional and expert proficiency. I also teach students of all ages who have special needs.
About the lesson
- All Levels
- French
- English
- Spanish
- +2
All languages in which the lesson is available :
French
English
Spanish
German
Norwegian
I have over 20,000 hours of teaching experience and over 30 years of guitar playing, along with a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the Chicago Music College of Roosevelt University. I teach acoustic guitar (6 & 12 string), electric guitar, classical guitar, flamenco guitar, jazz guitar, ukulele, bass (5 string), and tenor banjo (Irish tuning). I focus my lessons strictly on the needs and skills required to ensure my students can perform ANY genre of music in front of ANY audience. I have taught various forms and techniques in basically ALL genres of music both past and present. I embrace ALL forms of music and will therefore encourage my students to appropriately pick out songs of their choice to make the lesson rewarding and engaging! I will also provide my students with exercises and drills that will strengthen their core as a musician, empowering students to learn newer songs quicker and easier. I firmly believe I'm the right teacher for any student based on one reason: the student will see instant results not only on the first lesson, but also in every lesson moving forward.
Review
All of our reviews are collected by us and are 100% reliable. They correspond to a real experience lived by students with Matt.
Perfect! He takes his time and explains the why and wherefore of how your fingers should be placed and does not rush you through but teaches you at Your pace and not his. I think he’s a Great Teacher and since I also was a teacher of children I think I’m a fairly good judge of the way of working with people!!!
- Very easy to work with and super kind student!Matt's response :
Perfect! very helpful and fun experience!!!
Excellent! Easy going and works with me.
Perfect! Matt has given me great advice on playing the guitar correctly. His professional online setup makes learning new things easy. He has vast knowledge of music, technique, and patience helping to excel to experience levels I never thought would be possible, even in the couple lessons! I recommend him very highly.
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Recommendations
Recommendations come from relatives, friends and acquaintances of the teacher
I have been a student with Matt for over 10 years now. Started out as a complete beginner. Matt has taught me bass guitar, so I was able to play in our worship band at church, and now for the last several years we have focused on acoustic six string guitar. I've come far enough along that I play at jams and perform solo at open mics.
I'm mostly interested in Singer-Songwriter and Americana styles of music. Matt has been a great teacher for whatever songs and genres of music I want to play. This last year we worked on Travis picking to compliment my other rhythm guitar playing. I'm sure he can help anyone learn whatever style of songs they want to learn.
Matt is both passionate about playing guitar and keeps the lessons fun and encouraging. I plan to take lessons from Matt for many more years. I look forward to every lesson.
Matt is a wonderful instructor. He is patient and easy to get along with. His lessons are catered specifically to each individual student and he always sends a lesson follow up. I find this helpful for my individual practice. Matt is a well-versed and talented musician. I highly recommend him for lessons.
Over the four years I’ve taken lessons from Matt, we’ve played mostly rock and blues songs. When I told Matt I wanted to explore more music theory, we spent about a year concentrating on jazz standards as we reviewed theory. My playing has greatly improved since I started with Matt and I would highly recommend him to other students, regardless of current skill level.
Excellent music teacher! Matt O' Brien is very passionate about music and is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their guitar or bass skills. He is able to keep students like me engaged and will help you in all areas of the instrument. He's also a big metal fan which is great for those who are interested in learning how to be able to play in the genre!
I have been taking guitar lessons from Matt for almost 2 years now and would recommend him to anyone looking to learn or improve on the instrument. I had attempted to self teach myself several times over the past 20 years and every time I hit a wall. This time around, as I felt that wall coming, I started looking for a teacher. I chose Matt due to the abundance of good reviews he has and they're all spot on. Matt's a fantastic teacher and has helped me break through that wall that I've encountered every other time I've attempted to learn. He tailors the lessons towards what I'm interested in, encourages me to learn from other sources and helps me understand them. He's also available to ask questions whenever needed. He's very easy going, takes things at your pace and knows what he's talking about. I plan on continuing with him for the foreseeable future!
Took lessons with Matt for 5 years and he made me the guitarist I am today! I highly recommend him as a teacher
Matt is an incredible teacher. I was getting nowhere after 2 years of trying to learn from Youtube videos. I started out with just 30 minutes per week and it was so good that I'm now at 1.5 hours per week with him. My guitar playing is skyrocketing and it's such a blast! Highly recommend!
Matt is a phenomenal guitar teacher! I’ve been taking lessons from him for about three years now. He has the formal education and the passion necessary to be a truly effective instructor. After every lesson, he e-mails me a summary of what I need to work on. He makes learning guitar fun but also holds me accountable. And he teaches all ages. Lessons with Matt are the highlight of my week!
When you see a 5.0 star Google rating with a lot of reviews, you expect a great experience. I never foresaw running into an excellent experience.
My first comment before even committing to lessons with Matt was my feeling that guitar was a very daunting instrument to learn and was not sure I would succeed. Graciously, but with confidence Matt eased my concerns while learning about me, my interests, and what my goals were learning guitar. I felt comfortable with the flexibility of lesson packages, online or in person, and his willingness to learn at my pace.
What happened over my first three lessons of never playing guitar is inconceivable. I have learned all major chords, proper techniques, and I am already playing chord progressions of my favorite songs! Maybe I ended up learning at his pace without me knowing it.
If you are looking for someone to just give you a book and tell you how to play, have fun picking up a new hobby. If you are looking for a mentor in the realm of guitar with your best interest in mind, play guitar along with you, and make it fun to enjoy playing the guitar, well search no further.Matt is a wonderful instructor. He is patient and easy to get along with. His lessons are catered specifically to each individual student and he always sends a lesson follow up. I find this helpful for my individual practice. Matt is a well-versed and talented musician. I highly recommend him for lessons.
Matt is a phenomenal guitar teacher! He has the formal education and the passion necessary to be a truly effective instructor. After every lesson, he e-mails me a summary of what I need to work on. He makes learning guitar fun but also holds me accountable. And he teaches all ages. Lessons with Matt are the highlight of my week!
I've known Matt since '92. We met as co-workers at Dominick's. His 1st conversation to me was, "Hey, do you play guitar?" I said, "Yes!" And ever since then, every time we hung out, there was a guitar involved! Whether it was electric, acoustic, or even bass. Unfortunately, I didn't stick with playing, but it was always fun to watch him play and expand his horizons. I've watched him excel from playing Nirvana and Metallica in our teen years, to playing classical on a 12 string, metal on a 7 string, a bango, a ukelele and even writing his own material for his concept albums! It's been amazing to see how talented he's become over all these years. He definitely has the talent, the motivation and the discipline to play, learn and teach. I can honestly say, watching him has motivated me to pick up the guitar again. I made my purchase a few months ago. And certainly didn't give it too much thought on who would teach me. I knew right away that Matt would be my best choice!
I started working with Matt because my practice needed structure and guidance and so far Matt has been extremely helpful in providing me with those things. Having been self-taught up until now Matt has been very helpful in discovering what's been missing from my practice while also exploring new music and topics that have quickly expanded my knowledge and skills. I look forward to our lessons each week because I know I'm growing as a guitarist and that's what matters most to me!
Matt responded right away and we set up the first lesson a few days later. Even though the lessons are “virtual” over Skype, Matt goes the extra mile by using three camera angles to help see his fretboard better and also tailors his approach to your specific skill level and taste in music.
As an extremely inexperienced player, Matt took the time to break the guitar down in easy steps for me to understand and enhance my learning experience.
Started taking virtual lessons with Matt after a few years of playing and learning guitar on my own, and just after a month of lessons, he has helped me make significant progress.
I've had a great experience working with Matt to learn and improve my guitar skills. His layout of work in lessons and for practice has definitely improved my ability, and I look forward every week to seeing what's next. His approach is very thoughtful to what my needs and abilities are, and he has worked well with my busy schedule when needed. You can also see the depth of his knowledge in music when working with him, whether it be the depths of music theory or noticing a small something that you may be slightly off on. Always very punctual, and very professional. I've learned quite a bit already and I'm thankful for his teaching.
Matt tailors his lessons to what the student wants. Whether it be music theory, learning a song, or anything in between, Matt can teach it to you. Highly recommend.
Matt is able to spot small things that make a big difference in a musician's journey no matter how far along they are. His demeanor puts his students at ease, and always encourages and builds the student up. I'd recommend Matt to anyone, at any level, wanting to grow as a musician!!
Matt is a great teacher with an extensive knowledge of guitar and music as whole. He is willing to help teach any song you want and has a great sense of humor.
Matt is great at teaching guitar. Not only is he expert himself but tries different ways to help me learn. I wasn’t sure I could learn to read music and play guitar at my age as I’m an older adult. Matt showed me that I could!
Matt is a great guy and a good teacher and I appreciate having him!
Can teach any type of music. Very patient, positive and supportive.
Matt is a great teacher he has helped me learn Enter sandman, wherever I may roam, and seek and destroy By Metallica. I have done lesions for 3 years now and never had a bad experience with him.
Matt taught both of my kids over the course of three years. He taught them how to play acoustic, electric, and even the ukulele. He’s an amazing student of music and I believe he has a degree in music as well. He started them with the basics and foundational skills required to play. Not only does he know the instrument inside and out, he is super attentive in understanding how to teach the instrument to children as well as adults. Highly recommend him for any of the string instruments. He is the real deal, not a hack that taught themselves guitar.
Matt shows a great deal of care with his students. He not only understands music, he knows how to make them progress. He takes the time and care to go beyond the average teaching experience.
Matt is a knowledgeable and patient guitar instructor who can teach multiple instruments such as ukulele and bass guitar. His versatility in a wide range of genres make him an asset to any music student. His flexibility allows him to customize the student’s lesson experience. His online setup is spectacular - multiple camera angles and professional sound - makes it sound like I’m listening to music on my computer. Any student aspiring to improve remotely should seriously consider booking lessons with Matt.
In the five years I learned guitar with Matt, I grew more than I ever thought possible. Matt does an excellent job of ensuring that students do not pick up the bad habits that most guitar players fall into when learning for the first time. While building a solid base in the fundamentals, Matt has a vast knowledge on rock and other modern genres and teaches technique for any type of player. With Matt I learned to play with my electric and acoustic guitar and felt experienced with both over a short period of learning. I learned to play some of my favorite songs, even the ones I thought would be too hard to ever learn. I was able to perform live 5-6 times with Matt's help in practicing the songs. Matt is also very personable teacher with a clear attention to detail and patience that makes for an excellent experience. Highly recommend Matt as a teacher to learn or to improve your guitar skills.
Excellent teacher, instructed at whatever pace I was comfortable with, and really helped me learn through a step-by-step process.
Matt was professional, adaptable, creative, knowledgeable, and insightful with his teaching. Matt instructed me for many years and I would not be the guitar player I am without his guidance.
Matt is laid back, and is very patient with students. Would highly recommend lessons!
Matt taught my son for years. He was thoughtful, professional, and the only teacher my son ever felt he related to! Thanks to Matt for an excellent musical education!
Matt is a great teacher. I have been his student for about 10 years now. Not only does he know his stuff, but he is also a very comfortable teacher to be around. The lessons feel less like a lecture, and more like a nice dynamic friendship that makes the learning process so much easier and less awkward, especially because the beginning part of learning guitar can be frustrating and a bit embarrassing. Overall, I highly recommend learning from Matt.
He taught me whatever I wanted to learn during a given lesson and went over all the techniques and styles that were incorporated with it. Matt is friendly and very patient with his students.
Learning with Matt was great. I really connected with him and he made learning guitar really fun.
He was a personable guy and knew what he was doing. I started with him when I was 11 and stopped when I was about 20 (purely to save money since I moved into my own place around that time). I enjoyed it the whole time and picked up a lot of skills that I still use now
Matt taught my son for about 4 years. He was patient and had a great sense of humor w a pretty shy kid. Jeffrey loved his lessons w Matt. He still plays the guitar all the time. The guitar is something Jeffrey will be able to do all his life. Thanks Matt.
Great teacher always willing to help
I took guitar lessons from Matt for over 3 years. He's very relaxed, friendly, and encouraging. Not once did I have a negative experience learning from him, would definitely recommend!
How he was able to utilize his own studio and spend the time preparing for a lesson. It seemed as if we were doing face to face lessons. 10/10
He is a very patient teacher and is great at explaining topics he is teaching
Matt was my first guitar teacher and I started taking lessons with him back in like 2008ish? Idk but I'm still playing and it's because of him. He not only taught me techniques and skills, but helped me with my confidence as a player and kept me with it. Highly recommend Matt to anybody whether a beginner or if you've been playing a couple years and wanna step it up a notch!
Matt taught me the music that I wanted to play and was able to work with and increase my skill level. He is an amazing guitar player and learning from such a refined musician fuels you to want to become better yourself. Matt is also a friendly person who is a joy to see in general.
Matt taught our son to play guitar and was an awesome teacher and mentor. Our son learned so much from Matt I cannot even put into words. Matt always had a game plan but also shifted to quickly help him learn a new song when he had a gig or competition coming up. Matt is one of the most talented instructors and guitar players you will ever have the opportunity to meet.
Matt is an amazing guitar player and excellent instructor. Matt taught our son guitar at an early age of seven. He connects so well with his students...highly recommend Matt!!!
He’s patient and dedicated to be the best teacher he can be. Puts alot of effort into making sure you are having fun while you learning so that you dont loose interest. Not only a good teacher, but a good friend as well.
Matt has extensive knowledge on many genres and always incorporates theory into his lessons, I worked with him from beginner all the way to advanced and learned all the way until my last lesson.
Matt was my teacher for several years until arthritis took over. I look forward to the day when I can start lessons again.
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Rates
Rate
- $68
Pack rates
- 5h: $340
- 10h: $680
free lessons
This first lesson offered with Matt will allow you to get to know each other and clearly specify your needs for your next lessons.
- 1hr
online
- $67/h
Details
Half hour lessons available upon request.
Matt's Video
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