“Chris is the real deal — an amazing musician and teacher. His knowledge of jazz harmony, language and rhythm is extensive and bolstered by his decades-long dedication to the music. I’m constantly impressed by his talent for explaining concepts in as simple or complex terms as the situation requires. He’s a great listener and can patiently troubleshoot the barriers that are blocking a student’s musical progress. Each lesson will leave you inspired. I highly recommend working with him.”

“I had Chris as a private lessons and ensemble teacher during my undergraduate studies at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Chris convinced me of the importance of having strong fundamentals, and always steered me in the right direction with my jazz guitar studies. As a professional musician based in NYC for the last 8 years, I consistently find myself using material and concepts that we worked on both in my practice and performance. I will always be grateful for the lessons and mentoring Chris has given me. ”

“After 30 years as a professional guitarist, I decided I wanted to make a serious study of chord melody. This area of study is fraught with as many landmines and pitfalls as the US Tax Code. Chris is helping use the knowledge I already had and is an endless fountain of stuff that I didn’t know. He not only walks the walk as a player, he talks the talk as a teacher. A rare combination of a monster player with fantastic teaching chops as well. Highly recommend, in fact, can’t recommend enough.”

“I have been playing folk and blues guitar since the sixties. Like many of my peers, I found my guitar playing stale and unsatisfying. As my tastes evolved, I decided I wanted to learn the mysteries of jazz guitar. Learning jazz guitar is a long journey. It involves a deep understanding of harmony and rhythm, familiarity with the entire fretboard, and the technical proficiency to integrate the melody with the myriad of jazz chords. All of this needs to be internalized so that one can improvise while playing with others. Chris is a real jazz teacher. He is like a Zen master who takes you on the journey to enlightenment. He doesn’t just provide simplified jazz arrangements for you to memorize, like some teachers I have had. Instead, he patiently and generously introduces the elements of jazz’s theory, practice, and mentality.”

“Learning jazz isn’t easy...so finding a great teacher is super important. For me that is Chris Whiteman. He is a very accomplished player, who plays in the traditional jazz style...the style that I love. He is a passionate, compassionate and articulate teacher who inspires me to practice. He makes the learning curve easier by keeping focused on the right practice routine.
I have tried all the online videos and bought tons of books, but nothing helped me to progress and enjoy learning jazz like one on one lessons with Chris. Thanks Chris!
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“Chris Whiteman’s musicianship celebrates a level of depth and lyricism that’s not all too common amongst the young improvisers of today. No matter the context - straight or swung - Chris grooves harder than most with a beautiful voice, uniquely crafted from the gold of jazz guitar history thus far.”

“As a former drummer I fell for the guitar some years ago. I found videos with Chris on Youtube, contacted him and felt immediately that I had met a friendly and a humble guy! With his long and broad experience Chris has inspired me fully in his clear and relaxed lessons. Chris has opened up a great guitar world for me. ”

“Chris is an excellent teacher. His knowledge of music is extensive. Rather than making it overwhelming, Chris takes his knowledge and makes it very easy to understand and fun to learn. He is also very patient and gives you plenty of time to grasp whatever subject he is helping you tackle. I have been very happy being a student of Chris’ and hope to learn so much more from this very talented musician in the future. If anyone is looking to take there playing to the next level I would recommend Chris Whiteman every time.”

“Chris is the most patient and most knowledgeable guitar instructor I’ve had the pleasure of working with. He explains music theory so well, and makes the guitar fun and rewarding. I so wish I had had him as a teacher when I was a young man but I’m very grateful to have met him now as an older adult. He’s helping me realize a lifelong dream of playing jazz. ”

“Chris has been great to work with. He is effective at determining your goals and opportunities, and then gives you theory and methods that can transform your playing. His musical versatility, experience, education and methods combine to make him very effective. Plus, he is easy going, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know him.”