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Founder of the Johnny O. Band, John Ohnmacht has been playing on stage for over 30 years. In that time he has perfected his technique in a wide range of electric and acoustic guitar styles including lead improvisation, slide and finger picking. John has enjoyed teaching guitar for 25 years and has developed a style that has helped countless students reach their musical goals.

Approach

By focusing on rhythm, solid scale positions, and ear training , John’s students learn the fundamentals of playing and improvising without being bogged down by the common problem of over thinking music. John has found over the years that this approach proves more enjoyable for the student. Students can expect to learn how the modes really work in improvisation as well as pentatonic, blues scales, and arpeggios. John’s aim is to help individuals break barriers, grow as players and have fun learning to play guitar.

John Ohnmacht teaches lessons out of his home in Louisville, Colorado.

 

 

Testimonials

“Johnny O is an incredible musician that truly loves his work and is genuinely unselfish with his knowledge. With each lesson I learn new skills that build on the lesson before. Each week I can see my improvement. What I like best is that Johnny O finds creative ways to help me learn and is very patient and encouraging.” Nikki

“I have been taking lessons with Johnny O for about a year and a half now. My playing has improved faster in that time than in all my previous years of playing. Johnny O is an incredibly skilled musician. He knows all styles of music but is a real master of the blues guitar. He has a natural teaching ability and laid back and friendly approach that makes me feel comfortable and not intimidated. The thing that I really appreciate is his ability to bring his incredible depth of talent to my level. He dials in the complexity of our lessons to keep me challenged but not overwhelmed. He has an exremely insightful and soulful way of approaching not only the guitar but the whole song that really resonates with me. Lessons are always inspirational and make me want to practice the stuff he shows me as soon as I get home. I have had a number of guitar teachers before but none has helped me as much as Johnny O has. He teaches me the things that I want to learn. He is the best guitar player and musician that I know and I am truly fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from him.” Jack

“Johnny O has instructed me on blues and New Orleans style guitar for the past seven years. Taking lessons from John has made an everlasting impression on my approach to music and playing guitar. He truly opened many doors with my rhythm and lead style playing. You will jump many levels quickly learning guitar with Johnny O.”  Doug

“I actually first learned how to play guitar almost 40 years ago. The most important thing about that is that I never really learned how to play it, but for a few open chord progressions and one strumming pattern.

Fast forward to about a little over 2 years ago when I met and started taking lessons from Johnny. Johnny was instantly able to identify where I needed to start. Johnny immediately started teaching me rhythm (his rhythm is almost metronome like), since I really had none. With over 30 years of experience, playing and teaching, Johnny is a fantastic and gifted musician; his vast musical knowledge enabled him to understand exactly where I needed to begin. Once Johnny identified the starting point, my proficiency began to grow.

Even though I was really just a beginner (and an old dog trying to learn new tricks) Johnny has been successful in teaching me things I never thought I could do with a guitar. From major scales to minor scales to pentatonic scales to modes and chord structure and especially rhythm techniques. He also teaches many different styles of music to suit any desire. I’m a blues fan. But he does not only teach blues, he can teach funk and rock and jazz and country. He has taught me finger picking styles that allow me to play some of the coolest finger picking songs I love.

Finally, the best part about taking lessons from Johnny is his personal approach. He has the patience to let you learn by repetition. If you struggle during a lesson or a series of lessons, he’ll repeat the process until you understand it. He allows you to learn at your own pace. There is no hurry in his approach and his positive “you can do it” attitude creates a very comfortable and nurturing learning environment.” – Frank

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