FAQ

My name is Damon Eckard.
My pronouns are he/him/his. I was born in Florida but I grew up in Kansas. I have lived in California since 1999. I’m tall. I’m queer. I’m colorblind. I’m a secular humanist. I skate goofy. I’ve never had a cavity. My cat’s name is Pigeon. I have ADHD.

I started playing drums when I was eight.
I had an excellent drum teacher. His name was Harry Huxol. He was a master percussionist from the big band swing era. I studied with him until I was eighteen. He taught me how to think about and relate to rhythm.

I started playing guitar at eleven.
My dad had an acoustic in his closet. We cleaned and restrung it and tuned it together. Then he showed me what chords he still knew. I took it from there and I taught myself by ear, but my dad taught me how to think for myself.

I started playing in school bands at fourteen.
I played drums, guitar, and vibraphone in jazz band ‘cause it was an absolute blast. I played anything I could hit with a stick in orchestras ‘cause the ladies love a triangle player. I played snare drum in marching band ‘cause I was a glutton for punishment. My high school jazz band teacher was excellent. His name was John Selzer. He refined the way I thought about song structure and taught me how to think about and relate to being in key.

I started playing in bands at sixteen.
I had lots of friends who were super into music too, so we started playing together. This is when I got into electric guitars, amps, and pedals, which was super fun ‘cause I was mostly only an acoustic player till then.

I started formal music studies at eighteen.
I majored in music theory and composition at the University of Kansas. I played piano for class, percussion for performances, guitar for myself, bassoon for the hell of it, and viola da gamba for the renn faire street cred. I went to music school ‘cause I wanted to learn more about music, but music school turned out to be mostly about being good at music school.

I started touring in bands at twenty-two.
I joined shoegaze band Shallow on electric guitar and Farfisa Mini Compact organ and toured a bunch with them. We played in every state in the lower 48 and shared stages with the Flaming Lips, the Creatures, Heatmiser, Gerald Collier, and the Brian Jonestown Massacre, among others.

I started teaching guitar in 2009.
I’d finally figured out that I hated working in restaurants and that I was miserable not working with music. I figured teaching guitar would be a stopgap, but I ended up loving it.

“Axes of E’ville” means “Guitars of Emeryville”
“Axes” is slang for guitars, “E’ville” is slang for Emeryville, and “axis of evil” is a stupid phrase coined by George Bush Jr. to rally folks in support of the “war on terror”. So it’s just a silly pun, really.

The fact that I came up with it probably says a lot about me.
The fact that I use it for a business name probably says more.

Using what you know to figure out what you don’t know.
My method is all about establishing a solid foundation of the fundamentals of the western musical system, showing you how the guitar relates to and works with that system, and then training you to use those paired understandings to artfully create or re-create anything you hear out in the world, in your head, or in your heart.

No, and if a teacher says otherwise without meeting you first, run.
No one teacher can be all things to all students, and while I aim to keep folks happy, inspired, challenged, and engaged, I know that's not always going to happen.

That's what the intake session is all about.
It's important for us to feel that we're a good match and that we'll enjoy working together. If we enjoy each other’s company and both feel that my skills and approach will mesh nicely with your needs then odds are we'll work really well together.

Yes I do!
Understanding how music works unlocks worlds of potential for you and your playing. If you’re looking for someone who’s put in the time to figure out how to really teach it properly, then I would absolutely love to talk with you.

Yes I do!
Proper rhythm technique is central to everything we do as guitarists. I place a strong emphasis on mastering the fundamentals of rhythm (time, meter, feel, and groove).

Yes I do!
Helping students level up their lead, solo, and accompaniment chops is an absolute joy for me.

No I don’t.
I play lots of instruments, but I’m not qualified to teach any instrument other than guitar.

No I don’t.
I teach electric and acoustic guitar. Classical guitar is a whole other thing.

Yes I do!
Songwriting is one of my specialties. I love thinking about it, I love doing it, I love teaching it, and I love working with others on original compositions.

Yes I do!
Knowing how to play a song is one thing. Knowing how to figure out how to play any song is quite another. I want to be the last person you'll ever need to ask to help you figure out how to play a song.

Lots!
The styles I have the most experience with playing and teaching fall pretty squarely within the realms of folk, Americana, country, blues, classic rock, classic R&B, classic soul, Motown, indie rock, new wave, punk rock, psychedelic rock, shoegaze, post-rock, and most styles of jazz.

Lots!
The techniques I teach include strumming, flatpicking, hybrid picking, fingerpicking, and soloing skills such as single string bends, double string bends, pedal steel bends, double-stops, licks, scales, and arpeggios.

Sure!
If this is all you’re looking for then hop on over to my booking page and sign up for a single lesson.

Lots!
Every regular student gets their own private, password-protected page right here on this website. These pages are laid out like blogs. Each lesson is posted as a dated entry and contains the following:

A recording of your lesson
I record every lesson that I teach and then embed that video at the top of each entry. You can relax and concentrate during your lesson, knowing that you'll never have to worry about forgetting anything we worked on.

Notes about what we covered that lesson
This helps me as much as you, really. All good teachers use notes to keep track of their students' progress. I share mine with you.

Reference for music we worked on
Referring back (and often) to original source material for the song you're working on is one of the best ways to make sure you're learning it correctly.

A synopsis of your homework assignment
I do this so you'll never have to worry about what the heck it was you were supposed to work on. Practice won’t always be easy, but at least it can be stress-free.

And more
Lyrics, charts, and digital whiteboard screencaps all make regular appearances. You want to improve, and I want you to succeed.

I used to do face-to-face lessons.
I did it for a decade and never once seriously considered doing online lessons, much less switching entirely. I would’ve gone on about the importance of being able to play together in the same space at the same time. I would’ve sworn up and down that in-person was the only way to go.

But then the pandemic happened.
And we all had to change how we do things. So I switched to live video and found, to my great surprise, that I like it. A lot. And my students do too. No one did worse than before and many started do better. For a while there I still thought I’d probably go back to doing at least some lessons in person, but the pandemic just kept happening.

And the pandemic is still happening.
I know. It sucks. I’m super sick of it too and I really wish it wasn’t, but it is.

So yes, I only do lessons online.
Because until it’s safe for everyone, it isn’t safe for anyone.

Yep! I only use Skype.
Skype ticks all the boxes for me. It’s easy to get, it’s easy to use, it’s free, it’s eminently cross-platform, it plays nice with fancy audio and video gear, it has video recording built right in, and it records and saves to the cloud.

Yes.
You need to enter your Skype name during the booking process.
You won’t be able to complete your booking without it.

I call you.
I’ll call you at the stroke of the hour and I am super punctual, so be prepared.

Check your device.
Is it plugged in? Have you restarted it lately? Is your connection strong and stable? Are you on a VPN? Are you running a bunch of apps?

Check Skype.
Do you have Skype installed? Is Skype running? Are you logged in? Are you set to available? Am I on your contact list? Are your settings correct?

Check your video.
Is your camera covered? Is your camera on? Is it dark in your room? Is your back to a window? Are you well lit? Does your framing show your face, your hands, and all of your guitar? Will I be able to see you clearly?

Check your audio.
Is your mic working? Is your mic on? Is there a lot of ambient noise where you are? Will I be able to hear you clearly?

Intro sessions last for 40 minutes.
We’ll say our hellos and then start getting to know each other. I’ll ask you some follow-up questions concerning the notes you left during the booking process. You’ll probably ask me some questions that I hadn’t thought of answering here. I’ll give you the password for your student page and walk you through how to use it. If we decide that we want to work together then we'll take a moment to process payment and finalize scheduling for your regular lessons. We may even get into some lesson stuff too, if time allows.

Regular lessons last for 50 minutes.
We’ll say our hellos and tune up. I’ll start recording the lesson. If we’ve already decided upon a direction then we’ll get right to it. If we haven’t, then we’ll figure that out first. I’ll often take the last five minutes of the lesson to review what we’ve covered and get clear on what your homework will be. Then I’ll stop the recording, we’ll wrap up your lesson, and you’ll be on your way.

Single lessons also last for 50 minutes.
We’ll say our hellos and then chat for a bit to get a feel for each other. I’ll ask you some follow-up questions concerning the notes you left during the booking process. Once I'm sure that I understand exactly where you're wanting to go and how I can best help you get there, we'll tune up and get right to it. I’ll do my best to make sure that we don’t start anything we can’t finish and start winding things down about 45 minutes in to make sure that we end on time.

Sheet music
Rarely, if ever, and only if it’s helpful.

Tablature
No. Never. Can’t stand the stuff.

Lighting
I use three Elgato Key Light Air LED panels with an Elgato Stream Deck controller to supplement and balance out the room’s pre-existing natural and artificial lighting.

Audio
Outside the box, I use a Deity S-Mic 2S shotgun mic for voice and acoustic guitars. For electric guitars, I use a Shure SM57 on a Milkman 5W Half Pint and a Cascade Fathead II on a Vox AC15HW1X. All mics run to a Universal Audio Apollo Twin audio interface via Mogami Gold cables with Neutrik XX and RX connectors. Inside the box, I use UA’s Console for initial signal processing and Apple’s Logic Pro to create a submix of guitars and vocals. I send that to Rogue Amoeba’s Loopback, which lets me mix in additional audio sources like Apple Music and YouTube.

Video
I use a Sony a6100 DSLR fitted with a Sigma 16mm f/1.4 lens. I send signal out through an Elgato Cam Link 4K capture card into a maxed-out 2022 M1 Max Mac Studio.

Internet
I send all of that to you via Skype. My computer is directly connected to my router with CAT7 cabling. My router is directly connected to my modem, which is fiber-optic. My connection speed is parallel gigabit. My ISP is Sonic.

Lighting
If your lighting’s already nice then you you don’t need to spend any money here. If not, get a pair of Elgato’s Key Light Air LED panels, set ‘em wide on each side of your screen, and be done with it. (Pro tip: super easy to score these for half price on Craigslist.)

Video
Your device’s built-in webcam is probably fine. If you want to make a bit of an upgrade then I recommend either Elgato’s Facecam Pro or Insta360’s Insta360 Link. If you want to go further than that then I recommend something along the lines of what I’m using.

Audio
Your device’s built-in mic is probably fine too. If you want to take it up a notch then I can recommend recommend Logitech’s Blue Yeti large-diaphragm USB condenser mic. If you want to go further than that then I recommend something along the lines of what I’m using.

Yes I do.
My lessons are a safe space for you to be exactly who you are and how you want to be.

Absolutely.

I don’t much care about levels of ability.
I care more about levels of interest and dedication. My favorite type of students are the ones who are curious, ask questions, actively engage in their lessons, enjoy setting and meeting their goals, and are into doing their homework.

If you’re super into music, I’ll be super into working with you.
If you've never picked up a guitar before but've always dreamed of playing, if you have no idea where to begin, or If you've been trying to learn how to play on your own and you're starting to feel like maybe this is something you just can't do, I want to work with you. If you've been stuck at your level for way too long, if there are things you hear in other people's songs that you can't figure out how to do with yours, or if you just want to feel excited about playing the guitar again, I want to work with you too.

Yes I do!
The average age of my students tends to be in the twenties, thirties, and forties, but I’ve worked with folks as old as eighty and kids as young as nine.

That having been said,
I don’t tier my rates, and young kids tend to need more supervision, structure, and guidance than I'm able to provide – so parents, please consider this before contacting me about teaching your child.

Sure!
I have a lot of experience working with groups and a lot of fun doing it, too. If you’re looking for group lessons then shoot me an email and we’ll take it from there.

Don’t sweat it.
There will be days - sometimes even weeks - when you won't have time to practice. It happens to everyone. Don't let it get you down, and don't let it keep you from moving forward. Feeling ashamed or stressed out about not practicing brings on all sorts of mental block, and that's the single biggest reason why folks give up on lessons.

Don't let yourself fall into that trap.
If lesson time comes 'round and you haven't even touched your guitar since the last one then pause for a moment, take a deep breath, remember that feeling crap about not having practiced is totally not gonna help, and let it go.

Let me know.
Shoot me a quick text or email to tell me what’s up. I don’t mind waiting if I know what’s up, but being five minutes late without letting me know is an automatic no-show.

Please read my policies.

If it’s less than five minutes after our scheduled start time:
I’ll call you at the stroke of the hour. If you miss my call and it’s less than five minutes after our scheduled start time then by all means, please call me back.

If it’s more than five minutes after our schedule start time:
If I haven’t heard from you then I’ll call again at exactly five minutes after the hour. Missing that call is an automatic no-show.

Please read my policies.

Intro Sessions and Single Lessons
If it’s more than 24 hours before your booking then look for the confirmation email you got when you booked with me. You’ll find a link that’ll let you reschedule your booking. If it’s less than 24 hours before your booking then it’s too late to reschedule.

Regular Lessons
If you know in advance that you won't be able to make it to a lesson then text or email ASAP to let me know. I can’t promise that I’ll be able to reschedule you, but I’ll always be happy to try. If your lesson can't be rescheduled then then you may choose to either skip it or switch it to an upload lesson.

Please read my policies.

Intro Sessions and Single Lessons
If it’s more than 24 hours before your booking then look for the confirmation email you got when you booked with me. You’ll find a link that’ll let you cancel your booking. If it’s less than 24 hours before your booking then it’s too late to cancel.

Regular Lessons
Text or email ASAP to let me know and we’ll take it from there.

Please read my policies.

GRAB THE CAT AND RUN!