Music Theory for Guitarists | Berklee Graduate | Stop Memorizing Shapes & Finally Understand the Fretboard

I highly recommend Jaime to anyone wanting to learn guitar, whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to improve. Before I started taking lessons with him over a year ago, I had only dabbled with guitar and couldn’t really play. I have a very busy job, and I wanted to do something creative outside of work. Taking online lessons has been the perfect solution because it’s convenient and has allowed me to stay consistent. Even though the lessons are online, Jaime does an excellent job demonstrating techniques, correcting my playing, and providing clear instruction.

He’s incredibly patient and explains everything in a way that’s easy to understand. He breaks techniques down into manageable steps, so I never felt overwhelmed. He tailors each lesson to my goals rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, which has kept me motivated to continue learning. He also gives clear guidance on what to practice between lessons, so my practice time is productive.

One of my goals was to learn classical guitar while also learning chords and Jaime’s been able to teach me both by learning to read and play guitar tabs.

Jaime is always professional, prepared, and punctual, and every lesson feels worthwhile. As a busy working professional, I especially appreciate that he’s helped me make steady progress without needing to spend hours practicing every day. He’s made something I thought was beyond my abilities feel completely achievable. If you’ve always wanted to learn guitar but thought it was too difficult or that you didn’t have enough time, I can honestly say he’s made it possible for me. A year ago I never imagined I’d be playing classical pieces as well as some pop rock songs. His patience, teaching style, and ability to teach so effectively online have made all the difference. I can’t recommend him highly enough.

I took guitar lessons with Jaime. He is serious about teaching, values excellent technique and good habits, and works well online (and helped me through my technical difficulties to solve all of the problems). He strikes the right balance: patient yet also pushes the right amount for improvement, encouraging yet points out where there can be improvement, open to ideas and input yet in charge to keep the lessons going in a productive and logical direction. He clearly has experience teaching a wide range of skills and musical styles. Highly recommended!

Jaime is a great teacher! steady and reliable and nice to work with! He has a great teaching method that works.

As someone who has struggled with keeping a consistent schedule for practicing guitar, the skills, songs, and encouragement Jaime provides in his lessons sets you up to effectively practice and advance your guitar playing. I started out not even knowing how to play guitar with a pick, and now I can play several songs in full! He is a wonderful teacher for all skill levels. His feedback is always very helpful, clear, and precise. His lessons are also very structured: he first goes through warmups with you, then teaches you a song of your choice or according to your music taste, as well as revisiting songs you have already learned and enhancing your ability to play them. He is very accomodating and flexible with scheduling classes, as well as very patient and understanding. I have been taking classes with him for about a year now, and I have improved tremendously in such a short amount of time. I couldn’t have gotten to the level I am at now without him.

Siena M.

My daughter has been taking lessons from Jaime for the past year now, and she has made significant progress in that time. Jaime asked her to provide a list of songs that she wanted to learn, and has tailored his lessons around her interests. She has learned a range of songs from easy to complex, and I’ve been impressed with her progression in learning from week to week.
Jaime has been very gracious in adjusting his class time to her schedule and this is one activity that she looks forward to every week.

Kerry M. (Father)

Jaime is an excellent teacher. In just a few weeks he was able to deconstruct a lot of music theory I had been struggling either for ages. He is incredibly patient and accommodating to your needs.

Jaime is an amazing teacher, he is clearly very knowledgeable when it comes to music and taught me techniques that still help me grow whenever I pick up the guitar. He spent time on skills that can be transferred rather than just simply playing through a song. He was so sweet to work with and was able to be flexible with me as I battled some health problems and frequently needed to cancel or reschedule. I’ve raved to friends about what an amazing teacher I found and if life allowed it I would be continuing to work with him. Thanks for a great experience Jaime.

Jamie was patient kind fun to learn from and knowledgeable. The exact traits you want in a teacher

Jaime is great! I’ve been learning Spanish/classical guitar with him for several months now and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. He is very knowledgeable and takes his time to focus on details. Highly recommend!

Before meeting Jamie, I had been playing guitar off and on for about 20 years—mostly open chords and picking around with tabs from websites. While I loved playing, I never really understood the structure of the instrument or learned where the notes actually were on the fretboard.

Since starting lessons with Jamie, that’s changed completely. He began by walking me through the basics (which I’m still practicing!), and those fundamentals have helped me build a solid foundation. In just a couple of months, I’ve learned more than I ever expected. Jamie doesn’t just give me the answers—he pushes me to figure things out and really learn the material, which has made a huge difference in my growth.

On top of being a great teacher, Jamie’s personality is relaxed, patient, and real. He’s even been flexible and understanding when life has gotten a little hectic—something I truly appreciate.

Overall, I give Jamie a 10 out of 10. If you’re looking to improve your skills, deepen your understanding of the fretboard, or finally connect the dots on guitar theory, Jamie’s your guy. Highly recommend.

Jaime is the best! My schedule changes all the time and he is more than accommodating. I tried to teach myself guitar for a couple years and could never get the hang of it. I've only been working with Jaime a few months and made great progress! I'd recommend him to anyone, young or old!

Jaime is an excellent teacher. I've had many music teachers throughout my music journey and Jaime is really fantastic. He is responsive, punctual, professional, but also listens and observes. He's incredibly insightful and really focuses on the details that make a huge difference as one learns guitar. It's clear he is a master of his craft, and he's expertly able to articulate this in his teaching. He also goes at a pace that is reasonable, so each lesson and exercise seems manageable and achievable. I highly recommend him as a teacher!

I’ve been taking guitar lessons with Jaime for a while now, and it’s been great!. He really knows his music theory and breaks it down into simple steps that actually stick. His teaching is effective and adheres to a good structure. I’d absolutely recommend Jaime to anyone wanting to build solid, lasting skills on the guitar.

As an adult with no prior experience, I set out on a journey to learn how to play the guitar, and after researching different teachers, I found Jaime. What a fantastic choice it was! Jaime has an incredible talent for teaching; his patience and ability to break down the basics for adult learners made all the difference. With each class, he inspires me to push my limits and improve my skills. A few months in, and I can genuinely feel my progress with the songs we're tackling. Every practice session leaves me excited to learn more! If you're looking to dive into the world of guitar, I can't recommend Jaime enough. Plus, he's bilingual, making it easy for both English and Spanish speakers to understand.

Jaime is a great teacher! Always available for feedback. Listens carefully and patiently, providing great feedback. Does a good job of understanding your learning pace and adapting to it.

I would highly recommend Jaime Nieri for anyone wanting to learn guitar! I am a beginner guitar player who worked with Jaime to learn a specific song to play at my daughter’s wedding. Jaime’s professional studio setup made it easy to meet weekly remote. He is a talented musician and teacher which helped me relax and focus on the weekly goals he gave me. In about 8 weeks, I went from not knowing how to make a bar chord to being able to play the entire song. Jaime’s teaching method focuses on breaking down specific aspects of playing guitar into manageable weekly steps. He is prompt, well managed and provides lots of encouragement to the guitar student.

It has been a surprisingly pleasant experience, James was eager to learn what I was looking in my learning experience and taylor my classes accordingly. He dedication, knowledge and patients are in another level.
I definitely will continue with my guitar journey with him !

Jaime is a fabulous instructor. From day one, he took my preferences and goals into account, and built a program catered to developing my abilities. Jaime consistently checks in between sessions, is punctual, flexible, and very skilled. I was initially skeptical about online lessons, but Jaime really rises to the challenge. I highly recommend him!

Phenomenal classes
I started working with Jaime recently. One thing I noticed is that he’s a very good teacher. He’s patient, professional and will correct you with the minute details you’re missing. Just follow his instructions and that’s all you need.
I’ve come across different tutorials, teachers. But never found a gem like this guy.
Thanks a lot Jaime!!

Learning from Jaime for the past 3 years

I highly recommend Jaime as a guitar teacher. His proficiency in technique is truly impressive, ensuring that you learn the correct fundamentals that will improve your overall playing. Jaime focuses on essential skills that build a strong foundation, making progress noticeable and satisfying.

One of the standout qualities of Jaime is their patience. They provide a supportive learning environment, allowing students to progress at their own pace. Additionally, they give students the freedom to choose the songs they want to learn, making the lessons enjoyable and personalized.

If you're looking for a guitar teacher who combines technical expertise with a student-centered approach, Jaime is the perfect choice.

Jaime is Great, very patient and has a great eye to correct the mechanics that need attention. Jaime focuses on what needs to be addressed and makes every lesson fun and effective to help you play more efficiently.

Jaime immediately honed in on my needs as a guitar student. He has a way of explaining theory and method that makes seemingly over complicated concepts much more accessible. He is patient, highly knowledgeable and experienced, and he’s a natural teacher. I confidently recommend Jaime to anyone seeking to improve their skills as a guitar player!

I’ve been taking guitar lessons with Jaime for six months now, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with my progress and the overall experience. Jaime is not just a fantastic guitar player but also an incredible teacher who truly understands how to nurture a student’s potential.
His teaching style is both patient and encouraging, making even the most complex techniques accessible. Jaime has an amazing ability to break down difficult concepts into manageable steps, ensuring that I not only understand them but also master them.
His personalized approach to teaching is another highlight. He takes the time to understand my goals and interests, tailoring the lessons to suit my needs. This customized approach has kept me motivated and engaged, and I’ve seen significant improvement in my playing in a short amount of time.
If you’re looking for a guitar teacher who is knowledgeable, supportive, and genuinely passionate about music, look no further than Jaime. I wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone looking to learn or improve their guitar skills.

Jaime definitely is a great teacher! He’s flexible in what you want to be taught and clearly knows what he’s talking about. He is also good about giving small tips about your form to help improve efficiency.

Nothing short of a miracle that I found this guy on Thumbtack! Jaime is an amazing guitar instructor and coach. I have been working with him consistently since January, I have made some giant leaps in my guitar playing ability thus far. I am very glad I found Jaime to help me along in my Guitar journey.

Having Jaime as my guitar teacher for nearly a year has been a transformative experience for me.

After assessing my level of playing the first time we met, Jaime built a customized learning roadmap for me which constists of technical training, theory and song learning.

1. On technical training, the practice routine Jaime developed for me is both systematic and comprehensive. By working on those exercises, I observed significant improvement in my finger dexterity and timing. In addition, there are times when I struggled to make improvement. Jaime helped me identified the weakness or bottleneck in my playing, and incorporated customized exercise in my practice routine to help me address those issues.

2. Before meeting Jaime, ear training was a skill that I largely overlooked. Jaime’s approach to song transcription has significantly improved my ability to discern finer details in music. It not only helps me better develop my ear to steer my playing, but also deepened my understanding and appreciation of my favorite guitar music.

3. On song learning, Jaime's selection of music differs from typical repertoire found in conventional guitar lessons, but perfectly suits my skill level and also my musical taste. It has been an absoluate enjoyment to learn these songs, such as , ,

I've been taking lessons with Jaime for many years now. In that time, my abilities have improved beyond anything I expected. Jaime has helped me focus on many aspects of my playing, including technique, theory, transcription, rhythm and lead playing. He has also introduced me to numerous players which has helped to expand my musical palette. I highly recommend taking lessons with Jaime if you want to take your playing to the next level.

Jaime is a patient and humble teacher with much encouragement (and a very nice guy). Lessons are well thought out and structured to my interests. His attention to detail is exceptional, yet not over bearing. I will definitely continue working with Jaime for a long time to come. I'm lucky to have found him!

Jaime has been great working with my son and making sure to teach him the fundamentals while still making learning how to play the guitar fun!

I’ve been taking classes with Jaime for the past 2+ years. I have found his instruction style to be extremely effective for me. I have been playing for quite a number of years now but never really progressed as much as I wanted because I always stayed in my comfort zone. The exercises and songs that we work on during the classes always challenge me and I can definitely see the improvements. There are a bunch of songs and techniques I can execute now that I couldn’t have imagined a year or two before.
Jaime is thoughtful, methodical and disciplined in his approach to teaching guitar. I would whole heartedly recommend him to anyone who’s looking to get better at guitar.

Jaime is a phenomenal instructor that truly cares about his students. He always goes above and beyond to ensure his instruction is of the highest quality. I genuinely appreciate the time and effort that he put into each lesson and I look forward to working with him again in the future. Thanks for all of the help!

Jaime is an amazing teacher and I can’t recommend him enough! I’ve taken lessons with him for a few years now and he’s helped me correct a lot of the bad habits I learned from other teachers / years of being self-taught. He’s very good at explaining technical details, very patient, and knowledgeable on so many different styles of music. Whatever your musical goals are, he will help you get there!

Jaime has been a great guitar instructor. We started on finger-style guitar and I got comfortable with that and then we moved to electric. I really appreciate his patience and high standards. I am starting to hear the difference in everything I play. Despite suffering a neurological issue that left me with tremors in my hands, we continued our lessons and I’m glad I did. I’m still playing and getting better at guitar. Glad he has the patience he does!

Jaime is very knowledgeable and is very good at explaining concepts in terms that are easy to grasp. He is adept at providing concise and useful critiques while maintaining a supportive and motivating attitude. He keeps lessons fun and engaging and is very adaptive in his teaching style. Jaime is also very organized and is always on time and ready to teach.

I’ve been taking lessons with Jaime for several months now, and I can confidently say he’s a fantastic teacher. As a self-taught guitarist with 10-15 years of experience, most of my playing had been unstructured—noodling around and learning occasional songs (only to forget them later). However, I recently decided to elevate my abilities to a more sophisticated level, and that’s when I met Jaime.
Jaime’s teaching approach has been invaluable. He focuses on proper technique, helping to correct my bad habits and show how to stay relaxed while building speed. Additionally, he emphasizes learning new songs by ear and through repetition—the challenging aspects of guitar playing that truly require a professional guide. Even in just a few short months, I’ve noticed significant improvements across the board. From how I hold the guitar, to my warm-up routines and practice structure, everything has evolved.
What sets Jaime apart is his commitment to accountability. Each week, he ensures I continue to progress and refine my skills. I’m confident that sticking with Jaime is the right choice for my musical journey. He’s exactly what I needed to break free from my self-taught rut. If you’re looking to step up your guitar skills, I highly recommend Jaime.

I've taken acoustic guitar lessons with Jaime for over a year. It's been great! Jaime is a wonderful teacher, very consistent and helpful. Definitely recommend!

I highly recommend Jaime as a guitar instructor for any level. From day one he is invested in your development and shares his expertise openly from tips on technique to theory. Having picked up the guitar a few months back I was hitting a plateau and Jaime helped me break out of my rut. Giving me a roadmap to follow made for more effective practice and accelerated my progress. Staying connected throughout the week he encourages recordings of your practice between lessons keeping you on track. He is always willing to tackle any song or calmly explain theory over and over until it finally begins to sink in. A great instructor as well as a kind, patient and thoughtful person.

I have been working with Jamie for over 2 years and highly recommend him to anyone looking for a guitar teacher/mentor. Prior to working with Jamie, I was a self-taught guitarist (~20 years) that lacked some key understandings on how to approach guitar-play and practice. Jamie is knowledgeable, patient and breaks down simple and complex parts into personalized, easily-digestible parts - and then he will continue working with you on it till you get the hang of it! Highly recommended for both novice and experienced players!

Before I started working with Jaime I was trying to teach myself to play guitar and all the usual ways, including videos. That just doesn't get the job done! Since working with Jaime about a year and a half ago, he has helped me clarify my personal goals for learning to play guitar and gives me exactly what I need to continue to work toward achieving those goals. His knowledge of a wide variety of styles of music is beneficial because it exposes me to stiles I wouldn't have even considered before, as well as the styles that are important to me. Do yourself a favor and start learning to play guitar with Jaime!

I have been taking guitar lessons with Jaime for three years. During that time, Jaime has guided me from being an absolute beginner to mastering several songs and developing important techniques that will allow me to tackle a wide variety of new music. In addition to being a nice guy, Jaime is a patient mentor, but also clear and motivating, helping me to tackle new challenges incrementally. I was apprehensive about conducting lessons virtually, but Jaime makes it incredibly easy. He has been remarkably responsive and flexible around the demands of being a parent. Really, I couldn’t imagine a better arrangement to learn guitar. Jaime is an excellent teacher and I highly recommend him.

Great teacher! I can't express that enough! He blends theory and technique smoothly together in each lesson. He's patient with you and pays close attention to detail so you don't create bad habits. He is rooting for you and wants you to succeed so he will slow down the lesson to make sure every thing is correct before moving forward. If you have a question, he has an answer! I'm really glad I decided to take lessons with Jaime! He's a rockstar Teacher!

As a self-taught guitarist who never had a rigorous practice schedule, Jaime has been a huge help. I wanted to level up my technical skill, and Jaime told me exactly what to do, and it’s really been working! I’m making so much more progress than I ever did on my own. It’s really gratifying to finally be making the kind of progress I want to be making.

I have been taking guitar lessons with Jaime since October 29,2020. It has been almost one year and a half of great lessons and instructions. Jaime is very punctual and responsive to all my questions and needs. He is also flexible on his calendar. We usually start class with finger exercises across the fretboard. Then, we practice the current songs under progress. He has also thought me guitar theory and even song recording and production.

During this time I have increased my speed and technicality. These have allowed me to play rock songs that I would never imagine able to play. On the other side, Jaime has helped me understand the fretboard with chord shapes and triads. Furthermore, he always has a song to teach me that adapts to my level of playing.

His way of teaching is inspirational, always putting me to my limit but not beyond; with patience, dedication and professionalism. I am a professional health care worker with a strong music background from birth ( My father was a musician) and I have had multiple music teachers in my life. I never had a teacher with such dedication to me and my hobby.

At last, his teachings go beyond the music realm and are applicable to my daily activities. I would not hesitate to recommend him as a guitar teacher. You would never regret it. One piece of advice for your journey, be patient and trust the process. Rock on!

Jaime was a great teacher .i really enjoyed the way he opened up my head and pulled out my brain and showed it how music worked lol seriously though he was great teacher attention to detail .i loved the way he explained theory to me where I could understand .

Jaime is very patient and loves what he does. He uses a good teaching method and give you good tips to learn fast. He is great!!

I started taking lessons with Jaime after trying to teach myself guitar for years and after recovering from a bad wrist injury. We’ve worked to correct my technique and shake bad habits over the last year and half. My guitar play has improve so much during this time it’s hard to believe. Also, My wrist no longer gets sore after playing which was a huge barrier to consistent progress for me. Jaime is very knowlegeable and always knows exactly what’s needed to fix a problem or help me progress. Highly recommended

Jaime is an incredible guitar teacher! I am a slow learner (which has led to great frustration with past instructors), but Jaime has been EXTREMELY patient with me. Over the past few years we have worked together, I have seen huge improvement in my foundation and I have become more disciplined and passionate about music. If you are looking for a teacher that will push you to exceed your potential and provide a safe environment to make mistakes along the way, Jaime is definitely the right fit. His easy-going attitude during lessons and careful attention to detail has been key to my progress as an artist.