Elevate Your Guitarist-Songwriter Artistry
with Mentorship and Courses

Write songs you’re proud of, love your playing, and break through plateaus.

Questions? TEXT or CALL: ‪(860) 391-6745 | 10am-6pm, Mon - Fri‬

HOW MENTORSHIP WORKS:

  1. FREE First Session: Schedule a FREE 15-minute session to get advice on overcoming your roadblocks and see if we’re a good fit.

  2. 45-Minute Weekly Mentor Meetings: Level up your songwriting skills, write new tunes, get music biz savvy, or hone your guitarist-songwriter technique and theory. We'll check out your goals, then map out a custom plan to help you slay it.

  3. Watch it Grow: With an experienced mentor riding shotgun, watch your artistry level up in ways you never imagined.

 

As your guitarist-songwriter mentor, I'll help you:

🤘Write tunes you're stoked to share

🤘Craft chord progressions that hook listeners

🤘Cook up catchy melodies that stick

🤘Use chord inversions for pro-level emotional depth

🤘Revive boring old chords with fresh voicings

🤘Easily unlock exotic sounds with choice modal moves

🤘Level up your strumming/picking groove

🤘Love your journey by having a buddy in the foxhole with you

🤘Stop aimlessly YouTubing, get a clear path

🤘Know how to properly release/promote your music

🤘Ascend without wasting time in the weeds

 

Meet your new best guitar-friend

“Sure, being a guitarist-songwriter is about creating music. But more importantly, it’s about finding your tribe.”

MENTORSHIP is More than “guitar lessons”

Hi, I'm James Downes, the guy behind Guitar Lessons With James. I've helped thousands of aspiring folk guitarists improve through my 1-1 Lessons, Courses, and 27k follower-strong Instagram community.

As a fellow artist, I understand our greatest challenge: translating the visions in our minds into fully realized artistic expressions.

As a guitarist-songwriter mentor, I'm here to help you take your music to a whole new level of emotion and depth.

Whether it’s through co-writes, learning the art of crafting progressions that captivate, employing chord inversions that stir the soul, or refreshing stale technique with timeless folk artistry - mentorship imbues your music with an enduring, resonant feel.

If you’re serious about taking your writing and playing to the next level, book a free mini-session.

Questions? Check the FAQ section or text me: ‪
(860) 391-6745

Folk guitarist-songwriters looking to get out of rut!

Short, Potent courses (Less than an hour) THat Solve specific problems and provide powerful answers.

 

Check out my growing catalog of courses…

Each is designed to help artists become confident folk guitarist-songwriters by:

  • Cutting through the BS

  • Addressing specific questions

  • Offering quick, powerful answers

 

PRICING

 
Online or In Person, one-on-one 45 minute guitar lessons are $50 (sometimes we’ll go for an hour)

Private Sessions

My schedule is full, and I am not accepting more private sessions now.

I appreciate your interest and encourage you to check back for future availability. Thank you for understanding.

 

 FAQ’s

  • It's guitarist-songwriter mentorship, not merely "guitar lessons."

    Based on your goals, I’ll assess the areas we should work on, and together, we’ll build a plan for helping you achieve them.

    It might involve improving your folk guitar technique to help you add inspiration, maturity, and emotional depth to your playing and writing.

    We could cover a range of topics, including fingerpicking technique, chord inversions, melodic theory, strumming, song arranging, creating impactful lyrics, etc.

    But we'll also improve your originals, write new songs together, learn the theory that drives great songwriting, and discuss the latest music biz updates to help you share your music...

    From beginner to seasoned artist ready to release their music to the world, these sessions are tailored to where you're at in your journey - with the goal of helping you become the guitarist-songwriter you've always dreamed of being.

  • Hell yes, we can work on whatever helps you achieve your goals. Some of my most fulfilling sessions involve refining original songs.

  • Typically, I don't work with folks under 15/16 years old, unless the person demonstrates a serious passion and willingness to put in the work required to become a guitarist-songwriter.

    If you think your kiddo checks those boxes, we can try a free mini lesson to see if it’s a good fit.

  • *Pricing has changed recently, so please check below for details:

    Private Lessons
    (    Online or In-Person)
    $100 - (45 minutes)

    No other costs are incurred.

    Be on the lookout! I’ll run monthly specials with lesson-pack discounts!

  • That’s right!

    I know people have different needs and I’m happy to accommodate by offering lessons:

    1. Online

    2. In-person, at my home studio

    All pricing is the same, as noted in the Pricing section.

    *The option to play with amps/drums and record demos is only available for students who attend sessions at my home studio.

  • I teach from absolute beginner to intermediate guitarists. We all gotta start somewhere! If you’re experienced, get in touch, I may be able to provide instruction for you depending on what you’re looking for. If not, I’ll provide suggestions for other teachers.

  • Hell yeah, they do! Zoom sessions are incredibly effective and offer the safety and convenience of never leaving home (let’s be honest - not changing out of their sweatpants). Oftentimes, people prefer online because it allows the sharing of documents directly to your screen.

  • In-person: A guitar, a pen, a smartphone, and a notebook.

    Online: a guitar (acoustic or electric), a strong internet connection, a quiet room, a Zoom account, headphones (any quality level)

  • I offer music sessions in my home studio located in Old Lyme, CT.

  • Sure, here are some links to a live performance:

    Here’s a link to a playlist with some of my recorded music:

  • I request that we all wear masks until the Covid numbers chill out.

    My family is exercising caution because we have a young child who isn’t able to be vaccinated yet. Thank you for understanding.

  • If you still have questions, you can email me here: james@forestparkdiy.com

 

Contact JAMES

‪JAMES DOWNES
Text or Call: (860) 391-6745
Email: james@guitarlessonswithjames.com‬

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? Please complete the form below

Testimonials

James is an astute, active listener and mentor, who's helped me find my songwriting voice.  I've gained confidence in my songwriting ability, and have become a better critical listener to my music thanks to him. James has a great at identifying a 'wow' factor, explaining why it works and is moving.  He uses his mastery of music theory, guitar, piano, vocals, and lyric writing to offer suggestions on how to enhance your song. I truly look forward to sharing my songs with James.

- Dave K.

It has been amazing working with James for the past year to improve my skills on the guitar, as well as singing and songwriting! He is an inspiring, upbeat, patient, flexible and thorough teacher, working with me each week on my needs no matter what they are! I have come a long way this past year! I can now sing confidently with my guitar playing, I am able to nail an improv riff in just about any key and have also written my first two songs just recently.  He doesn't tell you how to do it, but guides and works with you by asking questions, demonstrating, making suggestions and providing great feedback. At the end of the day I feel like I am in charge of my learning, which is empowering! I have learned SO much and feel very fortunate to have found James for my guitar, singing/songwriting instruction!

- Virginia C.

The instruction I've gotten from James was exactly the missing piece I needed to take that step from dabbling in guitar to really playing. I told him the kind of music I hoped to play and we structured the lessons around that. If you're down to learn something new from someone super knowledgeable, friendly, and supportive- setting something up with James is the way to go!

- Logan K.

I decided to take guitar lessons later in life (in my 60’s) to learn something new, creative and fun! I went through several teachers until I found James and knew immediately that he was the right one. He is the real deal- an amazing musician and a skilled teacher-kind, patient, organized and encouraging. I am happy to say that I am now (in less than 1 year) playing some of my faves- Neil Young, Carly Simon and Fleetwood Mac!

- Siri S.

My return to guitar playing with James has been pure joy! He is a natural-born teacher who hones right into the perfect balance of creative challenges, targeted exercises and individualized song picks. It doesn’t get better than this.

- Beth K.

I’m definitely a better guitar player than I was when I first started taking lessons with James. He tailors each lesson to my needs and has opened my mind to new possibilities.

- Dan F.

 


Email: james@guitarlessonswithjames.com

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