Business Details
19 Years
experience
Private Guitar Lessons in Chicago
Klotz Guitar Studio has been dedicated to fostering musical growth for over 18 years, offering personalized guitar instruction tailored to students of all levels and styles. Founded in 2007 by Eric Klotz, our studio combines decades of teaching expertise with a passion for music education. Eric brings 25+ years of experience, including five years as a university adjunct professor and a masters degree in Jazz Performance, ensuring lessons rooted in both academic rigor and real-world application. Our approach emphasizes individualized learning, with customized lesson plans that align with each students goals, whether theyre a beginner exploring chords or an advanced musician refining improvisation techniques.We pride ourselves on creating a supportive environment where students develop technical proficiency, theoretical understanding, and creative expression. With a track record of students achieving scholarships and professional success, our studio remains a trusted resource in Chicago for guitarists seeking meaningful progress and lifelong musical engagement.
Services
Beginner Guitar Lessons
Jazz Guitar Instruction
Online Guitar Lessons
Music Theory Training
Improvisation Coaching
Songwriting Assistance
Acoustic Guitar Lessons
Electric Guitar Lessons
Advanced Technique Workshops
Performance Preparation
Details
- Year established: 2007
Highlights and features
- We offer personalized guitar lessons tailored to your musical goals
- Our instructor has 25+ years of teaching experience
- We cater to students of all skill levels, from beginner to advanced
- Lessons are taught by a Jazz Performance graduate with university teaching experience
- Proven track record of student success and high satisfaction ratings
What people say
Patient and knowledgeable
Improved my playing dramatically
Excellent teaching style
Real-world experience
Customized lesson plans
Services
Beginner Guitar Lessons
Structured lessons for novice guitarists covering fundamental techniques, chord transitions, and basic song structures. Students develop finger strength, rhythmic accuracy, and foundational music reading skills through engaging exercises and popular repertoire. Ideal for those starting their musical journey with personalized guidance.
Jazz Guitar Instruction
Comprehensive jazz education focusing on improvisation, chord voicings, and swing rhythms. Students explore bebop scales, comping patterns, and soloing techniques while studying classic jazz standards. Tailored for musicians seeking to develop authentic jazz vocabulary and performance confidence in small group settings.
Online Guitar Lessons
Interactive remote lessons using high-quality video conferencing for students unable to attend in-person sessions. Maintains the same personalized approach with real-time feedback on technique, theory application, and practice strategies. Includes digital resource sharing and progress tracking tools for effective distance learning.
Music Theory Training
In-depth exploration of musical concepts including scales, modes, chord progressions, and harmonic analysis. Designed to enhance composition skills and improvisational fluency through practical application exercises. Helps students understand fretboard relationships and develop aural recognition abilities for better musical communication.
Songwriting Assistance
Guidance in developing original compositions covering melody creation, lyric structure, and arrangement techniques. Students learn to craft compelling chord progressions, develop rhythmic motifs, and refine their unique musical voice. Includes feedback on demo recordings and song structure optimization for various genres.
People
Eric Klotz
Guitar Instructor
Professional guitarist and educator with 25+ years of teaching experience, including university faculty positions. Holds degrees in Jazz Performance from North Texas State University and Berklee College of Music mentors. Specializes in personalized instruction for all skill levels.
Questions
What skill levels do you teach?
We teach all levels from complete beginners to advanced musicians, with customized instruction for each student's experience and goals.
Do you offer online lessons?
Yes, we provide high-quality virtual lessons using video conferencing platforms for students who prefer remote instruction.
What guitar styles do you cover?
Our curriculum includes rock, jazz, blues, funk, metal, folk, and Latin styles with specialized techniques for each genre.
How long are lesson sessions?
We offer 30-minute, 45-minute, and 60-minute sessions to accommodate different focus areas and scheduling needs.
What teaching materials are required?
All necessary instructional materials are provided at the studio; students only need to bring their own guitar.
Videos
Reviews (7)
Jonathan Rivers
Jan 29, 2022
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I have been taking lessons with Eric for over a year now. During this time, I have progressed both in my technical abilities as well as my theory knowledge what would take me several more years on my own. Beyond that, there are many small details and nuances that I may never have figured out without Eric guiding me. I never thought I would get this far with guitar in this amount of time. If you have the opportunity to take lessons with Eric, you owe it to yourself.
He is an extremely skilled and accomplished guitarist, and equally knowledgeable in theory. He is detail oriented and prepared, yet patient, explorative, and thoughtful. He has not taught me by some formula, but rather by bespoke lessons aimed to reach my personal goals, making for consistently engaging and efficient lessons. It feels like he genuinely cares about my progress as a student. Not once have I felt rushed or as if he was watching the clock, and every single lesson to date has been fantastic.
He is an extremely skilled and accomplished guitarist, and equally knowledgeable in theory. He is detail oriented and prepared, yet patient, explorative, and thoughtful. He has not taught me by some formula, but rather by bespoke lessons aimed to reach my personal goals, making for consistently engaging and efficient lessons. It feels like he genuinely cares about my progress as a student. Not once have I felt rushed or as if he was watching the clock, and every single lesson to date has been fantastic.
Katie Ross
Aug 21, 2021
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Eric is the absolute best--highly recommend him for guitar lessons! He's both a great person and a great teacher. I've been taking lessons with Eric for about 8 months now and I'm honestly amazed at the amount that he has managed to teach me during that time. He's good at explaining things, is always prepared, has tailored our lessons to my music interests and goals, has taught me a good mix of theory and technique, and has always been super patient with me when I don't get something.
I've learned more about guitar and am playing more advanced music than I ever expected to be after 8 months. Eric is also just extremely knowledgeable and a great musician in general, so whatever your skill level or guitar goals, he will definitely be able to help you improve!
I've learned more about guitar and am playing more advanced music than I ever expected to be after 8 months. Eric is also just extremely knowledgeable and a great musician in general, so whatever your skill level or guitar goals, he will definitely be able to help you improve!
Robby Guthrie
Jun 20, 2021
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I've been taking lessons for about 7 months or so with Eric, primarily working on blues and jazz improvisation. I'm always impressed by his level of knowledge, preparedness, and thoughtfulness. Every lesson he will point out areas for improvement in my playing that I never noticed, and after working on the exercises to improve in that area I feel like my playing improves by leaps and bounds. His personalized advice for improvement is extremely valuable.
I also really appreciate that I feel he is invested in and cares about my progress. I can tell he takes his role as a teacher seriously and wants to do well by his students. And in addition, he wants to develop in your own interests and doesn't try to force anything (in the past I've had teachers who really only wanted to teach the music they liked, which is not the case with Eric, and I appreciate that). Definitely I would recommend Eric as a teacher, and I will be continuing lessons for a while for sure.
I also really appreciate that I feel he is invested in and cares about my progress. I can tell he takes his role as a teacher seriously and wants to do well by his students. And in addition, he wants to develop in your own interests and doesn't try to force anything (in the past I've had teachers who really only wanted to teach the music they liked, which is not the case with Eric, and I appreciate that). Definitely I would recommend Eric as a teacher, and I will be continuing lessons for a while for sure.
Erik Orelind
Dec 23, 2020
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Eric is a fantastic guitar teacher. He has a very kind, patient, and thoughtful manner. Each lesson is well thought out and I leave feeling better about my guitar journey. I have worked with Eric both in-person and with Zoom lessons, and he excels at both formats. I have learned a lot, enjoyed every lesson and would highly recommend him.
Maria Poulos
Nov 08, 2020
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Eric is a great teacher and the online instruction really works! I improved quite a bit based on his unique ability to zone in on technical issues quickly. He is also extremely knowledgeable regarding music theory and was able to break down complex topics into easy-to-understand tips and tricks. This helped me greatly with song writing. I also liked the way he didn't try to upend my natural way of playing guitar. Highly recommend!
Kyle Benjamin
Feb 18, 2019
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I've been taking lessons with Eric for a little over a month and it has been a truly enlightening experience for me, not only as a guitar player but as a musician in general. Eric's approach to guitar instruction is both challenging as well as encouraging, and I find that each lesson is a wholly collaborative experience (as opposed to just rote instruction). There are some lessons where I may barely play a note, yet I walk away feeling like a better guitar player simply through discussing the philosophy and mechanics of music.
It is rare to find an instructor who is that effective, in any field. My time with Eric has fundamentally changed the way I approach the guitar and has opened countless new paths to explore. I strongly recommend him as a teacher for any genre of music at any skill level.
It is rare to find an instructor who is that effective, in any field. My time with Eric has fundamentally changed the way I approach the guitar and has opened countless new paths to explore. I strongly recommend him as a teacher for any genre of music at any skill level.
Jeff McComas
Dec 11, 2017
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Taking lessons with Eric has been a great experience. He's improved my playing, the atmosphere is warm and friendly, and parking is a piece of cake. I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of theory, how to play over chord changes, and how to better visualize the fretboard. I could not have found a better instructor to teach me this stuff. He is patient with questions and gives thorough answers that are easy to understand and apply. He really knows music. On top of all that he is a fantastic player. I highly recommend Klotz Guitar Studio to anyone of any skill level looking to improve their playing.
