About Chris Jones

Chris started playing guitar around the age of 19 and has been playing for 32 years. He is primarily a self-taught player but has had a few influential teachers over the years. His primary focus is on jazz and improvisation but he also enjoys classical, fingerstyle. and recently began taking an interest in country guitar playing. Chris is a life long learner and is always seeking out new ways to better his playing skills because he believes the journey of a musician never ends. He is a graduate of the Queens University of Charlotte Music Therapy Program, and has worked in the areas of mental health, substance abuse and developmentally disabled adults. Since 2017,Chris has been teaching daily group guitar classes at both Charlotte Catholic High School and Christ the King High School, which is in Huntersville. He also teaches a History of Rock class at Christ the King. In 2021 he became an adjunct jazz guitar instructor at Davidson College in Davidson. In his teaching practices Chris covers everything from the basics of music all the way up to more advanced concepts and caters his lessons to each student based around whatever goals he or she may have. He has had numerous experience playing live music as well: everything from solo, duo. trio, quartet jazz gigs, either as a sideman or a leader; cover bands and musicals. Chris believes that playing music and specifically playing the guitar is much like anything else that requires a skill to execute it well: it takes motivation, time, patience and above all practice to be successful in the field. Unfortunately, he knows and tells his students that there is no “secret formula” to becoming a good guitarist, one just has to be willing to put the work in. He believes that the act of taking lessons should be enjoyable for the student and he strives to put this into practice with each person that he teaches.