“To me Joel is the essence of a great teacher. He is organized, punctual, clear and patient. His structure as a teacher and the way he approaches lessons is concise, complex and yet still easy to follow. Joel changed my perspective on how well a teacher can actually teach with great affect. I would recommend Joel to the closest of friends. ” - Michael Beckerat
— Grass Valley, CA
“Slide guitar is unique in its capability to deeply express ancient Indian ideas of beauty in a modern world. Joel Veena is an attuned master of Indian Classical. He has taught me not only technical skill in playing the instrument but also a penchant for leveling up my ear for aesthetic sound. His energy is contagious and motivating. He is a great teacher that continues to have an invigorating influence on my music.” - Chandramouli Iyer
— Frisco, TX
I am accepting new students for lessons over Zoom or WhatsApp video call. I am also open to teaching in-person lessons for those who are willing and able to travel to my current location (as of December 2023, I am based in southern Vermont USA). I teach Hindustani classical music on the Indian slide guitar and I can also teach and guide you on the instrument of your choice, assuming that you are proficient to begin with. I can also guide you in how to convert an ordinary acoustic guitar into an Indian slide guitar and connect you with the makers of these instruments in India.
My knowledge comes from studying Indian classical music through the oral tradition since 2007. My teachers include Mohan veena player Dr. Ranjan Kumar (a disciple of Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt), along with sarod maestros Pt. Alok Lahiri and Pt. Anirban Dasgupta. In addition to this, I hold a minor in Electronic Music from the University of California at Santa Cruz. There I learned basic piano, composition, music theory and notation along with the techniques of running a recording studio and producing recorded music. I also play the guitar, bass and sing.
I currently teach students from all over the world, including the USA, India and Europe. I believe strongly in an individualized approach and I create materials that are specifically tailored for each student.
My diverse background means that I am especially equipped to teach you this beautiful music from a distance and help you to connect to this tradition from wherever you may be coming from. Lessons are between 1 and 1.5 hours. I provide notation along with audio recordings from our lessons.
My fees are $60 USD for one class.
Fill out the contact form below or email me directly at joel@joelveena.com
“I have always loved Indian classical music and After hearing Joel Veena perform I was inspired to take some lessons with him on Indian slide guitar. I was blown away by his ability to explain and coach me through this in this vast and ancient tradition of Hindustani music. Joel is a patient and caring teacher with a wealth of knowledge and experience in this improvised art form. In our lessons he would de-mystify the music and offer clear and digestible action items that allowed me to progress quickly. I would highly recommend Joel to anyone interested in exploring Indian music, slide guitar in particular! He is the real deal. That is coming from someone who has decades of experience as a full time professional teacher and performer of music.” - Stu Fuchs
— Putney, VT