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QUICK LINKS: Music Listening Assignment Worksheet New Lesson/Tuition Policies FALL TERM 2014 | Practice Sheet | Lesson Goals Assessment

"I took lessons from Pete for two years in high school, and I was touched by his warmth, enthusiasm, and patience. Pete is a stellar musician and an effective teacher who works closely with his students to achieve their goals. He went out of his way to help me many times, from finding someone to fix my mouthpiece to attending jam sessions with me so I could play with other professional musicians. Pete always had an answer to my questions about technique or practice approaches. The most important lesson I learned from him was that telling a story and communicating with other musicians makes the music what it is, and technique is just a tool to make the music happen.

I am currently a student at UC Berkeley, where I play saxophone every week with the UC Jazz combo. I'm incredibly grateful for Pete's guidance, and he helped me develop a love for jazz music and the saxophone that I will carry with me for the rest of my life." - Deepak W, Berkeley CA


Please call 503-313-9398 to inquire about personalized private instruction from Pete Petersen.

Instruction in Clarinet, Saxophone, and Flute.

All ages/levels are welcome!

Bachelor of Music degree from University of Denver Lamont School of Music, 1993

20+ years of private teaching experience

Emphasis on Jazz Improvisation, a "Whole Brain" approach
& Performance Anxiety/Stage Fright coaching 

Former students have developed prolific careers as professional musicians, performing with luminary artists such as Beyonce, March 4th, Esperanza Spalding, others.












"Pete Petersen inspired me to work harder, and strive to be a more well rounded musician in all aspects.  The two years I spent studying under him saw the most improvement and growth in my playing.  I am a far more confident and mature player than I was two years ago." - Zach T, Beaverton


Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much will lessons cost?
A: Tuition is $120 per month. Payment is due at the beginning of each month. Currently I am not able to offer refunds for missed lessons; If you have to miss a lesson we will TRY to reschedule so that we can still get at least 4 lessons in a month.

Q: Where and when do the lessons take place?
A: Mondays and Wednesdays I teach from my home studio
(call or email for the address)  Tuesdays I teach at Beaverton Music, 12630 SW First Street, Beaverton OR, 97005. Weekly lesson times will be between the hours of 3:00pm to 8:00pm.

Q: Is there an age limit?
A: At the younger end, I typically don't start students any younger than age 10. This is for a variety of reasons; mainly physical limitations: I have learned over the years that most kids' fingers aren't big enough to cover the tone holes of a clarinet until they're about 10 years old, also their breathing muscles aren't developed sufficiently to force enough air through the instrument. Having said that, there are always exceptions; if you think your son/daughter is exceptional for his/her age, we can do a few lessons on a trial basis - I don't like to turn anyone away if there's a chance they're going to really shine!

Q: How much of a time commitment do you expect from students?
A: Learning a musical instrument is like learning a language. It doesn't get any easier unless there's daily repetition. Beginning/Intermediate Students should be spending at least 30 minutes a day, each and every day. Advanced students are required to practice at least an hour a day. I see each student for exactly half an hour a week, for one day a week; the other 6 days of the week students are on their own to work on lesson assignments.
Resources, Exercises, and articles

New Student Packet - All new students please download and read
Term/Tuition Overview - one page explaining current Lesson Pricing

Choosing the perfect mouthpiece - your mouthpiece is an important part of your setup. Just as every mouth is different, there are many different mouthpieces to choose from. Here is a handy guide to help the selection process.

Saxophone FIngering Chart - From Ken Gekeler's method. I like it because it's concise, easy to read, and fits on a single page.

Saxophone Tone Matching Exercises

Clarinet Tone Studies

Clarinet Warm-up Page

Saxophone Warm-up Page

Diminished Exercise 1 - Clarinet
Diminished Exercise 1 - Sax
Diminished Exercise 2 - Clarinet
Diminished Exercise 2 - Sax

Tonguing Exercise

ii-V7-I Arpeggio Study