Jon Colston

Jon recorded with prog-rock artist Michelle Young on her Marked for Madness album along with members from Yes, Toto, Jethro Tull, Arena, and others. In the summer of 2011, Jon played guitar for country artist, Leah Seawright, alongside Mark Herndon, the former drummer of Alabama. Jon also co-founded, and was the original lead guitarist for a local Chattanooga cover band, Voodoo Slim.

Currently, Jon is the lead guitarist for Dalton Dover, an on-fire, rising star in Country Music. Dalton was a strong contestant on The Voice in 2019 and has released five singles with more coming in 2022. Follow Dalton and his band on: www.daltondover.net.

Jon is passionate to share with others his music knowledge and started teaching guitar in 1988. Having instructed thousands of students in acoustic and electric guitar, bass, mandolin, and ukulele, he gets tremendous satisfaction seeing the joy music brings to students and their families. He has had students accepted into Berklee School of Music, and former students who have built productive careers as a guitar players. It was Joyce, his mother, who inspired this journey, and the joy he gains from performing and teaching that keeps him on it. Jon continues to perfect his lessons, offering both face-to-face and virtual lessons, along with video lessons open to the public on YouTube.

Welcome on board, Jon!

Find out more about Jon at www.guitarinstruct.com.

Exclusive Interview

1) What are you working on now?

I’m working with Dalton Dover on developing his live show for an upcoming tour. That entails a lot of planning and rehearsals. Also in the works is putting the finishing touches on my home studio where I teach, record, edit, and produce short guitar lessons on YouTube and other platforms. When time allows, I’m writing music for an upcoming project.

2) What is your musical background and influences?

I grew up around a few famous bluegrass musicians, but I wanted to play rock music. I wasn't allowed to listen to rock & roll as an early teen, so my friends would record mix-tapes and I couldn’t wait for the next cassette. In the later teenage years, I guess I was relentless in my pursuit of rock music so my folks gave up and I had full access to all my music favorites. My first major guitar influence was Angus Young from AC/DC. While taking guitar lessons from Gary Davis, who was touring with Dolly Parton, I was introduced to the music of Steve Morse. Gary invited me to a Steve Morse guitar clinic at a local music store and that was a pivotal musical big bang and my world forever changed. I had some one-on-one time with Steve and he showed me how to do his pinch harmonic technique. I was an instant mega-fan. That night, he told me to get any book with the word guitar on it and read it and learn. And I did. A few years later, Steve came back to that music shop and was pleased to see that I was the store’s guitar teacher. Over the years, I have discovered many great players and teachers who have been influential in my commitment to life-long learning.

3) What is the role of education in music?

Where I grew up, guitar lessons were either bluegrass or 50's & 60's country. That wasn’t my cup of tea so I had to read anything I could get ahold of related to rock guitar. By the time I started teaching, I had a pretty strong music knowledge foundation. I believe it is important for guitar students to study traditional music theory, but also study what I call ‘bar room’ music theory, in other words, learning how to read crowds and other musicians. This really can only come through the experience gained from performing. On another note, advances in technology for teaching and learning music is amazing for both instructors and students. Websites, software and backing tracks would have been incredible to have when I started learning to play guitar.

4) How do you feel about the current ‘state of the music industry’?

In my current experience in performing with an up and coming country artist, it seems that today’s artists have a slight edge with the shot-in-the-arm provided by various social media platforms. These allow artists to make a personal connection with fans on a regular basis. Plus, with digital distribution, you can sell directly to fans. I certainly don’t mean to imply that today’s artists don’t have to work hard because talent and hard work are the backbone of success. Just like the benefits for teaching and learning music, using technology for writing, producing, marketing and promoting your music is more streamlined and can all be done on a laptop. I think that is great!

5) Why do you use Pickboy guitar picks?

I discovered Pickboy Meta Carbonate picks when I taught at my first music store back in the early 90's. For me, these Pickboy Meta Carbonate guitar picks are the perfect thickness and have the best attack of any pick I have used... and I have used a lot of picks. There was a period of time where I couldn’t find these picks and I carried one around in my wallet for a number of years. Fortunately, I met Ed Matthiack at a NAMM show and was thrilled to reconnect with Pickboy. After trying more pick brands than I can count over 35 years of performing, there is no question that the Meta Carbonates are my “go to” picks.