Travis Gray — Guitar Instructor
Travis Gray is a guitarist, performer, songwriter, and teacher based in the Capital Region. He's the singer and lead guitarist for Wild Adriatic, and has spent years on the road playing shows across the U.S. and Europe.
At this point, Travis estimates he's played somewhere around 2,000 shows, across most of the United States and two European tours.
Wild Adriatic has performed at Bonnaroo, SXSW, Mountain Jam, Mile of Music, Brooklyn Bowl, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and alongside artists including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sublime, and Vulfpeck.
The band released three full-length albums and multiple EPs, and their music has appeared in NASCAR Heat and other video games. They were also used as walk-in music for Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
You can still catch Travis playing live throughout the summer at the Lake George Beach Club in downtown Lake George.
How It Started
Travis's first guitar was a Peavey Raptor. He doesn't have it anymore, unfortunately.
The first song he learned all the way through was "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix.
He started out teaching himself and later studied classical guitar.
Travis and Paul grew up playing music together locally, first in a band called Horse in a Box (neither of them named it), then later in The Loyalty.
More than twenty-five years after they first started playing together, after bands, touring, records, different jobs, and doing their own things, they somehow ended up back in the same room again at Paul's Guitar Hideout.
A Few Road Stories
Bonnaroo, 2015. Travis had mononucleosis and flew in specifically to play Wild Adriatic's set on the Miller Lite stage.
Bethel Woods. Wild Adriatic opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd in front of one of the biggest crowds Travis remembers playing to. During Skynyrd's set, their techs let him stand side stage and listen to the band's individual in-ear mixes.
Europe. One of Wild Adriatic's longest tours was more than a month in a Mercedes Sprinter, sleeping mostly in hostels and moving on to the next show.
And somewhere in there was Mile of Music in Appleton, playing outside at Jones Park with people packed around the stage.
The Guitars
During the Wild Adriatic touring years, Travis's main guitar was a Gibson ES-335 '63 Reissue.
These days, the guitar he reaches for most is a Fender Acoustasonic Jazzmaster.
Teaching Approach
Travis's teaching is built around real playing.
He's spent years writing songs, arranging music with other people, making records, touring, and playing in front of audiences. That experience comes into the lesson, but the lesson starts with what the student is actually trying to do.
If there's a song you want to learn, that can become the lesson.
If your timing is bothering you, work on timing. If you've written something that isn't quite working, bring it in. If you've been playing for years and parts of the fretboard still don't make sense, start there.
For beginners, that might mean chords, rhythm, simple songs, and understanding how the instrument actually works. For returning or experienced players, it might mean technique, timing, phrasing, songwriting, improvisation, theory, or filling in whatever gaps have been getting in the way.
Some students want more structure. Others show up with a song, riff, or idea they want to figure out.
Travis teaches from the music, not the other way around.
Today, Travis teaches private, in-person guitar lessons at Paul's Guitar Hideout inside The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls.
If your guitar isn't playing well, a setup before your first lesson can make a real difference. If you're just getting started and don't have an instrument yet, we can also help you choose your first guitar.
If you're not sure where to begin, come in, call, or send a message.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who teaches guitar lessons at Paul's Guitar Hideout?
Guitar lessons are taught in person by Travis Gray, singer and lead guitarist for Wild Adriatic. Travis has played roughly 2,000 shows, toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe, and teaches at the shop inside The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY.
What style of music does Travis Gray teach?
Lessons are student-driven rather than built around a fixed curriculum. Rock, folk, pop, songwriting, improvisation, and other styles can all be part of the lesson depending on what the student wants to play.
Does Travis teach beginners?
Yes. Travis teaches complete beginners as well as returning and experienced players. Lessons are adjusted to where the student is starting and what they want to accomplish.
Where does Travis Gray teach guitar lessons?
In person at Paul's Guitar Hideout, inside The Shirt Factory, 71 Lawrence St., Suite 201B, 2nd Floor, Glens Falls, NY 12801.
Lessons happen upstairs at the shop, so here is how to find us. We're located at The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY. Use the Cooper Street entrance and take the stairs up. If you need assistance, give us a call and we'll come down.
Paul's Guitar Hideout · The Shirt Factory · 71 Lawrence St., Suite 201B, 2nd Floor · Glens Falls, NY 12801 · Wednesday–Sunday, 12–5pm · (518) 217-8695 · info@paulsguitarhideout.com