Beginning Guitar: Mastering the Keys

Jack Leroy Petersen (b. aprox 1933, Elk City, OK) is a US jazz guitarist, pianist, composer,

arranger, music publisher, music clinician, and renowned pioneer in jazz education who

revolutionized guitar education. He was a pedagogical architect for jazz guitar and jazz

improvisation at three institutions of higher learning:

First full-time jazz guitar teacher at the Berklee College of Music (1962-65 - Inaugural Chair,

Guitar Department)

Longstanding and influential jazz guitar artist in residence at theUniversity of North Texas

College of Music (1976-88 - Resident Artist, Jazz Guitar, Improv).

Joining his close colleague, Rich Matteson, who was recruited from North Texas to build a new

program at the University of North Florida focusing on jazz, Petersen built a jazz guitar

program (1988-1995; fully retiring 1999 - Resident Artist and Associate Professor).