MK Music Lab
Guitar, piano or ukulele — even if you've never touched an instrument in your life. Taught one-to-one by Ming Yao: in person in Melbourne, or online anywhere in the world.
Welcome to your one-stop shop for all things music
Melbourne based, teaching everywhere. Students log in from São Paulo to Seoul — if you have a connection and an instrument, you're in.
01 Services
Every lesson is built around a piece you actually want to play. Theory shows up when it makes something easier — never as homework for its own sake.
Acoustic, electric and nylon-string. From your first open chords to alternate picking, bends with real feel, comping over changes and proper classical technique.
Keys for people who want to play, not just pass. Two hands together, chord charts, sight-reading, and enough jazz voicings to surprise yourself.
Four strings, instant payoff. The shortest route from “I've never played anything” to “I played a whole song at a party.”
Need a real guitar part on your track? Send me the session and a reference, and I'll send back takes that fit — rhythm, lead, or a solo that earns its place.
02 The method
Three stages, run in order, repeated for every new skill. It's the difference between practising for years and actually getting better.
Get the fundamentals clean
Posture, timing, clean chords, honest fundamentals — done one way, done well. It's the least glamorous stage and the one that decides everything after it, so we make it sound good from week one.
Make it yours
Once the fundamentals are automatic, we start bending them. Your own phrasing, your own voicings, your own arrangement of a song everyone knows. This is where students start sounding like themselves.
Stop thinking, start playing
The rules drop below conscious thought and disappear. You stop managing your hands and start making music — improvising, writing, playing with other people without fear.
03 Styles
Training at AIM meant learning to move between styles without flinching. It's the part I most enjoy teaching — the same six strings, six completely different accents.
Power chords, riff writing, palm muting, and the arrangement instincts that make a band sound like a band.
The twelve bar, phrasing that breathes, vibrato with intent, and how to say a lot with three notes.
Extended chords, ii–V–I, walking bass lines, comping and improvising over changes without panic.
Down-picking stamina, tight rhythm playing, modes, sweeps and harmonised leads — built up safely.
Nylon-string discipline: right-hand tone production, rest and free strokes, posture, and real repertoire.
Turning the idea on your phone into a finished piece — structure, lyrics, demos and honest feedback.
04 Watch
Bach on nylon strings and Pantera on a Jackson, played by the same pair of hands. The clearest answer to “can he actually teach my style?”
NOW Guitar Covers — the complete playlist
Drag, swipe or scroll sideways — then tap any performance to play it above.
“Even after twenty years, music still teaches me something new every week — and I’m grateful I get to share that with people all over the world.” Ming Yao
05 Instructor
I’ve been playing music for over 20 years — performing with different bands, playing live shows, working on recordings, and teaching students along the way. I later trained at the Australian Institute of Music, where I developed an even broader understanding of technique, theory and different musical styles.
That experience shapes the way I teach today. Lessons aren’t built around a rigid system or a one-size-fits-all syllabus. We start with the music you actually want to play, then build the technique, timing, theory and musical understanding you need to play it well.
Over the years I’ve taught students from 47 countries — from complete beginners picking up an instrument for the first time, to experienced players looking to break through a plateau. Whether your goal is to play your first song, perform live, prepare for an exam or simply become a better musician, the lessons are built around you.
Real experience. Practical teaching. No ego.
Twenty years of rehearsals, gigs, recording sessions and teaching have taught me that musicians improve fastest when they understand why something works — not just where to put their fingers. My job is to give you clear direction, honest feedback and a practical way to keep progressing.
06 Getting started
Message me with your instrument, your rough level, and one song you'd love to play.
We meet, we play, I work out how you learn. No commitment and no sales pitch.
I map a route from where you are to what you want to play — with real music along the way.
Same time each week, notes after every session, and progress you can actually hear.
07 Rates
One-to-one, online or in person, charged by the hour. Prices in Australian dollars — your first lesson is free either way.
AUD80
per hour
AUD50
per hour
AUD50
per hour
AUD100
per hour
Your first lesson is free. Sibling and family rates available — just ask.
All prices in Australian dollars (AUD). Studio work can also be quoted per project.
08 Students
I'd tried teaching myself guitar for two years and got nowhere. Six weeks with Ming Yao and I played a full song at my friend's birthday.
My daughter actually asks when her next lesson is. That never once happened with piano before.
I came in wanting to shred and left also understanding jazz chords. He makes hard stuff feel obvious.
09 FAQ
These are the questions I hear most often. If yours isn't here, please just ask — no question is too small, and I genuinely like answering them.
Not at all, and you're in good company — complete beginners are some of my favourite students to teach. Everything is new, so every week brings something you couldn't do before. You'll play something you recognise in your very first lesson.
You're really not. Adult beginners often progress beautifully, because you already know the sound you're chasing. I teach students from 6 to 70 and beyond, and it's never once been too late.
In my experience, no. I've taught plenty of six-year-olds for a full hour and they do wonderfully. The extra time means we can play, explore and take our time, rather than rushing. And if your child needs a different rhythm on the day, we'll simply follow their lead.
You'll want one for practising at home, yes — but please don't rush out and buy anything first. Tell me your budget and I'll happily help you find something that feels good to play. A comfortable instrument makes an enormous difference early on.
Only if you'd like to. Many of my students play beautifully from tab, chord charts and their ears. If you're working towards exams or session work we'll build reading in properly, and at a pace that feels comfortable.
Yes, and it's how most of my students learn. Online lessons work well for guitar, piano and ukulele alike, and if you’re in Melbourne we can meet in person instead. All you need is a steady connection and a way to point a camera at your hands — I'll help you get set up on our first call.
Less than you might think. A gentle fifteen minutes most days will take you a long way, and it's kinder to you than one long session. We'll work out a plan together that fits the week you actually have, not an ideal one.
That's completely fine and it happens to everyone. Life gets busy, and music will still be there when you come back. We'll pick up where you left off without any fuss — there's nothing to catch up on and nothing to apologise for.
Of course — that's usually exactly where we start. Learning music you love is the best motivation there is. I'll weave the technique in underneath, so you'll find yourself improving without it ever feeling like homework.
Almost everyone is at first, and that's completely normal. There's no judgement here and nothing to prove — we go at whatever pace feels right, and plenty of students find the nerves fade within a lesson or two.
10 Book
No forms, no waiting. Send one message telling me what you want to play, and I'll come straight back with a time.
Ming Yao
Usually replies within a few hours
Hey! 👋 Ming Yao here.
Tell me which instrument you're after — guitar, piano or ukulele — and I'll sort you a free first lesson. Online students welcome from anywhere.
Online nowOpens WhatsApp · +61 423 905 395
Questions? Message me now — asking costs nothing.