Lessons - My Teaching Philosophy:

Each student is an individual, with their own musical goals and influences, and as a teacher I view my job as instilling the skills necessary to help you, the student, reach those goals.

However, it's not as simple as sitting down on the first day and running through a transription of "Stairway To Heaven" or "Through The Fire & Flames"- there are some core skills needed to be a good all round musician.

The basics I like every student to become familiar with include:

Knowledge of basic open major & minor chords

Understanding of movable barre chords & power chords

Understanding basics of improvisation

Ability to interpret tablature, rhythm and chord charts so to effectively communicate with other players

Ability to pick out basic rhythms, chord sequences and melodies by ear

To this end I use a mixture of technique orientated exercises and songs (including student suggestions) to demostrate these techniques, ranging from The Beatles to Hendrix to AC/DC to Nirvana and the Kings Of Leon. This list is always evolving and I make a point of tailoring each lesson to the individual student. My teaching style incorporates elements of Simultaneous Learning and Neuro-Liguistic Programming in order to help students develop a deeper, more fundamental understanding of the instrument and to enhance their ability to internalise music, developing the "ear" for music.

FAQs:

Q: Do you offer grades?

A: Yes, with both Rockschool and RGT exam boards for electric, acoustic and bass guitar, and Trinity College for classical guitar

Q: Do I need to read music?

A: Not necessarily- many successful guitarists are poor readers. Mostly I teach my students how to read a chord chart, how to read rhythm and interpret tablature. However for specialised disciplines like classical and jazz I teach students how to read standard music notation

Q: Do I need to buy any books?

A: You're welcome to buy any books you want, and there are many very high quality publications on sale, but my lessons have their own printed materials so you don't need to make any other purchases

Q: Do I need my own guitar?

A: Yes. For advice on buying a guitar, read my article on Choosing Your First Guitar HERE

Q: What if I can't attend?

A: A minimum of 24 hours notice is needed otherwise full fee will be charged. This is standard practice amonst RGT registered teachers- after all we plan our lives around our students so this is basic courtesy! I can offer HD video lessons via Skype and webcam, however

Lesson packs to buy: