Welcome and Congratulations on selecting the guitar as your instrument of choice!
This page is dedicated to helping you make an informed decision regarding your selection of guitar teacher. I hope the information provided to these commonly asked questions shown on this page also provides you with insights into my personal approach regarding helping you achieve your goal of playing the guitar.
Am I too old or too young to learn the guitar?
So perhaps you are a young person looking for your first teacher or, maybe you have been playing for a while or, perhaps you are an older person already employed and looking for an artistic interest for further self development. The question is are you too old or too young?
The good news is that no matter what stage of life you are at currently, you can learn to play the guitar with dedication, motivation and discipline. In my opinion, and according to my research, this is one fairly commonly shared among music teachers.
7 years of age is commonly suggested as about the best for a young child to begin formal music lessons for a variety of reasons. These are mainly centred around the cognitive development issues of that age. However, I am aware of some teachers who accept pupils who are younger than this age.
How can I determine what level I will reach with the guitar?
There are many factors that determine the level you will eventually reach including natural talent, your dedication, motivation and passion for the guitar. In addition, those who support you in your studies are equally important in helping you to your eventual success.
Another key ingredient is of course the regularity of practice: the more you practice, the quicker will be your progress.If you have a burning desire to play the instrument then the hours of dedicated work required will simply become a pleasurable enjoyment.
In my opinion, the guitar is one of the most seductively provocative instruments when played with passion and dedication: the passion, the desire to want to play, is the lifeblood of success in learning a musical instrument.
What style of guitar do you teach?
There are many styles and genres of music to select from when choosing what repertoire you would like to play. These include classical, rock, jazz etc. Based on my own experience, I recommend that pupils undertake a classical style training to begin with and then progress to other styles once the fundamentals are secure.
A study of the classics reveals the foundation of modern western music and the secrets enclosed within the pages of this style have prevailed for hundreds of years and formed the basis of training of thousands of prominent musicians of all genres. The classics still inform modern composers to this day and are a phenomenal source of information regarding the rudiments, harmony, counterpoint and orchestration.
In my opinion and based upon my own experience, you will benefit enormously from adopting this approach as your entrance into the wonderful world of music as it is thorough, rich in techniques and lays the ground work for everything else to come.
Have you any advice regarding choosing a guitar teacher?
My response to this topic is influenced by personal experience gained in my early years as a music student. I spent years in search of guitar teachers who
- could read music, and
- were thoroughly trained and accredited by a recognised school of music. This accreditation could be by way of a university degree or conservatoire level training. Either form of music accreditation means that the teacher has met robust standards.
While this is certainly not the absolute deciding factor in teacher selection, in my opinion, it is certainly the minimum criteria with which to begin and is a critical factor to take into account.
I eventually realised after many years of ‘wandering in the desert’ in search of guitar teachers who met these criteria that the classically trained teachers were the folks most likely to meet my requirements. Having come to this conclusion, I then undertook years of serious study of music with several qualified, educated teachers who had met robust standards set by a recognised music qualification accrediting body.
So this would be my recommendation to you:
- choose a qualified teacher who has met the robust standards mentioned above, and
- accept nothing less.
In my opinion, this will save you many years of frustration as well as wasted effort and investment, in the long run. After all, if you had a medical complaint, you wouldn’t dream of allowing an unqualified ‘doctor’ to treat you, so why would you treat your music education any differently?
You might also want to read the blog page entitled ‘How can I help my child’s success’ to learn more about the selection criteria.
What is your approach to teaching the guitar?
My approach to teaching is grounded in a deep interest in developing my fellow human being to be the very best they can be, using the medium of music, with the guitar as our main vehicle. While talent, dedication and commitment are essential ingredients to succeed in playing the instrument, equally and if not more importantly, a deep love and passion for music is crucial. I seek out the student’s passion in the very early stages of training and work to nurture and grow this further.
Great patience in living with yourself while you learn the language of music and allow your body to acclimatise to what is expected of it when playing an instrument, is an essential ingredient for success in the longer term.
When these ingredients are integrated with the individual’s natural talent, they provide the winning formula for success. This is what I seek to engender in my students…a formula for success!
I regard myself as an empathic, patient and dedicated teacher who seeks to help you achieve your goal, whether that is the casual or formal study of the instrument, including succeeding with formal examinations if that is your particular goal. My goal is to constantly strive for consistent growth and progress in the student’s musical and personal development.
I would welcome your enquiry so please feel free to contact me to discuss your own personal musical dreams!