Have a clear reason why you're doing this
Do you have a clear goal/vision that fires you up? That could be to play around the campfire, get grade 5, busk, or even become a rockstar.
If you don't know why you're doing this you'll give up sooner or later as guitar is HARD, it's also incredibly fun, but you have to get through months of frustration before you taste that, and that requires a strong why.
Here's my vision from 2004 when I started out, it still fires me up now as I write this.
If you don't know why you're doing this you'll give up sooner or later as guitar is HARD, it's also incredibly fun, but you have to get through months of frustration before you taste that, and that requires a strong why.
Here's my vision from 2004 when I started out, it still fires me up now as I write this.
Prioritise and invest
Guitars aren't cheap, but they're not even half the price you paid for your daughters violin bow. You must be willing to buy a functional guitar and ensure it stays in good condition, or it will sound bad, hurt your hands, drain your motivation, or destroy your child's dream of being a rockstar forever.
£50 can get you a good second hand guitar... IF it's been approved by a trusted guitar specialist (not your uncle Barry please), I use Treblerock Clifton, Intersound Dursley, or A Remus Sound Gloucester.
£50 can get you a good second hand guitar... IF it's been approved by a trusted guitar specialist (not your uncle Barry please), I use Treblerock Clifton, Intersound Dursley, or A Remus Sound Gloucester.
Practice
To achieve anything on guitar you must practice often. Minimum 5 days a week, ideally 6-7. For a beginner 10 minutes every day is better than 2 hours at the weekend, that's just pointless. Don't tell me it's your dogs birthday and you're going out for dinner, get up 10-20 minutes earlier and practice in the morning. I want solutions not excuses, remember your why?
Don't let your dreams slide away.
Don't let your dreams slide away.
Be organised
One of the reasons I succeed in this competitive industry is because I (don't) have the artistic temperament.
Keep your music together in a folder like this, put the current projects at the front and things you still play further back, ditch anything you no longer use.
Write down instructions and solutions to problems clearly, also use your camera to film me demonstrating or explaining troubled sections, then store videos in a folder well labelled and easy to find during practice, make a backup of that folder. this way you improve faster and your money goes further.
Be sure to download any backing tracks and store them in the folder too.
Read all the small print (exam books, Ts & Cs, ect)
Live in different houses? Get 2 guitars. Make it easy for yourself to practice, otherwise you just won't.
Keep your music together in a folder like this, put the current projects at the front and things you still play further back, ditch anything you no longer use.
Write down instructions and solutions to problems clearly, also use your camera to film me demonstrating or explaining troubled sections, then store videos in a folder well labelled and easy to find during practice, make a backup of that folder. this way you improve faster and your money goes further.
Be sure to download any backing tracks and store them in the folder too.
Read all the small print (exam books, Ts & Cs, ect)
Live in different houses? Get 2 guitars. Make it easy for yourself to practice, otherwise you just won't.
Be on time
Be on time, don't be too early though, I won't promise to be ready before your agreed time, I could be teaching a student, eating lunch, or watching My Little Pony, that's my time.
If I'm ready early thats fine, but don't expect or demand it.
Thanks for understanding.
If I'm ready early thats fine, but don't expect or demand it.
Thanks for understanding.
Pay on time
90% of the time the people who pay fast, take guitar seriously, turn up on time, practice, laugh at my jokes, and are a joy to deal with. I also like being able to pay my bills, It's a win win for everyone.
When I first started I had a client build up £140 worth of debt, I then saw them buying Champagne in Waitrose...
Trust is everything, nobody gets discounts, mates rates, or special treatment here.
When I first started I had a client build up £140 worth of debt, I then saw them buying Champagne in Waitrose...
Trust is everything, nobody gets discounts, mates rates, or special treatment here.
Go the extra mile
If you want to impress me, build upon what we did in the lesson.
Even an hour lesson often isn't enough to cover everything. If you've learnt the first two lines of a piece and it made sense, try the next line on your own, chances are you'll get lots of it right and I can just make small corrections. We then move forward faster.
Intermediate and advanced students: If I've shown you a scale in G and B, why not find out how to play it in C, A, G# and D? If you know the notes up to fret 5? get on google, a book (or my resources page in the dropdown menu) and learn up to fret 12, now try fret 19.
Learn new techniques and expand your theory, in a way that compliments what we're doing, but doesn't clash with my tuition or overpower the main focus. So get the main focus of our session done first, then dig a little deeper.
Study the styles and artists further on Google, YouTube, and Spotify, strive to see the bigger picture.
Look for gaps in your theory or technique and try to fill them with books, apps, or online content between lessons.
Guitar exams are big, learn all the scales, chords, ear tests, and stylistic studies in your own time as well as during the lessons, because there isn't time to cover everything in every lesson.
Read your exam handbook cover to cover, circle or underline anything that doesn't make sense, we don't want any surprises on the big day.. I've had that, it's not fun. Don't leave everything to me.
If you do these things you'll move forwards much faster, as I can just tweak the stuff you did at home, and teach things that level you up, then you'll achieve your dreams much sooner than you thought possible.
Even an hour lesson often isn't enough to cover everything. If you've learnt the first two lines of a piece and it made sense, try the next line on your own, chances are you'll get lots of it right and I can just make small corrections. We then move forward faster.
Intermediate and advanced students: If I've shown you a scale in G and B, why not find out how to play it in C, A, G# and D? If you know the notes up to fret 5? get on google, a book (or my resources page in the dropdown menu) and learn up to fret 12, now try fret 19.
Learn new techniques and expand your theory, in a way that compliments what we're doing, but doesn't clash with my tuition or overpower the main focus. So get the main focus of our session done first, then dig a little deeper.
Study the styles and artists further on Google, YouTube, and Spotify, strive to see the bigger picture.
Look for gaps in your theory or technique and try to fill them with books, apps, or online content between lessons.
Guitar exams are big, learn all the scales, chords, ear tests, and stylistic studies in your own time as well as during the lessons, because there isn't time to cover everything in every lesson.
Read your exam handbook cover to cover, circle or underline anything that doesn't make sense, we don't want any surprises on the big day.. I've had that, it's not fun. Don't leave everything to me.
If you do these things you'll move forwards much faster, as I can just tweak the stuff you did at home, and teach things that level you up, then you'll achieve your dreams much sooner than you thought possible.
Set goals, be ambitious
If you want to speed it up, set a goal that moves you towards your vision, even better a goal with a deadline and some healthy pressure.
Getting on stage or taking an exam is really powerful, as it removes the option not to improve.
If you play open mics with me you'll learn how the business works, if you're successful there I'll let you join me in my headline gigs, if venues like you they might give you your own headline gig, assuming you can perform 2 X 45 minutes of material, if not that's something we could work on over time.
Get ambitious.
Getting on stage or taking an exam is really powerful, as it removes the option not to improve.
If you play open mics with me you'll learn how the business works, if you're successful there I'll let you join me in my headline gigs, if venues like you they might give you your own headline gig, assuming you can perform 2 X 45 minutes of material, if not that's something we could work on over time.
Get ambitious.
Be respectful
I'm human like anyone else, I have bad days and make mistakes, be cool and don't get silly about it.
Relax and have fun
I know I've said some stern things in this article, but my lessons are fun and light hearted, full of jokes, laughter, and epic guitar playing.
Being a young man I occasionally get uptight students who try to test me, if you don't feel I'm up to the job don't waste your time or mine (not cool bro).
Don't be afraid of playing wrong notes, they won't kill you, I actually encourage you to slip, because you realise it doesn't hurt, it also allows me to see whats going wrong. It was great at home though? Yes it was, in front of people you feel pressure and play a bit faster, therefore any incorrect technique or lack of knowledge will suddenly be exposed, allowing me to fix it.
If you're afraid of playing wrong notes you can't play well, because you need to relax to activate flow state, where all the magic happens.
I always play a few wrong notes and a few small slips in my gigs, and it's not a problem because the overall impression is strong, there's a big difference between a nervous slip and genuinely playing something wrong because you couldn't be bothered to learn it correctly.
So relax and have fun, let's embrace those wrong notes and figure out why they might be happening, and use it to create solid skills.
Being a young man I occasionally get uptight students who try to test me, if you don't feel I'm up to the job don't waste your time or mine (not cool bro).
Don't be afraid of playing wrong notes, they won't kill you, I actually encourage you to slip, because you realise it doesn't hurt, it also allows me to see whats going wrong. It was great at home though? Yes it was, in front of people you feel pressure and play a bit faster, therefore any incorrect technique or lack of knowledge will suddenly be exposed, allowing me to fix it.
If you're afraid of playing wrong notes you can't play well, because you need to relax to activate flow state, where all the magic happens.
I always play a few wrong notes and a few small slips in my gigs, and it's not a problem because the overall impression is strong, there's a big difference between a nervous slip and genuinely playing something wrong because you couldn't be bothered to learn it correctly.
So relax and have fun, let's embrace those wrong notes and figure out why they might be happening, and use it to create solid skills.