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Questions you might be wondering about. Click on the questions below to be redirected to the relevant sections

Why is it worth taking up guitar lessons?

Guitar lessons are essential for learning the basics, so that you can get started on the right track. I have seen many students come to me with bad habits and techniques, which prevented them from enjoying their learning of the guitar as an instrument. And these are the ones who did not give up and decided to look for lessons. There are many people who gave up playing the guitar because they did not receive the right instruction at the beginning and found it difficult to continue playing. Some common topics that I help struggling self-learners would be: Holding a pick correctly, the different kinds of picks, how to play fingerstyle correctly, tackling barre chords, chord integrity for open chords, playability of an instrument etc.

Another factor would be time. Sure, there are things you could discover yourself. But if you wish to save some time, and time is money, taking lessons will get you where you want to be quickly. With less wasted time :)

What do you mean by tailored lesson plans?

The first thing I usually do when meeting a new student is to ask them about their motivations for learning guitar, the music that they like, and what they hope to achieve. Through our conversations, I will gather information and get a sense of the direction we can work towards to. I then create a google document [which I will share with my student] to be updated with new homework/tasks each lesson. This document is also a place for the student to take notes and keep track of their progress.

Most importantly, I will create a rough syllabus as a guide for us to follow, and we can add/modify this syllabus as we go along and as I learn more about my student.

Here is an example of a syllabus for an beginner level acoustic student.

Acoustic Guitar - Strumming and Singing Syllabus

Objectives:

To master open chords

To learn basic strumming patterns and get used to playing with tracks.

To develop a sense of pitch and learn how to coordinate strumming and singing

Learning the basics of left hand fretting techniques, in terms of thumb placement, pressing close to frets, clearing away from strings
Introduction to Basic Open Chords, quick acronym for remembering the tuning of a guitar
Learning the basics of right hand strumming techniques: holding a pick, placement of the right forearm, angle of picking, basic mechanisms of strumming.
Things to avoid when fretting eg. pulling the strings out of tune, not paying enough attention to exact placement of finger tips
Learning how to tilt the left hand and listening for chord integrity
Developing a sense of rhythm, extra exercises if the student has trouble following a consistent rhythm
An introduction to syncopation and learning how to play basic strumming patterns
Checking for students' ability to recall pitch and melodies
Understanding vocal ranges and learning why and how to use a capo
Cleaning up clarity of chords by reviewing left and right hand techniques, learning how to listen for chord integrity and correcting it
Learning how to check individual strings when fretting chords.
Singing along with tracks that fit vocal range, understanding basic tone
Playing simple strumming patterns across a few basic songs, to familiarise with chords and recognise different strumming patterns for different song paces.
Introduction to singing with single strums.
Rhythm training to be able to multitask, in preparation for singing with strumming patterns
Learning how to isolate the singing and strumming
Learning how to play with dynamics, strumming harder and softer when needed.
Singing and Strumming with basic strumming patterns

Here is an example of a syllabus for an advanced level electric guitar student.

Electric Guitar - Fretboard Theory Syllabus

Objectives:

Merging different systems together to identify notes quicker [navigating by octaves, landmarks, CAGED system]

Understanding guitars solos in terms of notes, to rely less on tabs

To improvise better, when put on the spot in a musical situation

CAGED system - check in on chord shape knowledge, linking to arpeggios and scales
Utilising octaves, 12th fret landmark, string difference [5th fret is the same as adjacent string].
Memorising a few different scales on 1st string, then linking to the other strings using systems
Improvising as application to find out where notes are. Basic chord tone soloing
Intervals across non-adjacent strings. Application using open voicing triads
Using close shape triads to navigate the fretboard. Application using basic chord tone soloing.
Creating tapping sequences using the CAGED system
A test on fretboard navigation. Given chords on the spot and required to solo/improvise [2 different genres] using chord tone soloing
Polishing up CAGED system and a simple quiz on where all the root notes are
Connecting different arpeggios shapes across the fretboard
Exploring extended pentatonic patterns and utilising tapping.
A test for improvising by skipping strings every set number of notes [eg. 3 notes per string] but using predetermined scale patterns as a base.
Combining different scales on the spot in a improvisation context
Exploring open tunings
Playing a piano piece on the guitar [with or without stave reading], to test knowledge of notes on fretboard
Learning chord shapes on a 7 string [tuned to standard]
Understanding harmonic points across strings and how to utilise them
Understanding resonance and why some chords/scales sound better at certain positions
Understanding the limitation of Western tuning and why some chords sound in tune more so than others.

How do you encourage and motivate your students?

Here are 4 different examples of motivation in my students and how I adapt accordingly.

A young child who is motivated and knows what he/she wants.
- I am usually good at picking out which young students are motivated and can go far. For such students, I usually accelerate their learning, even teaching them advanced topics once I see that they are ready.
A young child who is interested in playing but does not practice much. (Due to lack of discipline or lack of motivation)
- For such students, I will pad the lessons with fun elements with a focus to cultivate their interest in the instrument. I feel that is more important than forcing them to practice the same thing over and over and making them lose interest in the instrument. I show them how fun guitar can be and the infinite possibilities we have playing such an awesome instrument.
- Over time, they usually become more open to practicing because they realise that I am just a guy who enjoys playing the guitar as well. And I let that show more, as compared to trying to be an authoritative figure all the time.
An adult who has time to practice and is motivated.
- Besides the usual lessons, I will usually encourage my adult students to try their hand at recording covers, writing their own songs and performing live. For all of which I am able to guide them along and show them new ways to enjoy the beauty that is music.
An adult who does not have much time to practice and might lack motivation.
- I am always looking for new ways to learn effectively and I will show my students ways that they can still improve while having less time to practice. For example, many beginner guitarists tend to forget how to form the shapes of their basic open chords, especially if they had a busy few weeks. To help with this, I will teach them how to use fretboard theory and the knowledge of a chord's construction to derive chords on the spot. From that point, they no longer have to memorise chord shapes and they have opened a new door of possibilities for chord playing. It's almost like a cheatsheet, haha!

Of course, I factor in other elements like the various learning styles (kinesthetic, visual, auditory etc.). I take note of which students have a better ear, which students have better hand-eye coordination, which students learn better from watching an example etc. I then adapt the flow and delivery of the content accordingly.

I took guitar lessons before but found it very boring. What makes your lessons any different?

I understand that not everyone wants to play like a pro, some just want to do simple strumming and have fun. And that's exactly what we will do, have fun! I usually recommend music YouTube channels for my students to watch, basically just immerse ourselves in musical content and live a musical life. I also keep up to date with music gear and enjoy nerdy gear talks with some of my students.

For my younger students, I also use interactive apps to keep them interested and make it more engaging.

I have the capacity to teach students who are very driven and serious but I also know how to dial it back. I strongly believe that music should be enjoyed and not feel like a chore. When I was younger, I experienced some bad music lessons and I know how it feels to hate turning up for class. Hence, I make it a point to make sure my students look forward to having classes :)

I have the option of taking classes at my own home with other teachers. What makes travelling to your studio worthwhile?

That's a very valid point. Let me break down for you what makes travelling to my studio worthwhile:

1) Access to professional equipment (Speakers, microphones, amplifiers, many guitars). You don't have to bring your own instrument, but you are welcome to.

2) For electric guitarists, we can crank up our amps and rock out! That's something you can't do when you're having home-based classes.

3) Recording possibilities. For those interested in writing their own songs or recording a guitar cover, we can do it right here in my studio. I am experienced with music production so we can create an entire backing track from scratch (drums, bass, etc). An example of a track that we could possibly create during class, click here:

https://youtu.be/ij7S8a2JAwM

For acoustic guitarists, you now have the chance to hear your voice and guitar recorded together too.

Come on down and let's rock out!

Should my child/I sign up for guitar exams?

Whilst I do prepare students for Acoustic Guitar and Electric Guitar Rockschool exams, I do not think that taking exams is an essential aspect for learning guitar. That is because everything within the exam syllabus will be covered by my own syllabus for my students, which covers much much more topics and is more in-depth.

You should sign up for the exams if you wish to use the certificates for improving your chances for higher education. Eg. Using the Rockschool certificates to achieve UCAS points to help with entering UK universities. You can read more about that here: https://cloud.rslawards.com/about-us/ucas-points

FAQ: Questions you might be wondering about. Click on the questions below to be redirected to the relevant sections

FAQ:
Questions you might be wondering about. Click on the questions below to be redirected to the relevant sections