Fantastic news for the second time this week.
I’d like to congratulate my electric guitar student Bailey on his well-earned Merit achieved in his recent RSL Awards Electric Guitar Grade 2 exam.
Bailey, top work!
Fantastic news for the second time this week.
I’d like to congratulate my electric guitar student Bailey on his well-earned Merit achieved in his recent RSL Awards Electric Guitar Grade 2 exam.
Bailey, top work!
I’m absolutely made up today to be able to share the good news that my electric guitar student Harry has passed his RSL Awards Electric Guitar Grade 5 with an 80% Merit.
Harry has worked really hard, is a great lad and has also been offered an Unconditional place at LIPA Sixth Form this September.
Happy days!
Good Afternoon All,
As everyone is fully aware there has been a huge change in the daily lives of a vast number of people with the concern over Coronavirus. A lot of alterations are taking place, restrictions on movement and contact are one of them. Insofar as teaching this has had quite an impact on any face to face lessons I was engaging in and offering. I made the decision to halt face to face lessons until news comes in that we’re good to return to business as usual. I will be offering my services on an online basis.
I now offer lessons via Skype and Whatsapp video with payments made online. I have tried and tested this over the last week with great success and feel confident that I can offer quality tuition done this way under the current climate.
Stay safe, take care, stay healthy, stimulated, creative, hopeful and look after each other.
All my best
Jo xx
Welcome back and Happy New Year for 2020! May all of your creative goals be ready and raring to go after an indulgent Festive December.
I have 3 congratulations to students this week after they successfully achieved their chosen Grades at the end of 2019 –
They all worked very hard and managed to keep their focus and actually enjoy the experience even whilst the busiest season of the year was about to happen. I’m very proud and made up for each of their successes.
It’s been a pleasure!
Good afternoon!
I’d like to congratulate my guitar student Gareth on the hard work he put into his RGT Grade 2 Acoustic Guitar exam and prep. Gareth has just found out he’s achieved a Distinction. This is great news and well deserved!
The exams and certificates work really well in giving a sense of recorded and measured achievement for learners. Each building gradually on the previous grade. I highly recommend this pathway for guitar students who think it may be for them.
Good work Gareth!
A huge congratulations to Mickey for successfully achieving his Grade 5 ABRSM Music Theory! Mickey had no prior Music Theory knowledge and in 3 months we have worked through books Grade 1 – 5, culminating in him passing his Grade 5 exam a few weeks ago. He had a Conditional Offer into LIPA BA (hons) Music degree with the understanding that it would change to Unconditional with the completion of his Grade 5 Theory….
Excellent news!
Well done Mickey for all the hard work you put in, it was well-deserved. Good luck and fun on your new journey and thanks for the prezzy!
Hello and welcome to GUITAR STUDENT PROFILE #2
It’s always interesting and inspiring to read about other peoples journeys, especially in a pursuit you may be interested in yourself…..in this case learning to play guitar..
Gareth is an adult learner with a very demanding and often unruly profession. He has a great love of music as a wind down and always puts time aside to play his guitar. This really comes across in our guitar lessons and makes him very easy to work and chat music with! In the time we have been having lessons together we have covered a lot of finger-picking songs such as Breathe by Pearl Jam, Who Says by John Meyer, a few Steve Earle songs….the list goes on! The current development is to build some Music Theory knowledge by working through some of the RGT Grade books.
Here’s what Gareth has to say about his journey and his guitar lessons……
1) How long have you been playing the guitar?
I originally started playing the guitar at senior school learning to play the electric guitar. I passed my GCSE Music but unfortunately gave up. Fast forward 22 years and I decided to start learning again. I have been learning to play again for just over one year.
2) Why did you begin guitar lessons?
I began learning guitar as I have always enjoyed listening to music at home and love live music. I listen to many different genres and when I was younger I grew up listening to music my older brother liked which was predominantly rock and metal. I originally started to learn rock songs etc. More recently (as I have grown up) I enjoy a variety of music however recently enjoy music based around acoustic guitar. I would always look in the window of my local guitar shop at the acoustic guitars and one day decided I wanted to learn again. I am learning for personal enjoyment and as a hobby, I find practicing and playing a way to relax. It would be nice to reach a level whereby one day I could play fluently with confidence and possibly to play for friends or with other musicians however I am aware I’m still very much a beginner.
3) What do you enjoy most about lessons and playing the guitar?
I currently have one lesson weekly. I enjoy my lesson as Jo helps to tailor the lesson to suit my needs and current playing ability. In the time spent with Jo she has worked out some of my favourite songs / pieces. With practice I have managed to play some songs I would have struggled with or not even known where to start with this time last year. I particularly enjoy and started to listen to pieces using finger picking techniques, although I have only learnt basic techniques I find when playing on your own and practicing it can be rewarding as I think it produces a much more interesting sound. (When I get it right that is!) Jo is a very patient teacher and has always made lessons interesting, helping to break songs down so it’s manageable to learn and not overwhelming. I even enjoy lessons to have a chat with Jo about different types of music / artists. More recently I have decided to learn some basic theory and currently working towards Grade 1 Acoustic RGT. Again Jo is very supportive and knowledgeable and has helped to explain some basic theory aspects which I have found interesting and will hopefully help develop my overall playing and knowledge.
4) What do you find most challenging about the lessons and playing guitar?
I think learning any new skill can be challenging, it can be frustrating to know the sound you need to produce however learning the technique to accomplish it can be difficult. I struggle with-new chords and techniques that are unfamiliar.
5) Do you have any advice for people who may be thinking about having lessons and playing guitar?
As an adult beginner it can be hard to find the time to put in some serious practice with day to day life commitments, but don’t let it put you off beginning. Don’t go into it with the expectation it is easy, but at the same time it can be very rewarding even learning some basic chords and playing along to simple songs. Everybody has different learning styles / musical tastes and skill level, but personally have a think about what you are realistically looking to achieve from learning and tailor your lessons to this. Set small goals, don’t be disheartened when you listen to some of your favourite artists and instantly want to replicate the sound / song. It may sound obvious but try not to pick songs that are too advanced, I have done this but I hope to return to them in the future. You will get frustrated, I do at times, but don’t be at war with it or you won’t enjoy it. Keep your guitar out if you can, and even if you can’t find set time to practice, even just picking it up for 5-10 minutes and playing keeps you familiar with it. There is no need to buy expensive instruments to learn, pick up a decent lower end to mid-range guitar to start. Always consider a second hand guitar from a reputable shop. If it isn’t for you then you haven’t lost out a great deal on expensive instruments. I would definitely recommend Jo as a tutor if you are considering lessons as an adult or for children. Jo has always been flexible when I have had to rearrange a lesson and just one half hour lesson weekly can really help you to improve. Above all have fun with it, practice and play when time allows, stop thinking about and go do it!
Thanks Gareth!
One of the things I really enjoy about teaching guitar is the huge range of people that enquire and come for guitar lessons. Such a wide age range and reasons for wanting to learn.
Allan is a Taxi Driver who has always loved music, he goes to live shows regularly and was inspired to started guitar lessons due to his enjoyment of Joe Bonamassa to name but one on his list of blues-infused players. Allan decided to take the route of working throught RSL Awards Grades in order to build a good foundation, musical theory knowledge and hone the ability of reading TAB and playing along to backing tracks.
Here’s his testimonial –
“jo is a very patient , skilled tutor with vast knowledge , I started my musical journey in playing later than most students , and currently taking a small gap , but will be back in touch with jo as soon as I can , I have switched between acoustic , electric and back again , all of this is no problem to jo , highly recommend , Allan , Wirral ,, thanks jo”
Jo